From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Natalie Dumas began her final Meet of Champions by winning her 3^rd consecutive 400-meter hurdles state title Wednesday afternoon at Pennsauken.

Dumas had to hold off Union Catholic junior Sydney Chadwick, who gave Dumas a valiant challenge.

Dumas won the race in 57.04 and Chadwick was 2^nd in 57.39. Only four-time Olympic gold medalist and world record holder Sydney McLaughlin has run faster in Meet of Champions history.  Those are the two-fastest times in the U.S. this year.

Dumas’s time is her fastest since she won West Philly Nationals in 55.99 last June at Franklin Field, 6^th-fastest in U.S. high school history. Chadwick’s time is 4th-fastest in New Jersey history, behind McLaughlin, Dumas and Winslow’s Krystal Cantey, who ran 56.83 at 2005 Greensboro Nationals.

Dumas has now won 24 consecutive 400-meter hurdles races and hasn’t lost since her first race as a sophomore on April 13, 2024, when she was 2^nd to Danya Spoor of Oak Knoll School in Summit at the Lenape Invitational. She’s won two national titles since then.

With the 400 and 800 remaining, she’s now won six Meet of Champions individual titles, 2^nd-most in Meet of Champions history. North Hunterdon distance ace Jodie Bilotta won eight from 1986 through 1988.

Dumas is the third girl to win three consecutive Meet of Champions 400-meter hurdles races. Andrea Johnson of Plainfield won three in a row from 1981 through 1983 and world record holder and four-time Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin won four straight from 2014 through 2017.

Dumas is the 6^th South Jersey girl to win three straight MoC titles in the same event, following Willingboro’s Carol Lewis [long jump from 1978 through 1981], Erin Donohue of Haddonfield [1,600 from 1999 through 2001], Michelle Brown of Seneca [400 from 2008 through 2010], Cherokee’s Jessica Woodard [discus from 2011 through 2013], Haddonfield’s Briana Gess [1,600 from 2014 through 2016].

Sianni Wynn of Pennsauken has a chance to add her name to the list in both the 100 and 200 later Wednesday on her home track and Dumas has a chance to add a second event to that list later in the day in the 400.

Winslow junior Cinniya Robinson placed 3rd with a PR 59.80 – 7th-fastest in South Jersey history – and Pennsauken sophomore Hope Edwards ran 1:00.30 for 4th.

56.23 … Sydney McLaughlin [Union Catholic], 2016 [1]
56.97 …….. McLaughlin, 2017 [1]
56.91 …….. McLaughlin, 2014 [1]
57.04 … Natalie Dumas [Eastern], 2026 [1]
57.39 … Sydney Chadwick [Union Catholic], 2026 [2]
57.39 …….. McLaughlin, 2015 [1]
58.32 …….. Dumas, 2024 [1]
58.44 … Amber Allen [Passaic Tech], 2009 [1]
58.98. … Natalie Dumas [Eastern], 2024 [1]
59.03 … Tonya Lee [Rancocas Valley], 1988 [1]
59.05 … Reanda Richards [West Essex], 2018 [1]
59.09 …….. Richards, 2017 [2]
59.35 … Ugonna Ndu [Union], 2009 [2]
59.48 … Leslie Njoku [McNair], 2006 [1]
59.48 … Angela Lee [Franklin], 1995 [1]
59.56 … Tawana Watkins [Paterson Kennedy], 2000 [1]
59.56 … Torie Robinson [Winslow Twp.], 2013 [1]
59.63 … Morgan Harvey [North Hunterdon], 2013 [2]
59.78 … Siobhan Counts [Plainfield], 2002 [1]
59.80 … Cinniya Robinson [Winslow], 2026 [3]
59.81 … Erin Crawford [Hillsborough], 2002 [2]
59.96 … Mandie Dulin [Shawnee], 1997 [1]