Japan's best collegiate meet started Thursday at Kanagawa's Sagamihara Gion Stadium with the 104th edition of the Kanto Region University Track and Field Championships. On the track only three finals happened, with the D1 women's 10000 m getting things rolling. In windy conditions meet record holder Sarah Wanjiru (3rd yr., Daito Bunka Univ.) pulled off a slow burner, leading start to finish but starting off on mid-33 pace and gradually ratcheting it up. Haruka Ogawa (3rd yr., Rikkyo Univ.) was the last one to stay with her, but by just past halfway Wanjiru was on her own and kept up the acceleration the whole way to win in 32:25.78. Ogawa was next in 33:10.37, with Mariya Noda (3rd yr., Daito Bunka Univ.) shaking off Yume Miyake (2nd yr., Takushoku Univ.) for 3rd in 33:34.46.
Tomonori Yamaguchi (4th yr., Waseda Univ.) got the D1 men's 10000 m off to a fast start with a 2:43 opening 10000 m that killed off everyone except James Mutuku (4th yr., Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.), who took over for a 5:30 2nd 1000 m. From there to the finish it was all Mutuku, who won in 28:06.37. Victor Kimutai (4th yr., Josai Univ.) ran Yamaguchi down for 2nd, 28:31.37 to 28:37.82.
The D2 men's 10000 m came down to a 4-way sprint finish over the last lap. Stephen Muthini (3rd yr., Soka Univ.) had the wheels for the win in 28:14.30, with Nelson Mandela (4th yr., Obirin Univ.) and David Shunqeya (4th yr., Reitaku Univ.) keeping Riku Anjima (2nd yr., Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) off the podium in 28:16.10 and 28:17.45 to Anjima's 28:19.81.
On the field, MVP of the day went to Tokiya Yamaguchi (3rd yr., Tsukuba Univ.), who took 3rd in the D1 men's hammer throw at 60.50 m then doubled back less than 2 hours later to win the D1 men's discus throw at 50.47 m. Fuga Matsui (4th yr., Nittai Univ.) had a particularly strong win in the D1 men's pole vault, winning by 20 cm with a 5.52 m PB clearance on his first attempt.
Kanto Regionals continue through Sunday. Live streaming details for each day are here.
104th Kanto Region University Track and Field Championships
Day One Highlights
Gion Stadium, Sagamihara, Kanagawa
D1 Women's 10000 m Final
1. Sarah Wanjiru (3rd yr., Daito Bunka Univ.) - 32:25.78
2. Haruka Ogawa (3rd yr., Rikkyo Univ.) - 33:10.37
3. Mariya Noda (3rd yr., Daito Bunka Univ.) - 33:34.46
4. Yume Miyake (2nd yr., Takushoku Univ.) - 33:44.75 - PB
5. Nozomi Tanaka (3rd yr., Nittai Univ.) - 34:01.80 - PB
6. Ruka Usui (1st yr., Tsukuba Univ.) - 34:05.40
7. Sakurako Yanai (4th yr., Nittai Univ.) - 34:28.16
8. Ichino Saito (2nd yr., Nittai Univ.) - 34:29.16
9. Shizuku Kasuya (2nd yr., Teikyo Kagaku Univ.) - 34:36.21
10. Hinata Kaneko (4th yr., Josai Univ.) - 34:36.25
D1 Men's 10000 m Final
1. James Mutuku (4th yr., Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 28:06.37
2. Victor Kimutai (4th yr., Josai Univ.) - 28:31.37
3. Tomonori Yamaguchi (4th yr., Waseda Univ.) - 28:37.82
4. Tasuku Yamazaki (4th yr., Nittai Univ.) - 28:53.27
