by Deji Ogeyingbo
Speed, Surprises, and Unforgettable Finishes at New Balance Nationals Outdoor
For three days at Franklin Field, high school athletes delivered on the hype and more. Some rewrote record books. Others stunned themselves and the crowd. Nearly all left with something they didn’t have when they arrived, a bigger name, a faster time, a little less left in their legs.
Few stole the show quite like Natalie Dumas.
The junior from Eastern Regional (NJ) entered the meet already respected. She left as a national star. By Sunday evening, Dumas had pulled off one of the most impressive triples in prep track history with wins in the 400 meters, 400-meter hurdles, and 800. She capped it all with a 2:00.11 in the 800, the fifth-fastest mark ever by a high school girl. Even more impressive, she did it with style, holding off some of the nation’s best down the stretch, each time.
Natalie Dumas is just out here having fun 💃✨
We caught up with the 3x 2025 New Balance Nationals champ!
Watch the full interview now on YouTube, presented by @WonderfulNuts. #FloTrackMeetUp pic.twitter.com/4LpyUdpZaU
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) June 27, 2025
In truth, Dumas never looked rattled. In each race, the final 50 meters made the difference. She edged elite names like Sydney Sutton and Elise Cooper in the 400 and 400H, diving across the line in the 400 with a lean that won her more than just the race.
Sunday’s 800 may have been her toughest test. She battled Emmry Ross, the top seed, stride for stride, matching surges before finally pulling ahead in the final stretch. When it was over, Dumas had not only secured her third national title of the weekend but also broken state records previously held by Olympians Ajee Wilson and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.
Caleb Winders, a junior from Bloomington North (IN), delivered one of the biggest shocks of the weekend. Running out of the second-to-last section of the boys’ 800, he crossed in 1:46.85, not just a personal best by nearly three seconds, but good enough to win the national title and move to No. 7 all-time in high school history. He wasn’t even expected to be in the mix.
Zamarii Sanders, who had already claimed the boys’ 100 title, backed it up with a win in the 200, running 20.61 and completing the sprint double. In the hurdles, Kahiem Carby kept Florida’s momentum going, winning the boys’ 110 hurdles in 13.44 and completing a sweep for the Sunshine State in the short hurdles.
On the girls’ side, the Cooper twins from Maryland closed their high school careers with power and poise. Elise Cooper flew to a 22.44 in the 200, the fifth-fastest time in history. Her sister Elena, rebounding from a narrow loss in the triple jump, claimed gold in the long jump with a 21-1.5 mark. They’ll head to Texas and Stanford, respectively.
And then there was Bullis.
The Maryland powerhouse again showed why it’s the most dominant relay program in the country. On Sunday alone, the girls won all three relays, setting a meet record in the 4×100 and retaking the 4×400 title with a 3:37.24. The boys 4×400 squad, anchored by future phenom Quincy Wilson, lowered their own meet record to 3:08.28. Few schools, if any, have that kind of consistency across every event.
QUINCY WILSON 💥🫠
Quincy Wilson wins ANOTHER National Championship at New Balance Nationals. He runs 45.37 to win the 400m and go back-to-back.#NBNO2025 pic.twitter.com/5dMLJRFYVC
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) June 21, 2025
One of the loudest moments of the meet came in the girls’ distance medley relay, where Union Catholic (NJ) did what it couldn’t quite pull off at Penn Relays, broke the national record. From the first leg to the anchor, the squad never let up. They stopped the clock in 11:16.27, smashing the previous record and controlling the race from the gun.
Even outside the spotlight, athletes stepped up in big ways. The Forge Track Club (NJ) won the boys 4×100 in a razor-thin race. Herriman (UT) took the DMR with the fifth-fastest time in high school history after already setting a national record in the 4×800 earlier in the weekend.
By the time the sun set over Franklin Field, it was clear that this wasn’t just another nationals. It was one of the fastest, most dramatic meets in recent memory. New stars emerged, old records fell, and expectations for what high schoolers can do moved up another level.
