by Brett Larner
High school track continued along the road to next month's National Championships with a nationwide round of regional championships this weekend. Thirty-three girls across the country broke the 9:30 mark over 3000 m, with the fastest time of the weekend going to Kenyan Mary Waithira (Sendai Ikuei H.S.), who set an impressive meet record of 9:00.85 at the Tohoku Regionals meet over Kenyan rival Rosemary Wanjiru (Aomori Yamada H.S.), who ran 9:07.44. The fastest performance by a Japanese girl came at the South Kanto Regionals meet, where Maki Izumida (Hakuoh Joshi H.S.) won in 9:17.74. All but three regions featured winning times under 9:30.
Boys' performances were less noteworthy, but in the Tokai Region 5000 m Kenyan Jeremiah Karemi (Toyokawa H.S.) set a meet record of 13:52.51. Charles Ndungu (Sapporo Yamanote H.S.) also set a meet record in the Hokkaido Region 5000 m, running 13:57.81. Both boys' and girls' results were somewhat diminished by the absence of the suspended group of star athletes who transferred from Sendai Ikuei H.S. to Toyokawa H.S. this spring following the resignation of Sendai Ikuei head coach Junichi Seino.
Tohoku Regional H.S. Track & Field Championships Girls' 3000 m
Iwate, 6/18/2012
1. Mary Waithira (Kenya/Sendai Ikuei H.S.) - 9:00.85
2. Rosemary Wanjiru (Kenya/Aomori Yamada H.S.) - 9:07.44
3. Natsumi Ozawa (Tamura H.S.) - 9:21.46
4. Misaki Tanabe (Tamura H.S.) - 9:21.99
5. Rina Koeda (Tamura H.S.) - 9:26.59
6. Yuki Kodama (Omagari H.S.) - 9:31.82
7. Kaho Sasaki (Hanawa H.S.) - 9:32.87
Boys' 5000 m
Iwate, 6/17/2012
1. Hiram Ngatia (Kenya/Sendai Ikuei H.S.) - 14:01.99
2. John Maina (Kenya/Aomori Yamada H.S.) - 14:08.34
3. Issei Takahashi (Omagari Kogyo H.S.) - 14:26.86
South Kanto Regional H.S. Track & Field Championships Girls' 3000 m
Gunma, 6/18/2012
1. Maki Izumida (Hakuoh Joshi H.S.) - 9:17.74
2. Sakiko Naito (Funabashi Municipal H.S.) - 9:17.93
3. Shiho Yahagi (Hachioji H.S.) - 9:19.38
4. Megumi Aoba (Yamanashi Gakuin Prep H.S.) - 9:21.14
5. Saori Imamura (Kibogaoka H.S.) - 9:22.53
6. Asahi Takeuchi (Hadano H.S.) - 9:22.78
7. Yomogi Akasaka (Moto Ishikawa H.S.) - 9:29.43
Kita-Kyushu Regional H.S. Track & Field Championships Girls' 3000 m
Saga, 6/17/2012
1. Nozomi Yamashita (Chikushi Joshi Gakuen H.S.) - 9:20.00
2. Miki Hirai (Shiraishi H.S.) - 9:20.30
3. Nanami Kondo (Yanagawa H.S.) - 9:22.38
4. Shoko Sonoda (Chikushi Joshi Gakuen H.S.) - 9:22.65
5. Shiori Yano (Kita-Kyushu Municipal H.S.) - 9:25.24
6. Yuki Yokoishi (Shiraishi H.S.) - 9:25.56
7. Kanade Takahashi (Yanagawa H.S.) - 9:31.73
Kita-Shinetsu Regional H.S. Track & Field Championships Girls' 3000 m
Kanazawa, 6/17/2012
1. Honoka Yuzawa (Nagano Higashi H.S.) - 9:20.85
2. Saki Fukui (Toyama Shogyo H.S.) - 9:23.11
3. Ami Hirose (Seiryo H.S.) - 9:26.54
Kinki Regional H.S. Track & Field Championships Girls' 3000 m
Shiga, 6/17/2012
1. Mika Kobayashi (Suma Gakuen H.S.) - 9:26.36
2. Mizuho Matsuda (Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S.) - 9:27.38
3. Misaki Hayashida (Himeji Shogyo H.S.) - 9:27.50
4. Risa Miyanaga (Suma Gakuen H.S.) - 9:27.61
