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08/26/2021 12:00 AMWhen Anna Steffen was younger, she would wake up early and beg her mother Amy to go on a morning run together. Although it took a little convincing, Anna started running with her mom every day, and it quickly turned into something that she loved.
Anna continued running through the years and went on to have an outstanding career with the cross country and track and field teams at Daniel Hand High School. Anna served as a captain for both Tigers’ programs in her senior year.
“I started running cross country competitively in middle school, but I have been running for most of my life. My mom has always been a huge runner, and she inspired me to take up the sport,” says Anna. “When I was little, I would beg her to take me on her morning runs, and she would push me in the stroller when I was not old enough to run on my own.”
Anna collected a host of accolades while posting multiple first-place finishes at championship meets during her career at Hand. In cross country, Anna was a three-time All-SCC honoree who took first place at the SCC Division A Championship and the SCC Championship by running a time of 18:46 for the 5K race as a senior last fall. Anna went on to place 14th at the Northeast Club Championships and 20th in the East Coast Championships, ultimately finishing the year as an All-State First Team selection.
For indoor track, Anna put together a phenomenal junior campaign that saw her win the 1,600 (5:27.81) and the 3,200 (11:34.25) at the SCC East Sectional Championship, after which she finished first in the 3,200 (11:50.39) at the SCC Championship. Anna also took second place for the 1,600 in the SCC Championship and finished second in the 3,200 at the Class L State Championship. The 2021 winter season was an abbreviated one, but Anna still set the school record in the 1,600 with a time of 5:15.46.
Anna capped off her high school career by putting together a stellar showing for the outdoor track team this spring. Anna won the 800, the 1,600, and the 3,200 in every regular-season meet that she competed in. In the postseason, Anna won the 3,200 at the SCC East Sectional Championship (10:53.09), the SCC Championship (10:49.18), and the Class MM State Championship (10:55.15), followed by a third-place performance at the State Open with a school-record time of 10:41.49. She also won the 1,600 at the Class MM meet with a school-record mark of 5:05.42 after having finished second in the event at sectionals and SCCs.
On the heels of a remarkable run at Hand, Anna is getting ready to continue her cross country and track careers at the Division I level at Brown University.
“I felt as though my senior year was my best athletic performance. I was able to have [personal records] in all of my events and felt strong and proud of my accomplishments,” Anna says. “I am very excited to run in college and compete at a higher level. I know that the competition will be challenging, but I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to pursue my athletic goals and see what I am able to achieve.”
Hand Head Coach Steve Swift says that Anna was a tremendous leader for the Tigers. In addition to her skills as a distance runner, Swift praises Anna for being a selfless athlete who always displays great sportsmanship.
“Anna was an awesome leader and teammate, setting school and course records, while still waiting to cheer on the last-place finisher and being a team player,” says Swift. “One time, she volunteered for the 4x400 [relay] immediately after running the 3,200, because we needed a fourth, and stuck with it after setting a school record in the 3,200. She raised the bar without dropping kids, willing to go slow to start each run, so they could catch up talking with each other before spreading out to get the work they need as individuals.”
One of Anna’s favorite aspects of running is how she can see tangible proof of her improvement through her times. Anna knows that the clock doesn’t lie, and she enjoys controlling her fate in every race.
“My favorite aspect of the sport is that there are no politics involved. If you have the fastest time, you will be praised, and there is no possibility of losing an opportunity to compete or of getting benched,” Anna says. “The sport comes down to talent and the motivation of the athlete.”
Anna credits some of the success from her senior year to the fact that she did cross training throughout the season. Anna incorporated biking and yoga into her daily routine, and she feels that participating in those activities gave her more strength and endurance during her races.
“In order to improve my running abilities, I have incorporated forms of cross training into my routine. In the past year, I began biking and doing yoga to increase the strength in my legs and improve my overall fitness,” says Anna. “I feel that these exercise additions have greatly enhanced my running capabilities. I also stick to a consistent running routine in which I train at a fast pace and run about 40 miles per week.”
As she looks forward to competing in college, Anna is still feeling proud about how she finished her tenure with the Tigers. In her final race wearing a Hand uniform, Anna set a school record in the 3,200 when she timed in with a 10:41.49 on her way to taking third place among Connecticut’s elite runners at the State Open.
“My favorite moment was the State Open Championship for outdoor track this past spring. I ran my fastest 3,200 of my career, and I felt strong the entire race,” Anna says. “I was able to compete with some of the fastest athletes in the state and match my pace to theirs. I lined up almost exactly with the pace that I was hoping for and finished off my high school career in the best way possible.”