Pandemic puts Steiner’s track dreams on hold
Abby Steiner was in Albuquerque, New Mexico, making final preparations for the NCAA Division I Indoor track and field championships when the dominoes started tumbling.
“We had gotten there Tuesday (March 10) to do our shakeouts (a neuromuscular precursor to warm-ups) and things started getting crazy,” said Steiner, a sophomore sprinter at Kentucky from Dublin Coffman.
“Because of the spread of the coronavirus, initially they told us they were going to hold the meet without fans. My parents were set to board a connecting flight in Colorado and I called and told them to go home. Then, on Thursday, we saw on ESPN that the NBA season was canceled, then March Madness. It was inevitable at that time the meet was going to be called off, too. But then, as if things couldn’t get any worse, the NCAA called off spring sports, including outdoor track. To say I was disappointed would be a huge understatement.”
Fresh off a stunning victory in the 200 meters at the Southeastern Conference indoor championships Feb. 28 and 29 in College Station, Texas, with a program-record time of 22.57 seconds, Steiner was ranked No. 1 not only in the NCAA but in the world. The performance qualified her for the Olympic
Trials, which — along with the Tokyo Olympic Games — were scuttled and rescheduled for 2021.
It was supposed to be a whirlwind spring and summer for Steiner. Instead, she has been stuck at home wondering what if.
“At the time of the SECS, I don’t think anyone had even heard of the coronavirus,” she said. “I’m just trying to look on the bright side of things. I’ll have an extra year to get even faster for the trials, and I’ll also have an extra year of eligibility at Kentucky to chase my dreams.”
It’s been an amazing ride for Steiner, who won 11 outdoor state titles and
set state records in both sprints at Coffman.
Also an All-america soccer player, Steiner signed with Kentucky on a joint track/soccer scholarship. She opted to give up soccer six weeks after the completion of her freshman season.
“I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t give playing both sports a shot,” she said. “I guess nobody really told me what a commitment it was to be a two-sport athlete. It really took a toll on my body investing 20 hours a week in soccer and 20 hours a week in track year-round in addition to taking my classes.
“Having played soccer since I was 4, I had a certain loyalty to the sport. But with what I achieved in track my final two seasons in high school, I realized that I had lot of potential and decided to put my whole heart in it.”
Despite being worn down, Steiner had a solid freshman season. She helped the 1,600 relay team place eighth and sixth, respectively, in the NCAA indoor and outdoor meets. She was SEC runner-up in the 200, ranking ninth in the U.S.
In addition to her 200 title, Steiner’s breakout 2020 indoor season included an SEC runner-up finish in the 1,600 relay (No. 2 time in the U.S.) and a sixth place in the 60. Her 200 time ranks 15th in collegiate history.
“In fall training, I told my coach my goal was to win the SEC, which I knew would be difficult since it’s the best sprint conference in the country,” she said. “The race was so exciting. I executed it perfectly. Everything was all set up to duplicate or better that performance at NCAAS.”
Steiner said dropping soccer and investing in a year-round weight training program for track helped boost her performance.
“Those workouts are geared more toward strength and explosiveness,” she said. “Practices in college are a lot more detailed. Having just run track since eighth grade, I really wasn’t aware how big a role technique played in elite sprinting. Also, I’ve been able to train alongside some of the top men and professionals that my sprint coach works with.”
Steiner, who plans to major in pre-physical therapy and kinesiology, hopes to return to Lexington in August to resume classes and her face-to-face training. sblackledge@dispatch.com @Blackiepreps