Fukuoka Women Break 4x100 m Collegiate Record on Second Day of National University Track and Field Championships

On-and-off rain and wind from the typhoon passing to the south meant unstable conditions on the second day of the 90th National University Track and Field Championships in Kumagaya, Saitama, some people lucking out and others out of luck.

With Tokyo Olympian Mei Kodama running 2nd, the Fukuoka University women broke the 4x100 m relay meet record of 44.59 set three years ago by Nittai University. Fukuoka ran 44.51 for the win, not only clearing the old meet record but also going under the collegiate record of 44.56. Runner-up Ritsumeikan University was almost a second behind in 45.49. Kodama also won the 100 m final in 11.51 (+0.5), 0.16 off the individual meet record she set last year.

In his first-round heat NR holder and Olympic team member Shunsuke Izumiya (Juntendo Univ.) crushed the 110 m hurdles meet record of 13.67 that had stood since 2001, clocking 13.44 (+0.1). His teammate and Olympic alternate Rachid Muratake (Juntendo Univ.) did the same in his heat, going under the old record in 13.59 (+0.5) to win his heat. Taiga Yokochi (Hosei Univ.) was just off the old record, winning his heat in 13.69 (-1.0) to head to the semis ranked 3rd. No one else was under 13.84.

Other winners on the second day of competition:

Saki Takashima (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) won the women's 400 m final in 55.46.
Minori Yabuta (Mukogawa Joshi Univ.) took the women's 10000 mRW in 46:03.57.
Nagisa Takahashi (Nihon Univ.) won the women's high jump after clearing 1.79 m on her 3rd attempt.
Sakura Uchiyama (Tokyo Univ.) had a 13.02 (+1.0) jump in the first round of the women's triple jump that was good enough for the win.
Maki Saito (Tokyo Joshi Taiiku Univ.) beat discus throw collegiate record holder Nanaka Kori (Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ.) to win in 54.18 m.
Karin Odama (Nittai Univ.) just missed the heptathlon meet record of 5550, scoring 5525 for the win.
In men's action, 2nd-year Aoto Suzuki (Toyo Univ.) was a surprise winner in the 100 m final, running 10.33 (-0.2) to follow in the footsteps of Toyo's meet record holder Yoshihide Kiryu.
1st-year Masataka Tomita (Tokyo Rika Univ.) won the 400 m final in 46.35.
Waseda University returned to the top in the 4x100 m relay, winning in 39.15 over Ritsumeikan University and Juntendo University. Collegiate record holder Chuo University and meet record holder Tokai University both failed to make the final.
Yuta Koga (Meiji Univ.) took 1st in the men's 10000 mRW in 39:45.90, the only one under 40 minutes.
Soku Hiratsuka (Nihon Univ.) won the men's high jump, going over 2.15 m on his 2nd attempt.
1st-year Jason Atuobeng won the men's shot put with a 5th-round throw of 17.64 m. Atuobeng looks like a good candidate to break the collegiate record of 18.64 by the time he hits his senior year.
Ririki Kawamoto (Ritsumeikan Univ.) won the decathlon with a score of 7250, holding off Ryoya Moriguchi (Tokai Univ.) who closed Kawamoto's lead from 88 to 30 points over the second day.

The National University Track and Field Championships wrap up Sunday. Live streaming can be had here.

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