Steiner paces central Ohioans at NCAA track nationals
Moments after running an Ncaa-record time while winning the national championship in the 200 meters Saturday in Eugene, Oregon, Abby Steiner told a national TV audience that everything had come together at the right time.
“Every race has been an opportunity,” she said on ESPN.
Her performance in the 200 was the culmination of a plan she and Kentucky sprint coach Tim Hall developed well before the season began.
“I wouldn't say I've been surprised,” said Steiner, a 2018 Dublin Coffman graduate and Kentucky senior who has one year of college eligibility remaining. “These times have been things coach Hall and I have discussed since fall training started.”
Steiner opened the finals by running on the second-place 400 relay (42.55 seconds). She was third in the 100 (11.08) and, about 45 minutes later, ran 21.08 to set the NCAA mark in the 200.
In her final race, Steiner took the baton as the third leg of the 1,600 relay with the Wildcats in fourth. She passed all three competitors ahead of her with a split of 48.92, and anchor Alexis Holmes clocked 50.22 to complete the title run.
As a team, Kentucky finished third (50) behind Florida (74) and Texas (64).
The Gators are coached by 1977 Linden-mckinley graduate Mike Holloway. Florida also won the men's title.
A trio of athletes from central Ohio competed for Colorado in the women's nationals, including 2016 Granville graduate Michaela Degenero, who was seeded 16th for the 1,500 but ended up second in 4:09.62. Mississippi's Sintayehu Vissa won in 4:09.42.
India Johnson, a 2017 Hilliard Davidson graduate, qualified in two events. She turned in a 10th-place finish in the 10,000 (33:34.93) and was 23rd in the 5,000 (16:16.09).
And 2021 Watterson graduate Grace
Jenkins ran on the 23rd-place 1,600 relay (3:40.44).
“It's been a crazy experience,” said Jenkins. “I knew college was a good chance for me to explore, so I wanted to get out of Ohio and see the best of the U.S. I really liked the landscape here, and mountains are super cool. They also have a really good engineering program.”
Turning in an eighth-place finish in the men's shot put (64 feet, 9 1/4 inches) was Iowa's Nik Curtiss, a 2016 Lancaster graduate.
Jaydan Wood, a 2019 Pickerington Central grad, and Kainnan Ramsey, a Thomas Worthington alum who graduated in 2017, competed for Ohio State at nationals.
Wood ran on the women's 12th-place 1,600 relay (3:33.4), and Ramsey competed on the 14th-place men's 400 relay (39.11).
Cincinnati freshman Steven Mcelroy, a 2021 Pickerington North graduate, finished 19th in the men's 400 (46.3).
“It's a blessing,” Mcelroy said. “This whole process has been an eye-opener . ... It means a lot to me to go on a stage like this one that not many people get to go to. At the beginning of the season, it was a little bit of a struggle, but as I started to figure out time management and some different study skills, it came a little bit easier.”
Clemson's Aman Thornton, a 2019 Mifflin graduate, finished 21st in the 800 (1:49.57).
Penn State's Korbin Martino, a 2021 Canal Winchester grad, ran on the 21stplace men's 1,600 relay (3:06.9).
Elliott Cook, who graduated from Dublin Jerome 2020 and is now a redshirt freshman for Oregon, turned in a 21st-place finish in the 1,500 (3:44.47).
“You kind of get your feet wet the first year of college and give yourselves about a year to develop, and then everything gets easier,” he said. “The fruits of our labor are starting to show.” julrey@thisweeknews.com @Ulreythisweek