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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 mo…

World Univ. Games 10000 m Champ Osako Leads 1500 m Heat - National Univ. Track & Field Championships Day One

by Brett Larner

The 2011 Japanese National University Track & Field Championships kicked off Sept. 9 in Kumamoto.  2011 World University Games 10000 m gold medalist and Asian junior half marathon area record holder Suguru Osako (Waseda Univ.) bypassed the 10000 m for the 1500 m, winning his heat to advance to the final.  His teammate Tatsuro Okazaki (Waseda Univ.) likewise won the faster second heat where the top four all beat Osako's time of 3:51.39, making for an interesting final on tap later this weekend.  After running 13:31.27 earlier this season, the best time in several years by a Japanese university runner, sophomore Osako is also the favorite in tomorrow's 5000 m where he is on the start list.

The women's 1500 m heats saw a mix of familiar faces and newcomers advancing to the finals, top-ranked women Chikako Mori (Daito Bunka Univ.), Akane Yabushita (Ritsumeikan Univ.) and Risa Shibuya (Bukkyo Univ.) all advancing through the competitive third heat with relat…