Dublin Coffman grad Steiner breaks collegiate record
Dublin Coffman graduate Abby Steiner is a national champion again.
The Kentucky sprinter finished first in the 200-meter dash in collegiate-record time (21.8 seconds) Saturday at the NCAA outdoor championships in Eugene, Oregon.
Steiner and teammates Karimah Davis, Dajour Miles and Alexis Holmes also won the title in the 4x400-meter relay.
Steiner, who had twice won the indoor title in the 200-meter dash, beat LSU'S Favour Ofili, the Southeastern Conference champion in the event, to win the race. Ofili had set the previous collegiate record (21.96 seconds) earlier this season.
Steiner's time was the fastest 200meter dash in the world this year among women.
“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."
Steiner was held from the 2021 championships for Achilles tendinitis that also kept her from participating in qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics.
She ran the third leg in UK'S 4x400meter relay team, which won its title in 3:22.55.
At Coffman, Steiner won four consecutive state outdoor titles in the 200 and state titles in each of her final three prep seasons in the 100.
At the Southeastern Conference meet Feb. 26, she ran 22.09 seconds in the 200 meters to set the American indoor record. Then on March 12 in Birmingham, Alabama, she ran 22.16 to win her second consecutive NCAA title.
The Louisville Courier Journal and the Associated Press contributed to this report.