Abby Steiner is favored to win the 200-meter dash again at the SEC Championships this weekend. (UK Athletics Photo)
Going into the SEC Championships this weekend at Texas A&M, Abby Steiner has already had a terrific indoor season but credits her team for contributing to her individual success.
“You’re also working together with all your teammates, so it’s really fun. We spend a lot of time in the fall building and working on technique and building that foundation,” said Steiner. “So, it’s just making the most and being intentional out of every single practice because everything kind of builds off of each other to get ready for the season.”
“So yeah, it really starts day one, in fall training, being intentional, and then going from there, keeping your goals in mind.”
Here is what Steiner has already done this indoor season:
— On Feb. 12 she broke the 200-meter collegiate record with a finish of 22.37 season (she shared the previous record of 22.38 she set winning the 200 indoor national championship last year). It was the second-fastest indoor 200 in U.S. history and fifth fastest in world history.
— On Dec. 30 she broke the collegiate record in the 300 dash with a run of 35.80 seconds
— At the Tiger Paw Invitational, she tied the 60-meter school record of 7.12 seconds, the second-fastest time in the NCAA this season.
— She’s also a member of the school record 4×400 relay team along with Dajour Miles, Karimah Davis, and Alexis Holmes that ran 3:27.27 — the fourth fastest relay in collegiate history and top time in the world this season.
Now she has been named the Southeastern Conference Women’s Indoor Track & Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year by a vote of the league head coaches. Steiner has a 3.845 grade-point average (she has a kinesiology major with a psychology minor).
Steiner was a CoSIDA Second-Team Academic All-American last year.
Kentucky track coach Lonnie Greene says Steiner is “gifted” but also unique.
“The beautiful thing about Abby, she’s disciplined. When you work the gift, success follows the gift if you work it. When talent prepares, it’s hard to beat talent. Now, anyone is defeatable on any given day, but she’s a student, a student of her craft,” Greene said. “She knows her body, she rests, she does whatever we tell her.”
“She answers directly to (assistant) coach (Tim) Hall. Whatever he tells her to do, she will do. I think as a result of that, God honors that. He honors that obedience and the work she does.”
“I noticed it in high school at the Ohio State Championships when she was just lights out. Everyone and their mama tried to recruit Abby as a track and field athlete, but fortunately she committed to play soccer at the University of Kentucky. As a result, we were going to benefit from the program, the track and field program benefited from it. I’m excited that we were on the receiving end of that blessing.”
Steiner wants that “blessing” to continue and views the SEC Championship as a “dress rehearsal” for the NCAA Championship.
“The SEC is the best conference in the country for track and field. I think just viewing it as a dress rehearsal and focusing on the things that you’re going to focus on at nationals, while still having fun,” Steiner said. “I’m kind of just looking at having fun and enjoying being back at College Station. That’s where I won my first SEC title, so I really love running on their track and focusing on the race plan for me. ”
