Oshima Over Sani Brown, Kitaguchi Wins Again and Fast 1500 m Finals on Day Two of Japanese National High School Track and Field Championships
by Brett Larner
videos by naoki620
Defending champ Kenta Oshima (Tokyo H.S.) brought the highlight of the second day of the Japanese National High School Track and Field Championships, delivering a big upset in the boys' 100 m final with a win over the fastest boy in the field, 2015 World Youth Championships double gold medalist Abdul Hakim Sani Brown (Josai Prep H.S.). With Sani Brown holding a PB 0.11 seconds faster and leading his times in both the heats and semifinals, Oshima had a great start in the final, opening an early lead as Sani Brown was slow out of the blocks. Sani Brown closed throughout the race, but Oshima had enough for the win in 10.29, his second-straight national H.S. 100 m title and a PB by 0.09 seconds despite a -0.8 m/s headwind. Sani Brown was almost even with him in 10.30, just off his best, with 3rd-placer Kenta Katsuse (Saku Yakonohana H.S.) running a PB 10.48. Both Oshima and Sani Brown returned later to anchor their teams in 4x100 m relay semifinal 1, both schools qualifying for tomorrow's final.
Oshima's teammate Iyoba Edoba (Tokyo H.S.) likewise picked up a second-straight national H.S. title in the girls' 100 m. In spite of a -1.2 m/s headwind Edoba destroyed the competition, clocking an 11.72 PB well ahead of Sayaka Shibayama (Shigakukan H.S.), runner-up in 11.89. Kaho Nishio (Osaka H.S.) rounded out the podium in 11.91.
Despite high humidity and temperatures hovering around 35 degrees, the boys' 1500 m final was one of the fastest and deepest in the National H.S. Championships' history. Favorite Kazuyoshi Tamogami (Gakuho Ishikawa H.S.) got the win in 3:48.48 less than a second off the PB he set earlier this month in far better conditions in Hokkaido, kicking from near the back of the pack with 250 m to go to beat last year's runner-up Masahide Saito (Waseda Jitsugyo H.S.) who ran a PB 3:49.07 and #2-ranked Kazuki Kawamura (Ogaki Nihon Prep H.S.), 3rd in 3:49.24. Behind them, six more boys, all Japanese, broke 3:50, five for the first time despite the conditions. The current wave of improvement in Japanese long distance and sprinting may finally be touching the middle distances.
The girls' 1500 m final was also solid. Facing the same extreme conditions as the boys #4-ranked Chika Mukai (Shigakukan H.S.) ran 4:16.76, her first time under 4:20, to take the win over last year's champion Nana Kuraoka (Kagoshima Joshi H.S.) and favorite Monica Margaret (Aomori Yamada H.S.). Kuraoka also ran a PB of 4:18.05, with Margaret just off her best in 4:19.61. Nozomi Tanaka (Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S.), a two-time National Women's Ekiden stage winner in junior high school and daughter of sub-2:30 amateur marathon woman Chihiro Tanaka, made a good high school debut in 5th in 4:23.10. The top nine all broke 4:25, five in PBs, almost equalling the number at this year's NCAA D1 Championships where ten university women broke 4:25.
2015 World Youth Championships gold medalist Haruka Kitaguchi (Asahikawa Higashi H.S.) was another athlete to pick up a second-straight national H.S. title, winning the girls' javelin with a throw of 56.63 m after a challenge from last year's 4th-placer Mikako Yamashita (Kyoei Gakuen H.S.), who threw a large PB of 55.40 for 2nd. The girls' 5000 m race walk also saw high-level performances, with the top three all going under 24 minutes in PB times. Yukiho Mizoguchi (Nagano Higashi H.S.) scored an unexpected win in 23:13.98 over #2-ranked Saori Nishimura (Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S.). The #2-ranked boy in the pole vault, Takuma Arai (Kashiwa Nittai Prep H.S.) had better luck, clearing 5.20 m for the win as favorite Masaki Ejima (Eda H.S.) finished 11th of 14 after clearing only 4.80 m. The girls' high jump went more according to script as #1-ranked Yuzuki Ishioka (Sendai Tohoku H.S.) outdid #2 and #3-ranked teammates Misaki Nakanishi and Sakura Asai (Okazaki Joshi H.S.) for the win in 1.75 m. Likewise in the boys' decathlon, where favorite Hayao Tagami (Rakunan H.S.) set a championships record 6002 for the win. The National High School Track and Field Championships continue through Sunday, August 2nd.
