Nagano Higashi Girls Regroup Under Leadership of New Ekiden Coach

After the departure of their longtime coach, top high school girls' ekiden program Nagano Higashi H.S. has regrouped and set off in pursuit of a place at Nationals. Training starts in the early morning. A highly ranked program nationally, Nagano Higashi has finished 2nd two years in a row at the National High School Ekiden, but last year the team finished only 9th. "We really tasted disappointment," said captain Kyoka Gomi. "But that disappointment is what's driving us now."

This year the team's coaching staff has changed dramatically. After having developed the Nagano Higashi program into a national-level power, head coach Ryoji Tamaki departed to take over at Nittai University. Taking his place is Fumio Yokouchi, a coach with experience at the high school level elsewhere in Nagano. Coach Yokouchi is also director of the Nagano Athletics Association's promotional committee. "I'm fortunate to inherit a superb team with a group of well-prepared and highly motivated student athletes, and it is my responsibility to help them develop."

Nagano Higashi's roster this year features 14 athletes, including 8 first-years. Holding back plans for the young new team's growth is the shadow of the coronavirus crisis. The National High School Track and Field Championships were canceled, and the team was unable to do its regular summer away training camp. The fate of the season's major goal, December's National High School Ekiden in Kyoto, remains unclear. All the team can do is believe the race will happen and train their best for it. "I really believe we can make top 8 at Nationals," said Gomi. "Now's the time to put in the work to make it happen." Coach Yokouchi agreed, saying, "What we do on a day-to-day basis is what counts, and we just have to have faith that the payoff will come."

source article:
https://this.kiji.is/668054056821589089
translated by Brett Larner