5. Nanae Kanno (Ritsumeikan Uji H.S.) - 9:27.67
6. Kotona Ota (Suma Gakuen H.S.) - 9:27.69
7. Natsuki Omori Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S.) - 9:31.40
Tokai Regional H.S. Track & Field Championships Girls' 3000 m
Gifu, 6/17/2012
1. Karin Nishikawa (Chukyo Prep H.S.) - 9:27.65
2. Tomoyo Yamamoto (Tokoha Gakuen Kikugawa H.S.) - 9:27.94
3. Kanae Kamizono (Toyokawa H.S.) - 9:29.08
4. Nanako Kajiya (Toyokawa H.S.) - 9:29.12
5. Nodoka Aoki (Mashita Seifu H.S.) - 9:31.37
Boys' 5000 m
Gifu, 6/17/2012
1. Jeremiah Karemi (Kenya/Toyokawa H.S.) - 13:52.51 - MR
2. Yusuke Nishiyama (Iga Hakuho H.S.) - 14:23.99
3. Kazuma Taira (Toyokawa Kogyo H.S.) - 14:27.38
Chugoku Regional H.S. Track & Field Championships Girls' 3000 m
Hiroshima, 6/16/2012
1. Yuki Maekawa (Tottori Chuo Ikuei H.S.) - 9:29.36
2. Rie Kawauchi Kojokan H.S.) - 9:29.74
3. Saki Ochiai Hirata H.S.) - 9:30.65
4. Junna Fujii (Kojokan H.S.) - 9:31.94
5. Suzuna Seiyama (Tottori Chuo Ikuei H.S.) - 9:33.07
North Kanto Regional H.S. Track & Field Championships Girls' 3000 m
Gunma, 6/18/2012
1. Shiho Takeda (Tokiwa H.S.) - 9:31.52
2. Naoka Akutsu (Nasu Shiobara H.S.) - 9:35.33
3. Akane Higashimura (Saitama Sakae H.S.) - 9:35.69
Shikoku Regional H.S. Track & Field Championships Girls' 3000 m
Kochi, 6/18/2012
1. Ai Ikemoto (Nakamura H.S.) - 9:33.77
2. Akari Kageura (Saibi Gakuen H.S.) - 9:46.30
3. Ami Ishikawa (Yawatahama H.S.) - 9:47.55
Hokkaido Regional H.S. Track & Field Championships Girls' 3000 m
Hokkaido, 6/22/2012
1. Nagisa Morinaga (Sapporo Seishu H.S.) - 9:43.48
2. Momoko Onuma (Otani Muroran H.S.) - 10:02.44
3. Minori Matsuura (Sapporo Seishu H.S.) - 10:04.14
Boys' 5000 m
Hokkaido, 6/21/2012
1. Charles Ndungu (Kenya/Sapporo Yamanote H.S.) - 13:57.81 - MR
2. Fusanosuke Araya (Otani Muroran H.S.) - 14:51.08
3. Daiki Suzaki (Otani Muroran H.S.) - 14:52.19
(c) 2012 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
High school track continued along the road to next month's National Championships with a nationwide round of regional championships this weekend. Thirty-three girls across the country broke the 9:30 mark over 3000 m, with the fastest time of the weekend going to Kenyan Mary Waithira (Sendai Ikuei H.S.), who set an impressive meet record of 9:00.85 at the Tohoku Regionals meet over Kenyan rival Rosemary Wanjiru (Aomori Yamada H.S.), who ran 9:07.44. The fastest performance by a Japanese girl came at the South Kanto Regionals meet, where Maki Izumida (Hakuoh Joshi H.S.) won in 9:17.74. All but three regions featured winning times under 9:30.
Boys' performances were less noteworthy, but in the Tokai Region 5000 m Kenyan Jeremiah Karemi (Toyokawa H.S.) set a meet record of 13:52.51. Charles Ndungu (Sapporo Yamanote H.S.) also set a meet record in the Hokkaido Region 5000 m, running 13:57.81. Both boys' and girls' results were somewhat diminished by the absence of the suspended group of star athletes who transferred from Sendai Ikuei H.S. to Toyokawa H.S. this spring following the resignation of Sendai Ikuei head coach Junichi Seino.
