Eastern senior Kadence Dumas ran one of the fastest 800s in South Jersey history Thursday at Franklin Township and became the first South Jersey girl to win a Meet of Champions 800 in 24 years.
Dumas ran 2:10.44 to win the 800 at the 54th annual Meet of Champions at Franklin High off even splits of 65.12 and 65.32 and out-raced Rumson-Fair Haven sophomore Clemmie Lilley, who was 2nd in 2:10.62. Ten runners broke 2:15 in a very fast, very deep race.
Dumas is the first South Jersey girl to win a Meet of Champions 800 since Buena’s Katrina Sye won the 1999 race in 2:11.82 at South Plainfield. The only other South Jersey winners since the inception of the girls meet in 1979 are Cherokee’s Monica Olkowski in 1989 and 1990, Vineland’s Krista Ferrera in 1991 and Ocean City’s Lauren McHale in 1998.
Dumas’s time is No. 7 in South Jersey history and fastest in nine years, since Ocean City’s Rachel Stremme ran 2:09.84 at the 2014 Meet of Champions at South Plainfield.
It’s 3rd-fastest ever by a South Jersey girl at a Meet of Champions behind only Olympian Marielle Hall of Haddonfield [2:07.33 in 2009] and Stremme’s 2:09.84 in 2014.
The only other Eastern girls to win Meet of Champions titles are Olympic gold medalist English Gardner, who won the 100 in 2007 and 2008 and the 200 in 2008, and Jailya Ash, who won the 100-meter hurdles in 2021.
Dumas remained undefeated at 800 meters this year. She’s PR’d in her last three races, with 2:13.52 at sectionals and 2:13.02 at states before her huge breakthrough at the Meet of Champions.
All-Time South Jersey 3,200 List
2:07.33 … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2009
2:08.87 … Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 2001
2:09.2h … Katrina Sye [Buena], 1999
2:09.50 … Renee Tomlin [Ocean City], 2005
2:09.84 … Rachel Stremme [Ocean City], 2014
2:10.1h … Michelle Rowen [Washington Twp.], 1982
2:10.44 … Kadence Dumas [Eastern], 2023
2:10.55 … Shelby Whetstone [Lenape], 2019
2:10.57 … Nijgia Snapp [Oakcrest], 2009
2:10.79 … Krista Ferrara [Vineland], 1991
2:10.9h … Ruth Lockbaum [Glassboro], 1985
Fastest South Jersey 800s at Meet of Champions
2:07.33 … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2009 [3]
2:09.84 … Rachel Stremme [Ocean City], 2014 [4]
2:10.44 … Renee Tomlin [Ocean City], 2005 [2]
2:10.44 … Kadence Dumas [Eastern], 2023 [1]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 