Seven South Jersey athletes will compete in the USATF Under-20 Championships this week in Eugene.
The USATF Under-20 Championships, scheduled for Thursday an Friday, serves as a qualifier for the World Under-20 Championships, also scheduled for Hayward Field at the University of Oregon.
A number of other South Jersey athletes qualified, but with USATF Under-20 overlapping this year with West Philly Nationals at Franklin Field and also the challenges and cost of traveling to Eugene, there’s only a small group heading out West this week.
To be eligible, athletes must not turn 20 before midnight on Dec. 31. Qualifying standards can be found here. https://www.usatf.org/events/2026/2026-usatf-u20-outdoor-championships/entry-qualification-declaration-information#Qual
Here’s a look at the South Jersey contingent:
NATALIE DUMAS: After winning the 400, 800 and 400-meter hurdles at West Philly Nationals last year – with all-time U.S. top-20 times in all three races – Dumas will skip the meet at Penn this year to compete or a spot on the U.S. National Team. She’s entered in all three events and has PRs of 51.14, 2:00.11 and 55.99, all from last June at Franklin Field.
Among U.S. women in the Under-20 division, Dumas is No. 10 this year in the 400 at 52.14, No. 4 in the 800 at 2:03.46 and No. 2 in the intermediates.
If she triples, Dumas will have 400 trials at 3:06 p.m. EST Friday, 800 trials at 3:40 p.m. Friday and 400-meter hurdles trials at 4 p.m. Final are scheduled for Saturday, with the 800 at 4:13 p.m., the 400 at 7:31 p.m. and the 400IH at 7:41 p.m. So that’s quite a challenging schedule.
ANTHONY LIAKHNOVICH: Princeton rising sophomore from Hammonton had a tremendous freshman year, throwing 60-3 ¾ and 177-3. He placed 5th at Heps in the discus and 6th in the shot and will throw the discus in Eugene. He was the No. 1 freshman in the Ivy League in the shot an No. 2 in the discus. He’ll throw in the finals at 8:30 p.m. Thursday.
RYAN JENNINGS: Former Timber Creek star is entered in both the 100 and 200 after running 11.51 and 23.64 this year as a freshman at Arkansas. She’ll race Thursday in the 100 trials at 3:24 p.m. and Friday in the 200 trials at 6:59 p.m. The finals are 3:24 p.m. Thursday in the 100 and 8:05 p.m. Friday in the 200.
JONATHAN HARRIS: Delsea graduate red-shirted his freshman year at South Carolina, throwing 57-0 ½ this year with the 16-pound ball. Not sure where that happened because World Athletics doesn’t list the throw and since he red-shirted his throws aren’t on TFRRS, but that’s his qualifying mark on the USATF site. The shot is a 7 p.m. final on Friday.
HANNAH NUHFER: Like Harris, another in a long line of elite Delsea throwers, Nuhfer owns the four-best throws in New Jersey history, incuding her state-record 184-4 at the Meet of Champions. Nuhfer, who won West Philly Nationals last June, throws at 5:30 p.m. EST Thursday.
ALEXANDER OSAYEMI: Clayton grad capped a monster freshman season at Alabama with a 44.70 anchor leg on the Crimson Tide’s 1,600-meter relay team at the NCAA Championships. Osayemi ran 45.59 in the open 400 – 7th-fastest among Division 1 freshmen – and 51.09 in the intermediates. He qualified in both but will race only the 400 in Eugene. He’s 6th-fastest American man under 20. Osayemi races in the 400 trials at 3:15 p.m. Thursday with the final at 7:36 p.m. Friday.
DRYE CHAUHAN: Not a South Jersey high school graduate – Chauhan went to Quakertown High in Bucks County – but he had an outstanding freshman year for Rowan, throwing 197-0 and placing 2nd to teammate Dametrius Hester at the NJAC Championships. He was the No. 7 in NCAA Division 3. Javelin final is scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 