Women's Recap: Natalie Dumas Lets Go Of Disappointment In One Event To Seize Opportunity In Another; Maxwell Sisters 1-2 Again In 200 Meters; Claire Stegall, Ellery Lincoln Make Team In 1,500

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Photos by Sam Givner and Ken Martinez

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS

EUGENE – Natalie Dumas had two chances to make the team and the first one didn't go well. 

The senior standout from Eastern Regional High in New Jersey, an Arkansas recruit, finished dead last in the women's 400 meters final despite running a respectable 52.54 seconds on Friday at Hayward Field. 

"I'm going to be completely honest. I went over in the corner and I did cry a little bit," Dumas said. "Emotions kind of hit me. Everything that I've worked into this season overall kind of hit me. ... I let it out. I regrouped, got myself together again and said your legs may be tired, but you can't think about that now."

Dumas, who has a graduation ceremony to get home to on Monday, returned to the track one hour after the 400 meters and put all of her effort into the 400-meter hurdles, and it worked. She ran a US#1 time of 56.13 seconds, won by more than 1.2 seconds, and secured a spot on the U.S. U20 team. 

That's how it works at the USATF U20 Championships when the stakes are high and a coveted spot to compete at a global meet on home soil is up for grabs. 

The other tense example of that came earlier in the day in the women's hammer, which at the end resembled a game of musical chairs. 

Burklie Burton of Oklahoma State led throughout and hit her winning mark of 212-6 (64.78m) in the fifth round. 

In the sixth round, Joi Story of Edwardsville IL hit a personal best 198-5 to move into second place. Then Kimberly Beard representing Get Strong First Track Club (King's WA) went into the ring and threw a personal best and No. 4 all-time high school mark of 201-7 to take over second and knock Story off the team. 

And then, Meagan Ewers of Kentucky came up with a big final throw of 203-2 to knock Beard back to third and secure the second team spot. 

On the track, high quality competition drove spectacular results. 

In the 1,500 meters, Florida freshman Claire Stegall surged in front of Lincoln High junior Ellery Lincoln with a lap to go and the NCAA qualifier sped away to the win in 4:04.59 for a new school record and meet record. 

Lincoln, who had been targeting the World team all spring and will give the host state a rooting interest in early August, knew with 300 to go that she had enough cushion to make the team and would have to let Stegall go. Her time of 4:07.99 is No. 6 in prep history.

Paige Sheppard of Union Catholic NJ, another mid-distance star with another year of high school left, remained unflappable as ever and won the 800 meters in 2:01.76. She is hoping to return to Philadelphia this weekend in time to help her teammates in the 4x400 relay on Sunday at New Balance Nationals Outdoor. 

Elisabeth Barada of Bloomington South IN finished second in US#2 2:02.72. 

Mia and Mariah Maxwell locked down the 200 meters roster spots the same way they'd done in the 100 on Friday. 

Mia won the final in 22.49, a personal best time that matched Kaylin Whitney's time at the 2014 USATF Juniors (U20). Whitney went on to win a gold medal in that event at Worlds that year at Hayward Field. 

Mariah, who has run a US#1 time of 22.44 this spring, finished second in 22.86. 

Ataja Stephane-Vazquez (Southeast Guilford NC) blasted through the women's 400 meters final in 51.08 seconds, which elevated her to No. 7 on the all-time high school list. 

Jaslene Massey (Aliso Niguel CA) made the national team in a second event when she threw a personal best and No. 4 all-time mark of 55-4.75 to win the women's shot put. 

In the women's 100 hurdles final, Madeline Cooper of Georgia took the win in 12.91 seconds. She will proudly represent the NCAA champion Bulldogs at the World U20 Championships. Tori Goodson of North Carolina finished second in 13.15, just ahead of Arizona prep Rebekah Jhade-Garrett, who ran a US#1 time of 13.19 seconds.

Missouri state champion Bailey Hensgens won the high jump with a clearance at 6 feet (1.83m). Brianna Rivers of Oklahoma finished second. 

Two high schoolers made the team in the long jump. Abigail Mecklenburg of Jumper Athletics (Linn-Mar IA) jumped US#1 21-0.50 and sophomore Parker Coes of APXP Track Club (Katy Morton Ranch TX) was a half-inch back for second place. 

Chiara Dailey of La Jolla CA had easy pickings in a women's 3,000 meters with just four competitors. The California state champion in the 3,200 meters ran 9:52.25 and won by 15 seconds. Hailey Atwater, a Utah state 3,200 meters runner-up from Lone Peak was second in 10:07.35. 

Chiora Enyinna-Okeigbo of Major Impact Track Club (Sunnyvale TX) won the heptathlon crown with 5,452 points. Hawaii state champion in five events, Destiny Look (Mid-Pacific) finished second with a huge personal best of 5,330. 

In the 5,000-meter racewalk, Grace Wagener, a 15-year-old freshman at Torrance CA, won the title with 25:51.79. Madigan White from Newfield Central NY finished second in 27:06.99. Wagener turns 16 this summer and is eligible to make the U.S team.