Abby Steiner will not brag on herself but everyone else can because she has been incredible

Abby Steiner not only had a lot to smile about at the NCAA Championship but she's had a senior year that produced a lot of smiles. (Chet White/UK Athletics)

If you think Abby Steiner is ever going to brag on what she does, guess again.

She might be the nation’s best collegiate sprinter, but she won’t say so even if she did just win the 200-meter dash at the NCAA Outdoor Championship and also run an incredible leg on the 4×400 relay when her team was 25 meters behind to take UK from fourth to first at the NCAA championship.

It was a fitting way to end her historic senior track season and it was no surprise she was the winner of the Honda Sport Award for track & field — an honor no UK track performer had ever won and an honor only three previous UK athletes had won in their sports. She was picked in a vote by over 1,000 NCAA member schools.

I asked her Thursday what winning the Honda Award meant to her.

“It is an incredible honor,” said Steiner. “It is a great honor to represent Kentucky on a national stage.”

She is certainly a national figure after winning the 200 NCAA Indoor Championship and then posting the eighth fastest time in American history — and 21st best in the world — at the recent outdoor championship with her clocking of 21.80 seconds.

She is now a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2022 Honda Cup which will be presented during the live telecast of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards on CBS Sports Network on June 27.

However, her top priority now is the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championship June 23-26 in Eugene, Oregon, in hopes of earning a spot on the USA team that will compete in the World Championships July 15-24 in Oregon.

She will be competing against not only collegians at the USA Championship but also professional athletes who have not had to go through the grind of the SEC Championship, NCAA regional and NCAA Championship in the last month.

Steiner is not worried about fatigue impacting her.

“I don’t like to put limitations on myself. Coach (Lonnie Greene) has plenty of experience with athletes in this position before. He will set me up. I won’t dwell on how many races I have done. Taking it one meet at a time is crucial.”

Steiner also remains on the watch list for the Bowerman Award that goes to the top track and field athlete that weighs both indoor and outdoor performances. The semifinalists will be named June 20 and finalists on June 27.

“I would love to be a top three finalist. I would love to go (to the Bowerman awards ceremony),” she said.

But even if she wins, Steiner is still going to be Steiner — humble, personable and hard working.

“I wouldn’t say that I view myself in any type of way. Speed is speed and everyone puts in the same amount of work,” she said. “My goal is always to represent myself the best I can. My goal is always to put my best performance out there.”