Eastern senior Kadence Dumas blasted a PR 2:13.02 and won a very fast 800 Saturday in the state Group 4 meet at Franklin Township.
Dumas was in 3rd at the bell lap, coming through in 68.87, but she closed in a crazy 64.16 to hold off Toms River North freshman Jessica Abbott, who closed in 64.55 and finished 2nd in 2:13.55.
Scotch Plains-Fanwood senior Jenai Berry [2:13.76], Cherokee senior Kelsey Niglio [2:14.11] and Toms River North junior Olivia Nickelsen [2:14.61] all ran well under 2:15. Last time five half-milers ran sub-2:15 at the state Group 4 meet was 2007.
Dumas’s previous PR was a 2:13.52 at sectionals. She hasn’t lost an 800 race all year, winning at South Jersey Elite, Camden County, Olympic Conference and Group 4 sectionals.
She’s the first girl from Eastern to win any race on the track of 400 meters or longer in over two decades. The last to do it was Jenelle Wilson, who won the 400 in 57.46 in 2002 at Buena.
It was the fastest state Group 4 race since 2007, when Danielle Tauro [2:09.21] and Jill Smith [2:10.35] of Southern Regional, Kim Standridge of Randolph [2:10.81], Lenape’s Miya Johnson [2:11.95] and Clifton’s Susan Martinez [2:14.76] all broke 2:15 at Egg Harbor.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 