Tohoku Regional H.S. Track & Field Championships Girls' 3000 m
Iwate, 6/18/2012
1. Mary Waithira (Kenya/Sendai Ikuei H.S.) - 9:00.85
2. Rosemary Wanjiru (Kenya/Aomori Yamada H.S.) - 9:07.44
3. Natsumi Ozawa (Tamura H.S.) - 9:21.46
4. Misaki Tanabe (Tamura H.S.) - 9:21.99
5. Rina Koeda (Tamura H.S.) - 9:26.59
6. Yuki Kodama (Omagari H.S.) - 9:31.82
7. Kaho Sasaki (Hanawa H.S.) - 9:32.87
Boys' 5000 m
Iwate, 6/17/2012
1. Hiram Ngatia (Kenya/Sendai Ikuei H.S.) - 14:01.99
2. John Maina (Kenya/Aomori Yamada H.S.) - 14:08.34
3. Issei Takahashi (Omagari Kogyo H.S.) - 14:26.86
South Kanto Regional H.S. Track & Field Championships Girls' 3000 m
Gunma, 6/18/2012
1. Maki Izumida (Hakuoh Joshi H.S.) - 9:17.74
2. Sakiko Naito (Funabashi Municipal H.S.) - 9:17.93
3. Shiho Yahagi (Hachioji H.S.) - 9:19.38
4. Megumi Aoba (Yamanashi Gakuin Prep H.S.) - 9:21.14
5. Saori Imamura (Kibogaoka H.S.) - 9:22.53
6. Asahi Takeuchi (Hadano H.S.) - 9:22.78
7. Yomogi Akasaka (Moto Ishikawa H.S.) - 9:29.43
Kita-Kyushu Regional H.S. Track & Field Championships Girls' 3000 m
Saga, 6/17/2012
1. Nozomi Yamashita (Chikushi Joshi Gakuen H.S.) - 9:20.00
2. Miki Hirai (Shiraishi H.S.) - 9:20.30
3. Nanami Kondo (Yanagawa H.S.) - 9:22.38
4. Shoko Sonoda (Chikushi Joshi Gakuen H.S.) - 9:22.65
5. Shiori Yano (Kita-Kyushu Municipal H.S.) - 9:25.24
6. Yuki Yokoishi (Shiraishi H.S.) - 9:25.56
7. Kanade Takahashi (Yanagawa H.S.) - 9:31.73
Kita-Shinetsu Regional H.S. Track & Field Championships Girls' 3000 m
Kanazawa, 6/17/2012
1. Honoka Yuzawa (Nagano Higashi H.S.) - 9:20.85
2. Saki Fukui (Toyama Shogyo H.S.) - 9:23.11
3. Ami Hirose (Seiryo H.S.) - 9:26.54
Kinki Regional H.S. Track & Field Championships Girls' 3000 m
Shiga, 6/17/2012
1. Mika Kobayashi (Suma Gakuen H.S.) - 9:26.36
2. Mizuho Matsuda (Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S.) - 9:27.38
3. Misaki Hayashida (Himeji Shogyo H.S.) - 9:27.50
4. Risa Miyanaga (Suma Gakuen H.S.) - 9:27.61
5. Nanae Kanno (Ritsumeikan Uji H.S.) - 9:27.67
6. Kotona Ota (Suma Gakuen H.S.) - 9:27.69
7. Natsuki Omori Kunei Joshi Gakuin H.S.) - 9:31.40
Tokai Regional H.S. Track & Field Championships Girls' 3000 m
Gifu, 6/17/2012
1. Karin Nishikawa (Chukyo Prep H.S.) - 9:27.65
2. Tomoyo Yamamoto (Tokoha Gakuen Kikugawa H.S.) - 9:27.94
3. Kanae Kamizono (Toyokawa H.S.) - 9:29.08
4. Nanako Kajiya (Toyokawa H.S.) - 9:29.12
5. Nodoka Aoki (Mashita Seifu H.S.) - 9:31.37
Boys' 5000 m
Gifu, 6/17/2012
1. Jeremiah Karemi (Kenya/Toyokawa H.S.) - 13:52.51 - MR
2. Yusuke Nishiyama (Iga Hakuho H.S.) - 14:23.99
3. Kazuma Taira (Toyokawa Kogyo H.S.) - 14:27.38
Chugoku Regional H.S. Track & Field Championships Girls' 3000 m
Hiroshima, 6/16/2012
1. Yuki Maekawa (Tottori Chuo Ikuei H.S.) - 9:29.36
2. Rie Kawauchi Kojokan H.S.) - 9:29.74
3. Saki Ochiai Hirata H.S.) - 9:30.65
4. Junna Fujii (Kojokan H.S.) - 9:31.94
5. Suzuna Seiyama (Tottori Chuo Ikuei H.S.) - 9:33.07
North Kanto Regional H.S. Track & Field Championships Girls' 3000 m
Gunma, 6/18/2012
1. Shiho Takeda (Tokiwa H.S.) - 9:31.52
2. Naoka Akutsu (Nasu Shiobara H.S.) - 9:35.33
3. Akane Higashimura (Saitama Sakae H.S.) - 9:35.69
Shikoku Regional H.S. Track & Field Championships Girls' 3000 m
Kochi, 6/18/2012
1. Ai Ikemoto (Nakamura H.S.) - 9:33.77
2. Akari Kageura (Saibi Gakuen H.S.) - 9:46.30
3. Ami Ishikawa (Yawatahama H.S.) - 9:47.55
Hokkaido Regional H.S. Track & Field Championships Girls' 3000 m
Hokkaido, 6/22/2012
1. Nagisa Morinaga (Sapporo Seishu H.S.) - 9:43.48
2. Momoko Onuma (Otani Muroran H.S.) - 10:02.44
3. Minori Matsuura (Sapporo Seishu H.S.) - 10:04.14
Boys' 5000 m
Hokkaido, 6/21/2012
1. Charles Ndungu (Kenya/Sapporo Yamanote H.S.) - 13:57.81 - MR
2. Fusanosuke Araya (Otani Muroran H.S.) - 14:51.08
3. Daiki Suzaki (Otani Muroran H.S.) - 14:52.19
(c) 2012 Brett Larner
all rights reserved
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