Steiner Wins Three Times, Including The 200m in 22.69, As Facility Records Tumble 

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Abby Steiner of Kentucky is showing big-point potential at the NCAA Division 1 Indoor meet after three big wins Saturday at the South Carolina Invitational. (Photo courtesy University of Kentucky)

The junior won the 60-meter dash in 7.24 seconds, the 200 meters in a collegiate and American-leading 22.69 seconds, and teamed up with Megan Moss, Masai Russell and Dajour Miles on the winning 4x400-meter relay (3:32.41) in Columbia, S.C. The 200 time was a facility record, one of several that fell at the meet.

"I felt pretty good throughout the day, and definitely my fitness has improved since my first 200 this year," Steiner said. "Just have to clean up some technical bits of it now." 

In one of the best sprint matchups of the day, Florida's Joe Fahnbulleh defeated fellow sophomore Randolph Ross of North Carolina A&T in the 200 meters, 20.60 to 20.64. 

Ross, however, won the 400 meters in 45.79 seconds and anchored his Aggies to an NCAA-leading time of 3:04.76 in the 4x400 relay. 

Grace Stark of Florida matched the nation's leading time in the 60-meter hurdles with 8.06 seconds. 

Eliud Kipsang of Alabama broke the facility record with his winning mile time of 3:57.83 and Furman's Cameron Ponder broke the track record in the 3,000 meters with 7:55.15.

Talitha Diggs of Florida added yet another facility record in the women's 400 meters, running 52.34 seconds to move into third on the NCAA list. 

In a competitive women's 3,000 meters, Alabama's Mercy Chelangat broke the facility record with 9:02.54 and teammate Amaris Tyynismaa was right behind her in 9:03.46 -- a personal best by 41 seconds.

In the men's heptathlon, Georgia duo Johannes Erm and Kyle Garland went 1-2. Erm scored 5,727 points and Garland posted 5,490.