68th National High School Track and Field Championships
Day Two Highlights
Wakayama, July 30
click here for complete results
Boys' 1500 m Final
1. Kazuyoshi Tamogami (Gakuho Ishikawa H.S.) - 3:48.48
2. Masahide Saito (Waseda Jitsugyo H.S.) - 3:49.07 - PB
3. Kazuki Kawamura (Ogaki Nihon Prep H.S.) - 3:49.24
4. Kakeru Nakamura (Saikyo H.S.) - 3:49.28 - PB
5. Rikuto Iijima (Midorioka H.S.) - 3:49.68 - PB
6. Tomoya Nakamura (Toin H.S.) - 3:49.72
7. Atsuya Ubukata (Sano Nihon Prep H.S.) - 3:49.86 - PB
8. Tsubasa Komuro (Sendai Ikuei H.S.) - 3:49.89 - PB
9. Taku Tomihara (Jinsei Gakuen H.S.) - 3:49.94 - PB
10. Taisei Ogino (Kato Gakuen H.S.) - 3:50.54 - PB
Girls' 1500 m Final
1. Chika Mukai (Shigakukan H.S.) - 4:16.76 - PB
2. Nana Kuraoka (Kagoshima Joshi H.S.) - 4:18.05 - PB
3. Monica Margaret (Aomori Yamada H.S.) - 4:19.61
4. Miho Shimada (Yamanashi Gakuin Prep H.S.) - 4:20.70
5. Nozomi Tanaka (Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S.) - 4:23.10
6. Keiko Okada (Yawatahama H.S.) - 4:23.16 - PB
7. Kana Tsuchida (Niigata Meikun H.S.) - 4:23.19 - PB
8. Kanami Hiraga (Junten H.S.) - 4:24.57
9. Yuna Wada (Nagano Higashi H.S.) - 4:24.84 - PB
10. Ryo Koido (Suijo H.S.) - 4:25.07 - PB
Boys' 100 m Final -0.8 m/s
1. Kenta Oshima (Tokyo H.S.) - 10.29 - PB
2. Abdul Hakim Sani Brown (Josai Prep H.S.) - 10.30
3. Kenta Katsuse (Saku Yakonohana H.S.) - 10.48 - PB
4. Jun Yamashita (Fukushima H.S.) - 10.63
5. Yoshihiro Someya (Tsukuba Shuei H.S.) - 10.68
6. Daisuke Miyamoto (Rakunan H.S.) - 10.70
7. Kengo Masuda (Sano H.S.) - 10.73
8. Naoya Tamura (Niigata Shogyo H.S.) - 10.76
Girls' 100 m Final -1.2 m/s
1. Iyoba Edoba (Tokyo H.S.) - 11.72 - PB
2. Sayaka Shibayama (Shigakukan H.S.) - 11.89
3. Kaho Nishio (Osaka H.S.) - 11.91
4. Shino Araki (Nagara H.S.) - 11.96
5. Marina Miyake (Kurashiki H.S.) - 11.96
6. Mako Nakano (Anjo Gakuen H.S.) - 11.98
7. Tomomi Kawamura (Morioka Daiichi H.S.) - 12.04
8. Shiori Yoshino (Kyoto Tachibana H.S.) - 12.11
Girls' 5000 m RW Final
1. Yukiho Mizoguchi (Nagano Higashi H.S.) - 23:13.98 - PB
2. Saori Nishimura (Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S.) - 23:24.02 - PB
3. Yukako Hayashi (Yawatahama H.S.) - 23:59.35 - PB
Girls' High Jump Final
1. Yuzuki Ishioka (Sendai Tohoku H.S.) - 1.75 m
2. Sakura Asai (Okazaki Joshi H.S.) - 1.75 m - PB
3. Misaki Nakanishi (Okazaki Joshi H.S.) - 1.75 m
Boys' Pole Vault Final
1. Takuma Arai (Kashiwa Nittai Prep H.S.) - 5.20 m
2. Koki Takekawa (Fujinomiya Kita H.S.) - 5.10 m - PB
3. Kairi Uematsu (Hamamatsu Kita H.S.) - 5.05 m - PB
Girls' Javelin Throw Final
1. Haruka Kitaguchi (Asahikawa Higashi H.S.) - 56.63 m
2. Mikako Yamashita (Kyoei Gakuen H.S.) - 55.40 m - PB
3. Mizuho Imamura (Kumamoto Nishi H.S.) - 49.95 m - PB
Boys' Octathlon Final Scores
1. Hayao Tagami (Rakunan H.S.) - 6002 - MR
2. Toshiki Kuge (Toba H.S.) - 5691
3. Shota Hirono (Rakunan H.S.) - 5639 - PB
(c) 2015 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
videos by naoki620
Defending champ Kenta Oshima (Tokyo H.S.) brought the highlight of the second day of the Japanese National High School Track and Field Championships, delivering a big upset in the boys' 100 m final with a win over the fastest boy in the field, 2015 World Youth Championships double gold medalist Abdul Hakim Sani Brown (Josai Prep H.S.). With Sani Brown holding a PB 0.11 seconds faster and leading his times in both the heats and semifinals, Oshima had a great start in the final, opening an early lead as Sani Brown was slow out of the blocks. Sani Brown closed throughout the race, but Oshima had enough for the win in 10.29, his second-straight national H.S. 100 m title and a PB by 0.09 seconds despite a -0.8 m/s headwind. Sani Brown was almost even with him in 10.30, just off his best, with 3rd-placer Kenta Katsuse (Saku Yakonohana H.S.) running a PB 10.48. Both Oshima and Sani Brown returned later to anchor their teams in 4x100 m relay semifinal 1, both schools qualifying for tomorrow's final.
