Pasco's Steele Starts 2016 With US#4 7.69 60m In Alabama


(Photo by Tim Loreman)

Pasco's Alfreda Steele started off the new year and 2016 season running 7.69s for 60m at the Hoover Alumni Speed Invitational in Birmingham, Alabama. Her mark is tied for US#4, but still a good amount slower than her personal best of 7.47 that she ran in the semifinals of New Balance Indoor Nationals. Coach Steven Rivers says Steele, who won 2A state titles in the long jump and 100m dash and was second in the 200 in 2015, still has room for improvement.

"Freda has some things to work on. The meet record was 7.68 (set by Cocoa's Jazzmine Folston in 2012) and she ran 7.69. The starter was very fast and she never got set. Her start was not good so we know we left some food on the table, but it's cool. It's early so we will be fine."

Steele echoed those sentiments after the race.

"I felt like I could've gotten a better start and ran a better time. My main goal today was to just execute my race and let everything else fall into place."

Watch Complete Race Video (via Alabama Runners)


Pasco High School (Pedagogy Track Club) came home with one other champion in senior high jumper Brent Dawson who won the open competition with a clearance of 6'04", breaking the old meet record of 6'03.5". Last year, Dawson competed for Zephyrhills High School and was the 3A Region 2 runner-up.


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