The state's top quarter milers left lots of smoke on the track this week, cooking up some of the fastest times in state history and in the nation this season!
I'm not saying the NJ 400 records are in jeopardy, but the jaw-dropping times dropped by Jordaine Johnson,Natalie Dumas and Taylor Aska this week caused quite a shake up near the top of the state's all-time lists and opened lots of eyes!
Let's start out with Aska and Dumas.
Dumas, a junior at Eastern who won 3 golds at the Meet of Champions last June, took over the state lead in the girls 400 on Wednesday by running 54.45 to win the 2-lapper at a South Jersey Track Coaches Association meet at the Ott Center at the University of Pennsylvania. At the time, the time by Dumas, who won the 400 hurdles at the New Balance National Championships last spring, was No. 3 in the country this season and No. 6 in NJ history. She came back on Saturday to run 54.84 to win the 400 at the Dr. Sander Scorcher at the NY Armory.
Shortly after Dumas ran on Saturday, Aska, a senior at Union Catholic, took center stage when she burned a 54.01 to win the 400 at the New York International Showcase at Ocean Breeze. That moved the Duke-bound Aska all the way up to No. 5 on NJ's all-time list and tied for No. 2 in the nation this season. It moved Dumas to No. 7 all-time in NJ and to No. 4 nationally this winter.
Sure would be awesome to see Aska and Dumas hook up in the 2-lapper sometime this season! Could it happen at the Meet of Champions? Maybe!!? Aska is also one of the state's best in the 55 and 200 and will be on UC's 4x400. Dumas is also one of the state's best half milers and will surely be on Eastern's 4x400. Stay tuned to see how that all plays out.
Here is the updated NJ all-time girls 400 list. Note-McLaughlin-Levrone's 51.61 is also the national indoor record!
Now let's check out what Johnson, a senior at East Orange, did in the boys 400.
Competing at the Dr. Sander Scorcher on Saturday, Johnson threw down a 47.07 to finish first and move up to No. 3 all-time in NJ history and No. 4 in country this season.
While Johnson is just over a second off the state record of 46.06 set in 2012 by Najee Glass of St. Peter's Prep, he also has his eye on the state 300 record of 33.26, which was run by the late Mario Heslop of Franklin at the 2018 Dr. Sander Invitational at the NY Armory.
According to East Orange coach Lance Wigfall, Johnson is going to be aiming for Heslop's 300 state record at the Millrose Games on Feb. 8 at the NY Armory.
The state's top quarter milers left lots of smoke on the track this week, cooking up some of the fastest times in state history and in the nation this season!
I'm not saying the NJ 400 records are in jeopardy, but the jaw-dropping times dropped by Jordaine Johnson,Natalie Dumas and Taylor Aska this week caused quite a shake up near the top of the state's all-time lists and opened lots of eyes!
