Haruka Kyuma, Enock Omwamba Win National University T&F Championships 10000 m Titles

by Brett Larner

Day one of the 2012 Japanese National University Track & Field Championships saw a breakthrough run in the women's 10000 m from one half of Tsukuba University's Kyuma twins, Haruka Kyuma, who dominated the competition to take the win in a solid best mark of 32:59.64, five seconds ahead of runner-up Ai Furukubo (Kyoto Sangyo Univ.) who in turn held off 3rd-place Mai Tsuda (Ritsumeikan Univ.) by three seconds. Kyuma's twin sister Moe Kyuma, also of Tsukuba, was a distant 5th in 33:36.18.

Kenyan newcomer Enock Omwamba (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) continued his rise up through the ranks this year in the men's 10000 m, outgunning defending national collegiate camp Benjamin Gandu (Kenya/Nihon Univ.) by two seconds to take the national title in 28:58.77. Gandu's first-year teammate Daniel Kitonyi (Kenya/Nihon Univ.) picked up the 1500 m title in 3:44.51 in the absence of defending champion Suguru Osako (Waseda Univ.), who has been racing in Italy this month. The women's 1500 m title went to another Haruka, Haruka Mochizuki (Juntendo Univ.), who took her first national title in 4:20.36.

2012 National University T&F Championships Day One
National Stadium, Tokyo, 9/9/12
click here for complete results

Women's 10000 m
1. Haruka Kyuma (Tsukuba Univ.) - 32:59.64
2. Ai Furukubo (Kyoto Sangyo Univ.) - 33:04.49
3. Mai Tsuda (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 33:07.72
4. Chinami Mori (Bukkyo Univ.) - 33:11.25
5. Moe Kyuma (Tsukuba Univ.) - 33:36.18
6. Mai Shinozuka (Chuo Univ.) - 33:46.36
7. Narumi Shirataki (Nihon Univ.) - 33:54.06
8. Mari Tayama (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 33:56.43
9. Rina Asano (Osaka Gakuin Univ.) - 33:57.05
10. Nanaka Izawa (Juntendo Univ.) - 34:12.55

Men's 10000 m
1. Enock Omwamba (Kenya/Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 28:58.77
2. Benjamin Gandu (Kenya/Nihon Univ.) - 29:00.57
3. Shota Hiraga (Waseda Univ.) - 29:25.47
4. Kota Murayama (Josai Univ.) - 29:33.21
5. Hiroto Inoue (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 29:33.66
6. Tsubasa Hayakawa (Tokai Univ.) - 29:33.67
7. Kazuki Noda (Kyoto Sangyo Univ.) - 29:34.38
8. Kazuhiro Kuga (Komazawa Univ.) - 29:37.93
9. Hiroshi Ichida (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 29:40.93
10. Takashi Ichida (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 29:42.61
DNF - Leul Gebrselassie (Ethiopia/Tokyo Kokusai Univ.)

Women's 1500 m Final
1. Haruka Mochizuki (Juntendo Univ.) - 4:20.36
2. Chikako Mori (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 4:21.80
3. Satoe Kikuchi (Matsuyama Univ.) - 4:22.13
4. Mayuko Nakamura (Kyoto Kyoiku Univ.) - 4:22.37
5. Miki Kobayashi (Juntendo Univ.) - 4:23.16

Men's 1500 m Final
1. Daniel Kitonyi (Nihon Univ.) - 3:44.51
2. Hideyuki Tanaka (Juntendo Univ.) - 3:45.41
3. Takayuki Maeno (Meiji Univ.) - 3:47.06
4. Toshihiro Kenmotsu (Asia Pacific Univ.) - 3:48.52
5. Ryo Iketani (Kanaya Taiku Univ.) - 3:50.51

(c) 2012 Brett Larner

Ichiyama 8th at Copenhagen Marathon

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