Eastern senior Kadence Dumas is one of the most versatile runners in the state and a top-10 seed in three events at the Meet of Champions.
At Group 4 sectionals, Dumas won the 400 in 57.62 and placed 2nd in the 800 in 2:17.30 and the 1,600 in 5:12.76 – all three were PRs – and ran on Eastern’s winning 4-by-4.
At states, she dropped the 1,600 – four events in the state Group 4 meet is not realistic – and came up huge with another 800 PR, taking 2nd in 2:17.12, and a near-PR 58.00 for 3rd in the 400. She also anchored Eastern’s winning relay team as the Vikings placed 2nd to Piscataway with 30 points.
Eastern is the top seed in the 4-by-400 at Meet of Champions March 5 at Ocean Breeze with its 4:00.61 at states. Freshman Natalie Dumas, senior hurdler Johnay Stilley and iunior Lomaria Tengbeh also ran on Eastern’s 4-by-4.
In the 800, Dumas is the No. 4 seed behind Mainland’s Sofia Day [2:15.59], Union Catholic’s Kaleigh Gunsiorowski [2:16.49] and Freehold Township’s Emma Zawatski [2:16.92].
Her 2:17.30 is just shy of the Eastern school record of 2:17.15 held by Courtney McCrudden and is No. 11 on the all-time Camden County list. McCrudden, who was a member of the U.S. Junior National soccer team, ran 2:17.15 to win the 2000 state Group 4 race over Overbrook’s Tara DeBrielle (2:17.82) at Jadwin Gym.
In the 400, Dumas is the No. 7 seed with her 58.00, but the top nine seeds are all within a second of each other (57.26 to 58.21). Pennsauken freshman Sianni Wynn is the No. 1 seed at 57.26, and Ocean City junior Sophia Curtis (No. 6, 57.99), Timber Creek junior Chloe Jones (No. 9, 58.21 and Absegami senior Hannah Ross (No. 12, 58.44) all ran under 59 seconds at states. Eastern’s Natalie Dumas, Kadence’s sister, is the No. 16 seed at 59.22. Paul VI soph Anna Marie Brown (59.75) and Deptford junior Djassi Dean (59.82) also qualified with sub-60 times at states.
Also for Eastern, Stilley is the No. 8 seed in the hurdles with her 8.38 – Curtis is right behind her at 8.42 – but Stilley ran a PR 8.23 in the trials, No. 1 in South Jersey this year.
Senior Savana Dodd will also represent Eastern at the MoC after throwing 33-9 in the shot put and earning a wild card. Dodd won the Camden County meet last spring.
The link to download the complete Meet of Champions boys and girls performance list *.pdfs can be found here.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 