Kentucky outstanding sprinter Abby Steiner wrote her name in the record books again this season after she broke the NCAA record in the women’s 200m with a flashing 22.37 seconds at the 2022 Tiger Paw Invitational at the Clemson Indoor Track & Field Complex on Saturday. RESULTS HERE
Steiner entered the weekend as the joint NCAA record holder with former Harvard standout and 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games silver medalist Gabby Thomas with a time of 22.38.
Watch Abby Steiner runs NCAA Indoor 200m record with 22.37 at Clemson
However, the reigning NCAA champion who held a season’s best of 22.58 seconds ( ran on an oversized track) improved that mark on the trip to Tigertown to move as the sole owner of the record this weekend and moved up to No. 5 all-time on the world list. Only Merlene Ottey (21.87), Irina Privalova (22.10), Heike Drechsler (22.27) and American record holder Gwen Torrence (22.33) have gone faster than Steiner indoors.
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Running from lane five in the first heat, Steiner got off to a quick start and covered the entire field inside the first half of the race before pulling away to seal the historic win.
Speaking at trackside after the run, the Kentucky junior said about breaking the record: “It’s awesome. I love coming to Clemson and love running 200m on this track.”
Steiner added that she will now turn her focus to getting ready “for some fun championships races” which includes the ACC Indoor Championships in two weeks and the NCAA Indoor Championships from March 11-12 in Birmingham, Ala.
The American record, set by sprint legendary Torrence in March 2016 could very well be in trouble if Steiner continues her season trajectory. Earlier this season she set the collegiate 300m indoor record with a blistering 35.80 performance in Louisville, in December.
At the 2022 Tiger Paw Invitational on Saturday, meanwhile, Rhasidat Adeleke of Texas was also impressive after she won her 200m heat with a time of 22.87 secs and just missed her PB and Ireland indoor record by 0.02.
Kynnedy Flannel of Texas ran 23.08 for third place overall after finishing behind Steiner in her heat, while another Longhorns sprinter Julien Alfred posted 23.21 for fourth place overall after taking section three.
