From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Eastern junior Natalie Dumas shattered the South Jersey record for 300 meters Saturday at the 117th annual Millrose Games.

Dumas ran 38.19 over the 200-meter banked track at the Armory and trimmed nearly a second off the South Jersey mark of 39.16, set by Winslow Township’s Krystal Cantey at the 2006 Archbishop Malloy Stanner Games at the Armory.

That’s 25.46 pace for 200 meters over an extra half lap for Dumas, the national champ in the intermediate hurdles last spring with a 58.32 – 4th-fastest in state history.

Her 300 is 5th-fastset in state history, behind two Olympic gold medalists – Sydney McLaughlin and Athing Mu – as well as Taylor Aska of Union Catholic, who ran 37.79 earlier this year at the Armory, and Lawrenceville School’s Sofia Swindell, who ran 37.79 Saturday at Millrose.

Timber Creek senior Ryan Jennings ran 38.71 in the same race, and that’s now No. 2 in South Jersey history ahead of Cantey, and No. 9 in state history.

Dumas and Jennings now rank 9th and 16th in the U.S. this year on the MileSplit national performance list. Dumas is No. 2 among juniors.

Dumas is now No. 38 among U.S. women this winter and Jennings is No. 57. She’s No. 7 among U.S. juniors and No. 10 on the world junior list.

All-Time New Jersey Girls 300-Meter Sub-40 List
36.82 … Sydney McLaughlin [Union Catholic], 2017
37.36 … Athing Mu [Trenton], 2020
37.79 … Taylor Aska [Union Catholic], 2025
38.08 … Sofia Swindell [Lawrenceville School], 2025
38.19 … Natalie Dumas [Eastern], 2025
38.41 … Gina Certo [Academy of the Holy Angels], 2025
38.59 … Rhia Randolph [Union Catholic], 2024
38.66 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 2024
38.71 … Ryan Jennings [Timber Creek], 2025
38.73 … Olivia Baker [Columbia], 2014
38.79 … Wendy Vereen [Trenton], 1984
39.16 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2006
39.28 … Myasia Jacobs [Paramus Catholic], 2012
39.33 … Sydney Chadwick [Union Catholic], 2024
39.34 … Olivia Okaro [Winslow Twp.], 2024
39.1h … Janine Davis [Queen of Peace], 2004
39.40 … Arianna Sharpe [Clayton], 2022
39.42 … Aliyah Taylor [Rancocas Valley], 2018
39.44 … Racquel Vassell [East Orange], 2007
39.47 … Mariah Fede [Paramus Catholic], 2020
39.51 … Stephanie Saleem [Neptune], 1985
39.52 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2024
39.3h … Mikele Barber [Montclair], 1998
39.3h … Tawana Watkins [Paterson Kennedy], 2002
39.85 … Chidumga Nkulume [Union Catholic], 2020
39.9h … Melisa Barber [Montclair], 1998
39.94 … Dominique Booker [Immaculate Conception], 2008
39.94 … Chloe Jones [Timber Creek], 2023

All-Time South Jersey Girls 300-Meter Top 10
38.19 … Natalie Dumas [Eastern], 2025
38.71 … Ryan Jennings [Timber Creek], 2025
39.16 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2006
39.17 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 2023
39.34 … Olivia Okaro [Winslow Twp.], 2024
39.40 … Arianna Sharpe [Clayton], 2022
39.42 … Aliyah Taylor [Rancocas Valley], 2018
39.52 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2024
40.13 … Jasmine Still [Woodrow Wilson], 2006
40.15 … Amirah Sharpe [Clayton], 2021