Eastern sophomore Natalie Dumas ran the 5th-fastest intermediate hurdles time in South Jersey history Thursday night and the 3rd-fastest ever by a New Jersey sophomore.
Dumas edged Sophia Curtis of Ocean City – the No. 8 returning underclassman in the U.S. – at the South Jersey Elite at Delsea, Dumas becoming the first New Jersey girl under a minute in six years with a 59.80. Curtis placed 2nd in 1:00.11.
The only sophomores to run faster than Dumas in state history are world record holder and Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin of Union Catholic [55.28 in 2015] and JFK Paterson’s Tawana Watkins [58.50 in 2000].
Her time is fastest by any South Jersey girl since Winslow Township’s Torie Robinson ran 59.56 to win the 2013 Meet of Champions in South Plainfield.
Dumas’s previous PR was a 1:02.49 when she placed 3rd at last year’s Meet of Champions as a freshman.
Curtis, whose previous PR was 1:00.42 from her win last June at the state Group 3 meet, also at Delsea. Her 1:00.11 broke her own Cape May County record and is No. 6 in South Jersey history.
All-Time New Jersey 400-Meter Hurdles List
53.82 … Sydney McLaughlin [Union Catholic], 2017
56.83 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2005
57.48 … Tawana Watkins [JFK Paterson], 2001
58.44 … Amber Allen [Passaic County Tech], 2009
58.6h … Tracy Nelson [Plainfield], 1981
58.91 … Reanda Richards [West Essex], 2018
59.03 … Tonya Lee [Rancocas Valley], 1988
59.16 … Leslie Njoku [McNair Academic], 2007
59.33 … Kim Duke [Mount Olive], 1984
59.35 … Ugonna Ndu [Union], 2009
59.48 … Angela Lee [Franklin Twp.], 1995
59.49 … Shana-Gaye Tracey [Manchester Twp.], 2007
59.56 … Torie Robinson (Winslow Twp.], 2013
59.59 … Christelle Beauvais [Ocean Twp.], 2010
59.63 … Morgan Harvey [North Hunterdon}, 2013
59.66 … Mandie Dulin [Shawnee], 1997
59.69 … Shelley Mitchell [Lakewood], 1988
59.73 … Nichole Candelaria [Newark Tech], 2012
59.78 … Siobhan Counts [Plainfield], 2002
59.80 … Natalie Dumas [Eastern], 2024
59.81 … Erin Crawford [Hillsborough], 2002
All-Time South Jersey 400-Meter Hurdles List
56.83 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2005
59.03 … Tonya Lee [Rancocas Valley], 1988
59.56 … Torie Robinson (Winslow Twp.], 2013
59.66 … Mandie Dulin [Shawnee], 1997
59.80 … Natalie Dumas [Eastern], 2024
1:00.11 … Sophia Curtis [Ocean City], 2024
1:00.13 … Arianna Smith [Pennsville], 2019
1:00.16 … Aliya Rae Garozzo [Paul VI], 2018
1:00.1h … Danielle Myricks [Willingboro], 2001
1:00.26 … Helena Leyrer [Buena], 2012
1:00.40 … Diamond McLaughlin [Absegami], 2021
1:00.42 … Curtis
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 