In our continuing effort to provide context to Natalie Dumas’s astounding weekend at West Philly Nationals, we thought we’d take a look at where she now ranks on the all-time U.S. Under-20 performance lists. The Under-20 category, recognized internationally by World Athletics, is the former “Junior” age group.
The U.S. and World 2025 and all-time Under-20 lists are available for free with no registration on the World Athletics web site. Just go to the “Stats” tab and then the “Toplists” tab and click on “Under 20” for “age category.”
Dumas won the 400 in 51.14, the 800 in 2:00.11 and the 400-meter hurdles in 55.99 at West Philly Nationals last month at Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania. She’s top-10 in high school history in all three races, but the Under 20 lists are much more competitive because they also include college freshmen.
Dumas is 16 and doesn’t turn 17 until Aug. 7. So she has three more full indoor and outdoor seasons in the Under-20 division.
400-Meter Dash
Dumas’s 51.14 is No. 1 on the 2025 U.S. and world Under-20 lists, and the girl she edged, Sydney Sutton, is No. 2 with her 51.23. Chioma Nwachukwu of Nigeria, who just finished her freshman year at Iowa, is 3rd with a 51.26 at the Tom Jones Invitational in Gainesville in April.
On the all-time U.S. Under-20 list, Dumas is No. 22 and 4th-fastest among New Jersey athletes behind Olympic gold medalists Athing Mu [49.57 to win the 2021 NCAA Championships at Hayward Field] and Sydney McLaughlin [50.07 at the 2018 Florida Relays in Gainesville] and Montclair’s Mikele Barber [51.03 at Palma de Mallorca, Spain, in 1999]
Dumas is No. 45 on the all-time World Under-20 list, which is topped by 2021 Olympic 200 silver medalist Christine Mboma of Namibia, who ran 49.22 at the 2021 Namibian Championships in Windhoek, Namibia .
There are also Under-18 lists on World Athletics, but Dumas is not listed in any of them because her birthday is not filed with World Athletics. (World Athletics assumes anyone in high school is under 20.)
But she would be No. 8 in world history and No. 4 all-time U.S. in the 400 and No. 1 in the world this year if World Athletics knew she was under 18.
800-Meter Run
Dumas also leads the world Under-20 list in the 800 and again No. 2 is the girl she edged in West Philly – Emmry Ross of Onsted (Mich.), who was 2nd in 2:00.25. Third is Rin Kubo of Japan, who ran 2:00.28 in May at the 40th Shizuoka International Athletics Meet at Prefectural Shizuoka Stadium in Fukuroi, Japan.
On the all-time Under-20 list, Dumas is No. 50 and trails two New Jersey half-milers – Mu is No. 2 all-time at 1:55.04 at the Pre Classic at Hayward Field in 2021 and Ajee’ Wilson of Neptune is No. 17 at 1:58.21 at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow. Dumas is No. 8 on the all-time U.S. Under 20 list.
If her birthdate was listed with World Athletics, she would be No. 10 in world history with her 2:00.11 and No. 2 among U.S. women behind only Mary Cain, who ran a then-U.S. high school record 1:59.51 at the 2013 Pre Classic at Hayward Field.
400-Meter Hurdles
Dumas is No. 4 on the 2025 World Under 20 list in the intermediates, behind Michelle Smith of the Virgin Islands and the University of Georgia [54.56 at the Florida Relays in Gainesville in April], Carlsbad [Calif.] High School senior Morgan Herbst [55.78 at USATF Under-20’s at Hayward Field last month] and South Africa’s Tumi Ramokgopa [55.90 at the South African Championships in Potchefstroom, South Africa, in April]. So she’s No. 2 in the U.S.
On the all-time Under-20 list, Dumas is No. 40 and No. 2 among New Jersey athletes behind world record holder and four-time Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin, who ran 52.75 in Knoxville in 2018. Dumas is No. 12 on the all-time U.S. Under-20 list.
On the all-time Under-18 list, Dumas would be No. 5 in world history and No. 4 all-time U.S., behind McLaughlin’s 54.15 in Eugene at the 2016 Olympic Trials, Lesley Maxie’s 55.20 at the 1984 The Athletics Congress Championships in San Jose, Calif., and Ebony Collins’ 55.96 at the 2005 IAAF World Youth Championships at Sidi-Youssef-Ben-Ali in Marrakech, Morocco, in 2005.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 