Since it first won the Hakone Ekiden in 2009 to this year's 3rd-place finish Toyo has shown extraordinary consistency, finishing in the top 3 at Hakone all 11 years. Sato worked alongside head coach Toshiyuki Sakai, 42, to help develop that kind of stability. Where he showed exceptional ability in his 25 years with the team was in scouting. Sato famously discovered future Hakone uphill Fifth Stage legend Ryuji Kashiwabara, a virtual unknown at Fukushima's Iwaki Sogo H.S until he won the First Stage at the National Men's Ekiden right before graduating from high school.
Sato showed an amazing ability to spot diamonds in the rough who never reached the national level in high school, in addition to Kashiwabara scouting 2 of the 3 members of Japan's 2016 Rio Olympics marathon team, Suehiro Ishikawa (39, Honda) and Hisanori Kitajima (34, Yasukawa Denki), and Yamamoto, a member of the Kawaguchi Kita H.S. soccer team when Sato found him. 3rd on Hakone's Eighth Stage this year, 1st-year Munetaka Suzuki's team at Hitorizawa H.S. only had 4 members on its long-distance squad, meaning he came to Toyo as an unknown factor with no ekiden experience. Even Toyo's skilled head coach Sakai was once a student that Sato recruited to Toyo.
Sakai presided over Sato's farewell party. Along with Yamamoto and Shitara, attendees included Kashiwabara, Ishikawa, Shitara's twin brother Keita Shitara (27, Hitachi Butsuryu), Hazuma Hattori (24, Toenec) and Ryo Kuchimachi (24, Subaru). Previous Toyo head coach Shinji Kawashima (52, Asahi Kasei) was also in attendance. "During my journeys through all 47 of Japan's prefectures I met many athletes," Sato told them, smiling. "Some of them became Olympians, and some of them became excellent leaders like Sakai. It was a truly happy 25 years." The crowd of beneficiaries of his lifetime of work united in a roar of applause.
HIsashi Sato - born Apr. 29, 1953 in Hirakamachi, Akita. Ran the 800 m for Akita Kogyo H.S. Entered Toyo University in 1972, becoming team manager. Returned to Akita following his graduation in 1976 and worked in sales. Became head coach at Toyo in 1994. Changed position to assistant coach and scout in 2002. Served as acting head coach for Toyo's first Hakone Ekiden victory in 2009 following Kawashima's resignation just before the race.
source article:
https://www.hochi.co.jp/sports/etc/20190323-OHT1T50238.html
translated by Brett Larner
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