Skip to main content

Omwamba Doubles and Suzuki Defends in National University T&F Championships 5000 m

by Brett Larner

Two days after winning the National University Track & Field Championships 10000 m title, Kenyan first-year Enock Omwamba (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) returned to outrun Nihon University's Kenyan pair Benjamin Gandu and Daniel Kitonyi and all Japanese comers for the 5000 m title.  Running off a slow first 2000 m in 5:40, Omwamba accelerated throughout the second half of the race to take the win in 13:53.53, Gandu 2nd in 13:55.81.  Shuho Dairokuno (Meiji Univ.) was the top Japanese finisher, 4th overall in 14:02.01 a step ahead of Aoyama Gakuin University's star first-year recruit Kazuma Kubota with Aoyama Gakuin captain Takehiro Deki just behind in his first quality performance since his 2:10:02 marathon debut at March's Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon.  Defending collegiate 5000 m champion Kenta Murayama (Komazawa Univ.) was only 14th in 14:22.38 just ahead of his twin brother Kota Murayama (Josai Univ.)

The women's 5000 m went out the other way, defending champion Ayuko Suzuki (Nagoya Univ.) taking things out very fast with a 3:03 first km and burning off all competition early. Suzuki was alone for almost the entire race, opening a 20-second gap on chaser Mai Shoji (Chukyo Univ.) before fading badly over the final 2000 m. Suzuki slowed to 3:20/km but still managed to hold on for her second-straight win, clocking a solid 15:44.45 to Shoji's 15:51.25. 10000 m champ Haruka Kyuma (Tsukuba Univ.) was 8th in 16:04.93.

2012 National University T&F Championships Day Three
National Stadium, Tokyo, 9/11/12
click here for complete results

Men's 5000 m
1. Enock Omwamba (Kenya/Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 13:53.53
2. Benjamin Gandu (Kenya/Nihon Univ.) - 13:55.81
3. Daniel Kitonyi (Kenya/Nihon Univ.) - 13:57.68
4. Shuho Dairokuno (Meiji Univ.) - 14:02.01
5. Kazuma Kubota (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 14:02.70
6. Takehiro Deki (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 14:03.71
7. Yuki Maeda (Waseda Univ.) - 14:05.56
8. Wataru Ueno (Komazawa Univ.) - 14:06.18
9. Shuhei Yamamoto (Waseda Univ.) - 14:08.10
10. Tatsuya Oike (Juntendo Univ.) - 14:14.21

 Women's 5000 m
1. Ayuko Suzuki (Nagoya Univ.) - 15:44.45
2. Mai Shoji (Chukyo Univ.) - 15:51.25
3. Shiho Takechi (Bukkyo Univ.) - 15:56.78
4. Miho Shimizu (Hakuoh Univ.) - 15:58.50
5. Mai Tsuda (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 15:59.25
6. Sairi Maeda (Bukkyo Univ.) - 15:59.81
7. Nanaka Izawa (Juntendo Univ.) - 16:04.15
8. Haruka Kyuma (Tsukuba Univ.) - 16:04.93
9. Mutsumi Ikeda (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 16:05.63
10. Hitomi Suzuki (Tamagawa Univ.) - 16:11.90

(c) 2012 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

Ichiyama 8th at Copenhagen Marathon

Currently the #10-ranked Japanese man in the marathon with the fastest-ever domestic time at the elite Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon, Tsubasa Ichiyama (Sunbelx) made his international debut at Sunday's Copenhagen Marathon , literally an international debut as it was his first time outside the country. Ichiyama hoped to be in contention to break the 2:08:23 CR and go for the win, and with cool and breezy conditions ran easy in the lead group through 30 km. But something ate away at almost everyone as time went by, several people in the lead men's and women's groups saying humidity, and past 30 km Ichiyama fell off. Falling as low as 9th, he rallied after 40 km to finish 8th in 2:13:07. "It was different than in Japanese races," he said. "I'm used to bigger packs and more even pacing, but this was a kind of racing I hadn't done before. There's a lot to think about. I didn't feel like I was sweating a lot, but I got really thirsty and started sk
Post a Comment
Read more

Wanjiru Breaks Own MR, Fuwa and Ishida Return - Kanto Regionals Day 1 Highlights

Japan's best college meet kicked off Thursday at Tokyo's National Stadium at the 103rd Kanto Region University Track and Field Championships . Looking like she was doing a controlled tempo run, 2nd-yr Sarah Wanjiru (Daito Bunka Univ.) lapped the entire field to win the women's 10000 m in a meet record 32:02.87, almost 15 seconds under the record she last year in her debut. 3rd-yr Aoi Takahashi (Josai Univ.) was 2nd in 33:29.22 and 2nd-yr Nana Nagashima (Josai Kokusai Univ.) 3rd in a PB 33:30.28, but the other main news alongside Wanjiru's new record was the return of collegiate 10000 m record holder Seira Fuwa (Takushoku Univ.) in her first 10000 m in 19 months. Fuwa hung at the back of the chase pack for the first half, made a move to lead it in the second half, and ultimately faded to 9th in 33:40.20. Every comeback has to start somewhere. The D1 men's 10000 m had a tight group up front with the top 6 all finishing within 6 seconds and under 28:10. 3rd-yr Jam
1 comment
Read more

Two-Time Olympic Marathon Medalist Erick Wainaina Referred to Prosectors on Suspicion of Assault

  According to investigators, two-time Olympic marathon medalist Erick Wainaina has had his case referred to prosecutors after allegedly injuring a railway employee by striking him in the face at a station in Setagaya, Tokyo. Wainaina, 50, was the bronze medalist in the marathon at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and won silver in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Wainaina is suspected of assaulting a woman in her late teens and a male Tokyo Denentoshi Line employee by hitting them in the face during an altercation at Komazawa University Station in March this year, resulting in minor injuries to the man's face. According to investigators, the incident began on the train between Wainaina and the woman, and after getting off at Komazawa University Station he hit her in the face when she asked him to go to the station office with her to report it. When the male railway employee responded to the situation Wainaina reportedly hit him too. In response to questioning Wainaina is said to have answered,
Post a Comment
Read more