Kentucky athletes celebrate after the NCAA meet.
“We happened to be the third best team indoors and outdoors, and for that I’m very grateful to my staff, the student-athletes and everybody that’s connected to the program, including all the support staff,” said Greene.
Steiner won the NCAA 200m title in one of the meet’s most anticipated events, finishing in 21.80 seconds.
Steiner got off to a great start and then unleashed one of her trademark late acceleration performances down the stretch and raising her arms in triumph at the finish line to outduel LSU’s Favour Ofili. The LSU Tiger had set the previous NCAA record (21.96 in April) and won their showdown at the Southeastern Conference Championships in Oxford, Miss., last month.
“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet,” Steiner said.
“Just looking back on the meet from last year, I was watching it from my couch, and so much has gone into just being at this meet in the first place. I’m just surrounded by so many amazing people at Kentucky, my family was able to be here, so these are moments I’m going to hold onto forever.”
The two rivals showed incredible sportsmanship after the race, hugging at the finish line in a fitting embodiment of the SEC’s “It Just Means More” slogan.
UK’s collegiate-record-holding 4x400m relay of Karimah Davis, Dajour Miles, Steiner and Alexis Holmes won the Championship’s last event with a time of 3:22.55.
“Honestly, competing with such amazing talent around me motivates me to want to be good,” said Davis, the leadoff leg of the 4x400m.
“Seeing how all of them care and put their all into this, I think it’s amazing to see how much we all come together and bring out amazing times.”
Steiner made up about a 25-meter deficit on the third leg, eventually clocking a 48.92 split before Holmes hammered out a dominant 50.22 anchor leg to give the Wildcats the first outdoor 4×4 national title in program history.
“I was just thinking about my relay team, our teammates that were watching, our coaches, I just really wanted to do well and perform for them and bring it home, so I was just trying to focus on getting to the line first,” said Holmes after anchoring the relay.
The 4x400m victory was also especially sweet for Coach Greene.
“That’s one of the individual events I’ve been chasing for 30 years, and to finally win one, that was a heck of a feeling as a coach. I’m excited for the young people to be national champions in the 4x400m,” said Greene.
The women’s 4x100m relay of Shadajah Ballard, Steiner, Masai Russell and Davis claimed NCAA silver with a time of 42.55 to score eight points.
Masai Russell earned her first individual NCAA outdoor medal, a bronze in the 100m hurdles, running 12.81 for third place. Russell came back and scored five more points in the 400m hurdles, running 55.83 for fourth place. Combining her share of silver-medal points in the 4×1 (two points), Russell earned 12 for the meet.
Steiner claimed bronze in the 100m with a time of 11.08 (+0.2), out-leaned at the tape by Texas’ Julien Alfred (11.020) and Oregon’s Kemba Nelson (11.014).
Alexis Holmes ran a brave and powerful first half of the 400m and came off the final turn in the lead, before finishing in a personal best 50.71 for fourth place and five points. Her time moved her past Chloe Abbott for No. 2 on the UK all-time list, only behind double Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin’s school record that has stood since 2018.
Freshman Sophie Galloway placed 22nd in the triple jump with a mark of 40’7.5”/12.38m (+0.6) in her NCAA Championships debut.
Points are awarded to the teams of the top-eight competitors in each event on a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.
One Response
Not only Abby set a record on her own run. but the third leg she ran in the 4X400 race was just as impressive she kick A_ _. must see if you get a chance.