Oshima's teammate Iyoba Edoba (Tokyo H.S.) likewise picked up a second-straight national H.S. title in the girls' 100 m. In spite of a -1.2 m/s headwind Edoba destroyed the competition, clocking an 11.72 PB well ahead of Sayaka Shibayama (Shigakukan H.S.), runner-up in 11.89. Kaho Nishio (Osaka H.S.) rounded out the podium in 11.91.
Despite high humidity and temperatures hovering around 35 degrees, the boys' 1500 m final was one of the fastest and deepest in the National H.S. Championships' history. Favorite Kazuyoshi Tamogami (Gakuho Ishikawa H.S.) got the win in 3:48.48 less than a second off the PB he set earlier this month in far better conditions in Hokkaido, kicking from near the back of the pack with 250 m to go to beat last year's runner-up Masahide Saito (Waseda Jitsugyo H.S.) who ran a PB 3:49.07 and #2-ranked Kazuki Kawamura (Ogaki Nihon Prep H.S.), 3rd in 3:49.24. Behind them, six more boys, all Japanese, broke 3:50, five for the first time despite the conditions. The current wave of improvement in Japanese long distance and sprinting may finally be touching the middle distances.
The girls' 1500 m final was also solid. Facing the same extreme conditions as the boys #4-ranked Chika Mukai (Shigakukan H.S.) ran 4:16.76, her first time under 4:20, to take the win over last year's champion Nana Kuraoka (Kagoshima Joshi H.S.) and favorite Monica Margaret (Aomori Yamada H.S.). Kuraoka also ran a PB of 4:18.05, with Margaret just off her best in 4:19.61. Nozomi Tanaka (Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S.), a two-time National Women's Ekiden stage winner in junior high school and daughter of sub-2:30 amateur marathon woman Chihiro Tanaka, made a good high school debut in 5th in 4:23.10. The top nine all broke 4:25, five in PBs, almost equalling the number at this year's NCAA D1 Championships where ten university women broke 4:25.
2015 World Youth Championships gold medalist Haruka Kitaguchi (Asahikawa Higashi H.S.) was another athlete to pick up a second-straight national H.S. title, winning the girls' javelin with a throw of 56.63 m after a challenge from last year's 4th-placer Mikako Yamashita (Kyoei Gakuen H.S.), who threw a large PB of 55.40 for 2nd. The girls' 5000 m race walk also saw high-level performances, with the top three all going under 24 minutes in PB times. Yukiho Mizoguchi (Nagano Higashi H.S.) scored an unexpected win in 23:13.98 over #2-ranked Saori Nishimura (Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S.). The #2-ranked boy in the pole vault, Takuma Arai (Kashiwa Nittai Prep H.S.) had better luck, clearing 5.20 m for the win as favorite Masaki Ejima (Eda H.S.) finished 11th of 14 after clearing only 4.80 m. The girls' high jump went more according to script as #1-ranked Yuzuki Ishioka (Sendai Tohoku H.S.) outdid #2 and #3-ranked teammates Misaki Nakanishi and Sakura Asai (Okazaki Joshi H.S.) for the win in 1.75 m. Likewise in the boys' decathlon, where favorite Hayao Tagami (Rakunan H.S.) set a championships record 6002 for the win. The National High School Track and Field Championships continue through Sunday, August 2nd.
