Natalie Dumas's season isn't over yet.
Dumas is scheduled to run in the opening round of the 400 and 400 hurdles at the USATF National Youth Championships on Thursday at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island in N.Y., and Mike Tangeman, her coach at Eastern High, said Dumas also plans to compete at the Toyota USATF Championships, scheduled for July 31-Aug. 3 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
The top three finishers in each event at the U.S. Championships who meet the world qualifying standard will earn a place on the U.S. team that will compete at the World Championships in Tokyo from September 13-21.
In case you've been living under a pole vault pit the last few days, the 16 year-old Dumas made world history with a jaw-dropping triple at the New Balance Nationals in Philadelphia this past weekend by becoming the first woman in the history of the world to run 51.14 for 400, 2:00.11 for 800, and 55.99 for the 400 hurdles!! Those times all shattered the meet records and are among the fastest times ever run in U.S. high school history!
Tangeman said that Dumas, who is using the National Youth Championships to have fun and stay sharp, isn't sure which race or races she'll run at the U.S National Championships in Eugene, where she will race against the pros.
Dumas, who just completed her junior year at Eastern, has met the A standard in both the 400 hurdles and the 800, meaning she's automatically qualified to compete in those races at the U.S. National Championships.
Dumas just missed the A standard of 51.00 in the 400 with her 51.14 at NB Nationals, but her time is under the minimum time of 52.50 needed to be in the pool of athletes eligible to to be added to the 400 if doesn't reach its maximum field size of 32.
Any athlete who didn't meet the A standard, but who is under a minimum mark (B standard) can be added to that event if the maximum field isn't filled with athletes who made the A standard. To fill the fields, entry marks that don't meet the A standard will be accepted in descending order, respecting the minimum standards.
