Vote for Kentucky's Abby Steiner to win The Bowerman Award
Big Blue Nation, it is time to assemble. Kentucky senior sprinter Abby Steiner is a finalist for The Bowerman, the most prestigious award in collegiate track and field, and you can help her win it.
Starting right now and continuing through Thursday at 2 p.m. ET, you can vote for Steiner at www.ustfccca.org/the-bowerman. The winner of the award will be determined by a combination of popular vote and a diverse group of media, statisticians, administrators, and past winners selected by The Bowerman and the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The other finalists are Florida’s Anna Hall and California’s Camryn Rodgers. The winner will be announced Thursday, December 15 during the annual USTFCCCA Convention, which will be held at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center outside of Denver, Colorado.
“Oh my gosh,” Steiner said when asked about The Bowerman Award a few weeks ago. “I would love to go and at least be a top-three finalist and go to that ceremony. I think that’s something that every person who runs track dreams about. That would be amazing, just to be there and hopefully bring all the people that have helped me along the way to celebrate that. I would love to go.”
Steiner closes the book on Kentucky career
On Sunday, Steiner won the national 200-meter title at the USATF Outdoor Championships in a personal best 21.77 seconds, which qualifies her to run for Team USA in the World Championships next month. The day prior, she told reporters the USATF Championships would be her final meet in a Kentucky uniform as she focuses on her professional career. She still had one more year of eligibility remaining thanks to the NCAA’s extra year for COVID relief.
Steiner dominated at the college level, winning the NCAA outdoor title in the 200m earlier this month in a time of 21.80, a new collegiate record. Even though her 21.77 was a personal best and the 17th fastest in world history, it won’t count towards the Bowerman, which only considers performances during the collegiate season. The Bowerman does consider indoor and outdoor seasons. Steiner also holds the American and collegiate record in the indoor 200m (22.09). Here’s her complete list of accomplishments in the 2021-22 track and field season:
- U.S. 200m Champion
- 200m American & collegiate indoor record holder (22.09)
- 200m outdoor collegiate record holder (21.80)
- Member of collegiate record outdoor 4x400m relay (3:21.93)
- NCAA outdoor 200m and 4x400m titles
- NCAA and SEC 200m title (indoors)
- NCAA silver and SEC bronze in the 60m
- NCAA bronze in 100m (11.08)
- NCAA 4x400m relay bronze (indoors)
- Seventh fastest 100m runner in collegiate history
- SEC Indoor T&F Women’s Runner of the Year
- SEC Indoor & Outdoor Scholar-Athlete of the Year
- USTFCCCA Women’s Track Athlete of the Year (indoor and outdoor)
- USTFCCCA Southeast Region Women’s Indoor & Outdoor Runner of the Year
- Four-time SEC Women’s Runner of the Week
- Five-time USTFCCCA Athlete of the Week
- Seven-time school record holder (60m, 100m, indoor 200m, outdoor 200m, 300m, indoor 4x400m, outdoor 4x400m)
- Honda Sports Award Winner for Track and Field
- Eight Bowerman Watchlist appearances, semifinalist, finalist
Steiner joins Sydney McLaughlin (2018) as the only Bowerman finalists in Kentucky Track & Field history. She was recently named National Women’s Track of the Year Athlete of the Year (indoor and outdoor seasons) and the Honda Sport Award winner for track and field. Last night, she accepted the Honda Sport Award at the Collegiate Women Sports Awards in Los Angeles.
Steiner’s run at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon starts on July 18 with the 200m prelims. Until then, focus your efforts on helping her win The Bowerman by voting today, tomorrow, and Thursday.
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