Ndirangu and Wainaina Win Japanese National High School Championships

by Brett Larner

The 2011 National High School Track and Field Championships took place this weekend in Iwate prefecture, an area hard-hit by March's earthquake and tsunami. Kenyan student at Japanese high schools swept the distance events, taking the top three spots in the boys' 5000 m and the top two in the girls' 3000 m. Following the trail set by the talented Bitan Karoki (Kenya/Sera H.S.), Charles Ndirangu (Kenya/Sera H.S.) proved once again that Sera has top-notch scouts as he ignored the heat to win the 5000 m final in 13:40.99 by a margin of more than 15 seconds over Titus Waroru (Kenya/Chinzai H.S.). Murgi Wainaina (Kenya/Toyokawa H.S.) had a narrower win over Ndirangu's teammate Susan Wylim (Kenya/Sera H.S.) in the girls' 3000 m final, winning by less than four seconds in 9:04.55. Tomoka Kimura (Chikushi Joshi Gakuen H.S.) went for the 1500 m - 5000 m double after finishing 3rd in the 3000 m, but was outleaned in the 1500 m by first-year Yui Fukuda (Suma Gakuen H.S.), a teammate of 2011 national 1500 m champion Mika Kobayashi (Suma Gakuen H.S.). Fukuda took the win in 4:17.15 with Kimura straight behind in 9:17.22.

2011 National High School T&F Championships
Iwate, Aug. 4-7, 2011
click here for complete results
Boys' 5000 m Final
1. Charles Ndirangu (Kenya/Sera H.S.) - 13:40.99
2. Titus Waroru (Kenya/Chinzai H.S.) - 13:56.64
3. Jeremiah Karemi (Kenya/Toyokawa H.S.) - 14:05.45
4. Ken Yokote (Sakushin Gakuin H.S.) - 14:06.02
5. Yuma Hattori (Sendai Ikuei H.S.) - 14:06.42
6. Kazuma Kubota (Kyushu Gakuin H.S.) - 14:12.82
7. Yuta Oyama (Toyokawa Kogyo H.S.) - 14:18.15
8. Yuta Katsumata (Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S.) - 14:18.91
9. Kenya Sonota (Aomori Yamada H.S.) - 14:20.86
10. Tadashi Isshiki (Sendai Ikuei H.S.) - 14:22.21

Girls' 3000 m Final
1. Murgi Wainaina (Kenya/Toyokawa H.S.) - 9:04.55
2. Susan Wylim (Kenya/Sera H.S.) - 9:08.14
3. Tomoka Kimura (Chikushi Joshi Gakuen H.S.) - 9:10.19
4. Miyuki Oka (Kojokan H.S.) - 9:10.62
5. Yuriko Kosaki (Narita H.S.) - 9:15.52
6. Miki Sakakibara (Hamakita Nishi H.S.) - 9:15.80
7. Eri Makikawa (Seiryo H.S.) - 9:16.64
8. Katsuki Suga (Kojokan H.S.) - 9:18.08
9. Miyuki Uehara (Kagoshima Joshi H.S.) - 9:23.58
10. Ayano Ikeuchi (Ritsumeikan Uji H.S.) - 9:24.58

Boys' 1500 m Final
1. Masaki Toda (Tokyo Nogyo Prep H.S. #2) - 3:47.36
2. Yusuke Uchikoshi (Kugayama H.S.) - 3:47.48
3. Yudai Yamamoto (Suma Gakuen H.S.) - 3:48.41

Girls' 1500 m Final
1. Yui Fukuda (Suma Gakuen H.S.) - 4:17.15
2. Tomoka Kimura (Chikushi Joshi Gakuen H.S.) - 4:17.22
3. Shiho Takeda (Tokiwa H.S.) - 4:17.86

(c) 2011 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

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