Steiner breaks American indoor record in 200-meter dash

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (WKYT) - Kentucky sprinting sensation Abby Steiner broke the American indoor record in the 200-meter dash on Saturday night with a time of 22.09 at the SEC Track & Field Championships at Texas A&M.

She has now won three straight gold medals in the 200 at the SEC Championships. Steiner’s time made her the second fastest in the indoor 200m ever, just behind Jamaican Merlene Ottey’s 21.87 indoor world record.

“It was just insane,” said Steiner. “Me and my coach always come up with goals for the season and American record was definitely one of them. I heard the crowd go and once you hear the crowd make that noise you are thinking okay, I hope I just ran super fast and I turned around and it said that and I didn’t know what to say. It was crazy.”

22.09 is a new American indoor record and it helped her capture her third straight SEC gold. To make it even sweeter, her parents witnessed history from the stands.

”I started crying on the podium,” added Steiner. “I found them in the stands and waved to them. They are just the best they are so supportive. It’s always a lot more special when they can be there to hug you in person and not over FaceTime.”

Steiner now turns her attention to the NCAA Championships in Birmingham where she has the chance to win her second straight gold in the 200-meter dash.

”I think definitely the focus will remain the same which is just to go back and defend the title. As long as I can do that whatever comes from that I will be happy.”

Steiner has also been named the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

The senior from Ohio has also found success in the classroom with a GPA of 3.845 as a Kinesiology major with a psychology minor. In 2021, she was named a CoSIDA Second-Team Academic All-American, CoSIDA Academic All-District and to the SEC Spring Honor Roll.

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