The USATF finally got around to acknowledging that there is a U.S. team heading to the Under-20 World Championships this week in Eugene, and eight-time national champion Natalie Dumas is listed in the 400-meter hurdles – which we already knew – but also in the 4-by-4 relay pool.
Dumas, who graduated from Eastern in June, won the 400-meter hurdles at the U.S. Under-20 Championships at Hayward Field in 56.13 last month, automatically qualifying to represent the U.S. in the World Under-20 Championships. She became the first South Jersey woman to win an Under-20 (formerly Junior National) title since Kingsway’s Denise Liles won the 100 at the 1984 meet at L.A. Coliseum in 11.84.
One day later on the same track, Dumas won the 400 at Hayward Field Nationals in 52.21. She has a 400 PR of 51.14 from West Philly Nationals last June.
Dumas is ranked 5th in the world and 1st among U.S. women in the Under-20 division in the intermediate hurdlers with her 56.13 in Eugene. Her 55.99 PR, also from West Philly Nationals last June, is 12th-fastest all-time among U.S. women under 20.
With a spot in the relay pool, Dumas becomes eligible for both the women’s 4-by-400 and the mixed 4-by-400. Both races will have semifinals and finals, and if Dumas runs a leg on any of those four races she would medal if the U.S. medals.
The meet runs from Wednesday through Sunday at Heyward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene.
The intermediate hurdles first round is scheduled for 1:41 p.m. EST on Thursday, with the semifinals at 9:15 p.m. Saturday and the final at 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
The women’s 4-by-4 is two rounds – a semifinal at 1:45 p.m. Saturday and the final at 5:42 p.m. Sunday. The mixed 4-by-4 – two men, two women – has semis at 1:22 p.m. Wednesday and the final at 11:50 p.m. later Wednesday.
Dumas is the No. 3 seed in the 400 hurdles with her 56.13 behind Tumi Ramokgopa of South Africa, who ran 56.05 in Johannesburg in March, and Alexandra Stefania UȚĂ of Romania, who ran 5609 in Tampere, Finland, last month.
Ramokgopa, Stefania UȚĂ and Dumas also have the three-fastest PRs in the field, 55.55 in Tampere last August for Stefania UȚĂ, 55.90 for Ramokgopa in Potchefstroom, South Africa, last April and 55.99 for Dumas in West Philly last June.
World Under 20 is open to athletes who aren’t 20 by midnight on Dec. 31. Dumas, 17, will turn 18 on Friday, so she will be eligible for this competition series again next summer.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 