68th National High School Track and Field Championships
Day Two Highlights
Wakayama, July 30
click here for complete results
Boys' 1500 m Final
1. Kazuyoshi Tamogami (Gakuho Ishikawa H.S.) - 3:48.48
2. Masahide Saito (Waseda Jitsugyo H.S.) - 3:49.07 - PB
3. Kazuki Kawamura (Ogaki Nihon Prep H.S.) - 3:49.24
4. Kakeru Nakamura (Saikyo H.S.) - 3:49.28 - PB
5. Rikuto Iijima (Midorioka H.S.) - 3:49.68 - PB
6. Tomoya Nakamura (Toin H.S.) - 3:49.72
7. Atsuya Ubukata (Sano Nihon Prep H.S.) - 3:49.86 - PB
8. Tsubasa Komuro (Sendai Ikuei H.S.) - 3:49.89 - PB
9. Taku Tomihara (Jinsei Gakuen H.S.) - 3:49.94 - PB
10. Taisei Ogino (Kato Gakuen H.S.) - 3:50.54 - PB
Girls' 1500 m Final
1. Chika Mukai (Shigakukan H.S.) - 4:16.76 - PB
2. Nana Kuraoka (Kagoshima Joshi H.S.) - 4:18.05 - PB
3. Monica Margaret (Aomori Yamada H.S.) - 4:19.61
4. Miho Shimada (Yamanashi Gakuin Prep H.S.) - 4:20.70
5. Nozomi Tanaka (Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S.) - 4:23.10
6. Keiko Okada (Yawatahama H.S.) - 4:23.16 - PB
7. Kana Tsuchida (Niigata Meikun H.S.) - 4:23.19 - PB
8. Kanami Hiraga (Junten H.S.) - 4:24.57
9. Yuna Wada (Nagano Higashi H.S.) - 4:24.84 - PB
10. Ryo Koido (Suijo H.S.) - 4:25.07 - PB
Boys' 100 m Final -0.8 m/s
1. Kenta Oshima (Tokyo H.S.) - 10.29 - PB
2. Abdul Hakim Sani Brown (Josai Prep H.S.) - 10.30
3. Kenta Katsuse (Saku Yakonohana H.S.) - 10.48 - PB
4. Jun Yamashita (Fukushima H.S.) - 10.63
5. Yoshihiro Someya (Tsukuba Shuei H.S.) - 10.68
6. Daisuke Miyamoto (Rakunan H.S.) - 10.70
7. Kengo Masuda (Sano H.S.) - 10.73
8. Naoya Tamura (Niigata Shogyo H.S.) - 10.76
Girls' 100 m Final -1.2 m/s
1. Iyoba Edoba (Tokyo H.S.) - 11.72 - PB
2. Sayaka Shibayama (Shigakukan H.S.) - 11.89
3. Kaho Nishio (Osaka H.S.) - 11.91
4. Shino Araki (Nagara H.S.) - 11.96
5. Marina Miyake (Kurashiki H.S.) - 11.96
6. Mako Nakano (Anjo Gakuen H.S.) - 11.98
7. Tomomi Kawamura (Morioka Daiichi H.S.) - 12.04
8. Shiori Yoshino (Kyoto Tachibana H.S.) - 12.11
Girls' 5000 m RW Final
1. Yukiho Mizoguchi (Nagano Higashi H.S.) - 23:13.98 - PB
2. Saori Nishimura (Nishiwaki Kogyo H.S.) - 23:24.02 - PB
3. Yukako Hayashi (Yawatahama H.S.) - 23:59.35 - PB
Girls' High Jump Final
1. Yuzuki Ishioka (Sendai Tohoku H.S.) - 1.75 m
2. Sakura Asai (Okazaki Joshi H.S.) - 1.75 m - PB
3. Misaki Nakanishi (Okazaki Joshi H.S.) - 1.75 m
Boys' Pole Vault Final
1. Takuma Arai (Kashiwa Nittai Prep H.S.) - 5.20 m
2. Koki Takekawa (Fujinomiya Kita H.S.) - 5.10 m - PB
3. Kairi Uematsu (Hamamatsu Kita H.S.) - 5.05 m - PB
Girls' Javelin Throw Final
1. Haruka Kitaguchi (Asahikawa Higashi H.S.) - 56.63 m
2. Mikako Yamashita (Kyoei Gakuen H.S.) - 55.40 m - PB
3. Mizuho Imamura (Kumamoto Nishi H.S.) - 49.95 m - PB
Boys' Octathlon Final Scores
1. Hayao Tagami (Rakunan H.S.) - 6002 - MR
2. Toshiki Kuge (Toba H.S.) - 5691
3. Shota Hirono (Rakunan H.S.) - 5639 - PB
(c) 2015 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
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