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Photos by Sarah Finnegan.
Sydney Steely competes in the 1,600-meter run during the AHSAA Class 6A-7A sectional meet April 27. Steely placed second with a time of 5:10.85.
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Photos by Sarah Finnegan.
Ava Weems competes in the 1,600-meter run during the AHSAA Class 6A-7A sectional meet April 27. Weems finished fifth with a time of 5:17.14.
Ava Weems and Sydney Steely both live in Hoover, but the running duo will be living even closer to each other for college.
Both runners are signed to compete collegiately at Mississippi State. Steely visited and signed first. Weems followed suit, and now the two will be roommates during college.
“It really helps to have someone that I can relate to not just with running, but with anything else,” Weems said. “Sydney committed first, but we didn’t recruit one another. We both wanted the other to go where they thought best fit for them.”
Both compete in the 800-meter, 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter runs. Steely has a personal record of 2:13.9 in the 800, while Weems’ best is 2:19. Steely’s personal record in the 1,600 is 5:03.9 and 11:09 in the 3,200. Weems’ personal record in the 1,600 is 5:09 and 11:18 in the 3,200.
“Both athletes bring great attitudes, talent, and a great work ethic to practice every day,” said Hoover track and field coach Devon Hind. “They desire to excel — they are willing to work to excel — that's the secret to their success. Running is a priority to them. They are willing to do what others aren't.”
Steely won the 800-meter run at the AHSAA State Indoor Track and Field Championships in February.
“These girls push each other every day in practice,” Hind said. “In races, it's each one for themselves. Sydney generally leads the two, but Ava is not afraid to pass Sydney if the opportunity arises.”
Hind was a significant reason why the duo chose Mississippi State. The Bulldogs’ coach, Houston Franks, reminded Weems and Steely of their high school coach.
“Coach Franks reminded me lots of Coach Hind, which meant a lot considering I have been running for Coach Hind for six years now, allowing me to develop a strong relationship with him and the other coaching staff,” Steely said. “I also saw resemblance between the family-like connection on MSU’s team that I am so lucky to have now at Hoover.”
Weems and Steely have been in school together since elementary school, minus a small gap during middle school. They have gotten to know each other well over the years.
“Sydney always maintains complete control over her athletic and student life,” Weems said. “She always works super hard in school and never takes the easy route with her classes. This carries over to her athletic life, as well. She always comes prepared to work hard and push herself at both practice and the meets, and she understands that she has to make the changes herself when things don’t go how she wanted them to.”
Steely returned the compliment.
“Ava is such a hard worker,” she said. “It’s easy to slack in our sport, and Ava is always running that extra .05 to make her watch beep or studying that extra bit to make herself better. As she is doing this it rubs off on others, myself included, and impacts those around her in such a positive way.”
Each runner made her own decision, but each cited a “feeling” about Mississippi State as to why it was the final choice. Weems said she got a feeling on her visit “that I didn’t feel on my other visits.” Steely said Mississippi State was the only school that “felt like home.”
Weems played basketball for 10 years and planned to pursue college basketball until her sophomore year of high school, when she began focusing only on running. Steely enjoys creating ceramics, a relaxing hobby that she hopes to continue in the future. In both instances, running won out for the girls for similar reasons.
“Staying in shape all the time is definitely a plus with running, but that’s not why I do it,” Weems said. “I run because it requires me to always be accountable of what I’m doing, and I have a purpose with doing so. I have to constantly ask myself if what I’m doing in my everyday life is going to make me a better runner and I know that I have complete control over all of it. It also helps that running keeps me sane. It’s a getaway from life for a minute to do what I have a purpose in doing. It just doesn’t feel right when I don’t get my run in.”
Said Steely: “Running provides me with two-ish hours every day where I have the opportunity to either push myself out of my comfort zone or just relax and do so with a group of my closest friends. Running keeps me healthy and happy by continually allowing myself to push myself physically and mentally.”
Hind said MSU is getting two runners that the school will never have to worry about.
“They are excellent in the classroom and have excellent character and integrity,” he said. “They will work as hard as anyone on their team and give the coaches there all they have. The most important thing is the positive/good attitudes they will carry with them.”