5. Akito Noda (3rd yr., Hosei Univ.) - 28:55.80
6. Ikuta Shimizu (4th yr., Hosei Univ.) - 28:56.58
7. Daisuke Sato (2nd yr., Chuo Univ.) - 29:03.41
8. Manato Takata (3rd yr., Nihon Univ.) - 29:08.78
9. Ryuto Kawahara (2nd yr., Juntendo Univ.) - 29:14.61
10. Hiroyuki Ishioka (4th yr., Juntendo Univ.) - 29:21.14
D2 Men's 10000 m Final
1. Stephen Muthini (3rd yr., Soka Univ.) - 28:14.30
2. Nelson Mandela Mbithi (4th yr., Obirin Univ.) - 28:16.10
3. David Shunqeya (4th yr., Reitaku Univ.) - 28:17.45
4. Riku Anjima (2nd yr., Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 28:19.81
5. Zen Kuroda (2nd yr., Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 28:24.38
6. Stephen Lemaiyan (3rd yr., Surugadai Univ.) - 28:28.24
7. Hikaru Tsujihara (3rd yr., Koku Gakuin Univ.) - 28:31.42
8. Riki Koike (3rd yr., Soka Univ.) - 28:35.98
9. Rui Aoki (4th yr., Koku Gakuin Univ.) - 28:37.45
10. Johnson Mogeni (3rd yr., Asia Univ.) - 28:39.73
D1 Women's High Jump Final
1. Yuki Morisaki (2nd yr., Nihon Joshi Taiiku Univ.) - 1.76 m
2. Kaede Ito (4th yr., Nittai Univ.) - 1.76 m
3. Natsuki Yano (3rd yr., Waseda Univ.) - 1.76 m
D1 Men's Pole Vault Final
1. Fuga Matsui (4th yr., Nittai Univ.) - 5.52 m - PB
2. Kota Sugano (3rd yr., Nittai Univ.) - 5.32 m - PB
3. Eito Watanabe (3rd yr., Tsukuba Univ.) - 5.22 m
D1 Men's Long Jump Final
1. Takuma Sekine (3rd yr., Kokusai Budo Univ.) - 7.78 m (+3.4)
2. Kaoru Ota (4th yr., Nittai Univ.) - 7.74 m (+3.5)
3. Gai Kitagawa (4th yr., Tokai Univ.) - 7.62 m (+3.4)
D2 Men's Long Jump Final
1. Keisuke Tomita (2nd yr., Surugadai Univ.) - 7.56 m (+1.7) - PB
2. Yuta Komamura (4th yr., Surugadai Univ.) - 7.43 m (+3.3)
3. Aoto Tsuda (4th yr., Surugadai Univ.) - 7.32 m (+3.2)
D3 Men's Long Jump Final
1. Yuto Nakano (2nd yr., Nihon Univ. Grad School) - 7.68 m (+3.2)
2. Masataka Kiyomizu (2nd yr., Tokyo Gakugei Univ. Grad School) - 6.90 m (+2.9)
3. Shoya Kamiya (2nd yr., Yamanashi Univ. Grad School) - 6.90 m (+3.3)
D1 Women's Shot Put Final
1. Kana Yoshizawa (3rd yr., Nittai Univ.) - 14.59 m
2. Ayako Yamada (4th yr., Juntendo Univ.) - 14.34 m - PB
3. Miu Yoshinari (4th yr., Tokyo Joshi Taiiku Univ.) - 14.26 m - PB
D1 Men's Discus Throw Final
1. Tokiya Yamaguchi (3rd yr., Tsukuba Univ.) - 50.47 m
2. Tatsuki Yokoo (3rd yr., Juntendo Univ.) - 47.88 m
3. Ittetsu Ikegawa (3rd yr., Juntendo Univ.) - 47.13 m
D2 Men's Discus Throw Final
1. Koki Koyama (4th yr., Heisei Kokusai Univ.) - 46.62 m
2. Sota Hashimoto (3rd yr., Meikai Univ.) - 44.18 m - PB
3. Mion Fujimoto (2nd yr., Heisei Kokusai Univ.) - 40.39 m
D3 Men's Discus Throw Final
1. Omi Kamozawa (2nd yr., Tokai Univ. Grad School) - 48.18 m
2. Daichi Shigyo (2nd yr., Tsukuba Univ. Grad School) - 41.88 m
3. Shotaro Hashimoto (1st yr., Kokushikan Univ. Grad School) - 36.71 m
D1 Men's Hammer Throw Final
1. Tenjiro Imamura (4th yr., Nihon Univ.) - 63.01 m - PB
2. Taiyo Ohama (2nd yr., Nihon Univ.) - 61.58 m - PB
3. Tokiya Yamaguchi (3rd yr., Tsukuba Univ.) - 60.50 m
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