National University Track and Field Championships Preview

September's always a bit of an odd part of the season on the never-ending Japanese race calendar, with the collegiate and corporate leagues squeezing in their national track and field championships between summer base mileage in Hokkaido and the start of ekiden season. This weekend it's the National University Track and Field Championships in its 90th edition, running Friday through Sunday at Kumagaya Sports Park Field in Saitama. Streaming will be available throughout the weekend at the Youtube link above, with meet schedule and live results available here.

Coming just over a month after the end of the Tokyo Olympics, the entry list features eight athletes who competed for Japan at its home soil Games and another three who were alternates. On the women's side, 4x100 m relay team members Mei Kodama (Fukuoka Univ.), Yu Ishikawa (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.), Hanae Aoyama (Konan Univ.), Ami Saito (Osaka Seikei Univ.) and alternate Aiko Iki (Ritsumeikan Univ.) are all entered between the 100 m and 200 m. 

On the men's side, national record holders Shunsuke Izumiya (Juntendo Univ.) and Ryuji Miura (Juntendo Univ.) are both on the list, Izumiya in the 110 m hurdles and Miura in the 3000 m steeplechase. Olympic 110 mH alternate Rachid Muratake (Juntendo Univ.) is also entered, making for solid representation from Juntendo. 400 m hurdles Olympians Kazuki Kurokawa (Hosei Univ.) and Hiromu Yamauchi (Waseda Univ.) are both scheduled to run, with 4x100 m relay alternate Bruno Dede (Tokai Univ.) entered in the 100 m. 

In women's long distance, four of the country's top current collegiate talents, Seira Fuwa (Takushoku Univ.), Narumi Kobayashi (Meijo Univ.), Yuka Suzuki (Daito Bunka Univ.) and Reimi Yoshimura (Daito Bunka Univ.) are entered. The 1st-year Fuwa will look to take down 2021 National University Half Marathon champ Kobayashi in the 5000 m, while Suzuki is the heavy favorite in the 10000 m. Yoshimura, who narrowly missed out on making the Olympic team in the 3000 m steeplechase, may face a challenge there from Yuzu Nishide (Kansai Gaikokugo Univ.). 

If he actually runs, Miura could hit the finish line in the steeple while his nearest competition is still splashing through the last water jump. The 5000 m and 10000 m are heavily dominated by Kenyans, with 2021 Hakone Ekiden MVP Vincent Yegon (Tokyo Kokusai Univ.) leading the 5000 m entries by 10 seconds over Charles Kamau Wanjiku (Musashino Gakuin Univ.) and U20 national record holder Yamato Yoshii (Chuo Univ.). Wanjiku dominates the 10000 m list at 27:30.09, with fellow Kenyans James Bunuka (Surugadai Univ.) and Phillip Muruwa (Soka Univ.) both in the 27:45~27:50 range. Ryo Nishikubo (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) is the fastest Japanese entrant at 28:21.39. Top entries by event are listed below.

Women

100 m

Mei Kodama (Fukuoka Univ.) - 11.35

Yu Ishikawa (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 11.48

Hanae Aoyama (Konan Univ.) - 11.56

Hina Ishido (Kantaiheiyo Univ.) - 11.56

Ami Saito (Osaka Seikei Univ.) - 11.58

200 m

Mei Kodama (Fukuoka Univ.) - 23.44

Ami Saito (Osaka Seikei Univ.) - 23.62

Hina Ishido (Kantaiheiyo Univ.) - 23.67

Aiko Iki (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 23.71

Abigail Fuka Ido (Konan Univ.) - 23.73

400 m

Ayaka Kawata (Higashi Osaka Univ.) - 2:03.54

Ayano Shiomi (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 2:04.24

Salina Hillier (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 2:04.73

Mami Yamaguchi (Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ.) - 2:05.71

Maki Ueda (Tokyo Gakugei Univ.) - 2:05.80

1500 m

Saki Katagihara (Tsukuba Univ.) - 4:13.82

Tomomi Musembi Takamatsu (Meijo Univ.) - 4:16.52

Risa Yamazaki (Nittai Univ.) - 4:16.96

Yuma Yamamoto (Meijo Univ.) - 4:17.17

Haruko Hosaka (Nittai Univ.) - 4:17.25

5000 m

Seira Fuwa (Takushoku Univ.) - 15:20.68

Narumi Kobayashi (Meijo Univ.) - 15:33.69

Tomomi Musembi Takamatsu (Meijo Univ.) - 15:39.33

Risa Yamazaki (Nittai Univ.) - 15:44.66

Maya Fukushima (Josai Univ.) - 15:44.90

10000 m

Yuka Suzuki (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 31:37.88

Yuna Arai (Meijo Univ.) - 32:11.08

Yuna Wada (Meijo Univ.) - 32:22.83

Kaede Okajima (Nittai Univ.) - 32:52.19

Rinka Hida (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 33:16.49

100 mH

Nanako Tamaoki (Kokushikan Univ.) - 13.30

Manaka Shibata (Kantaiheiyo Univ.) - 13.35

Mao Shimano (Nittai Univ.) - 13.38

Kiyon Tanaka (Surugadai Univ.) - 13.38

Mao Ioka (Chukyo Univ.) - 13.40

400 mH

Moeka Sekimoto (Waseda Univ.) - 56.96

Ami Yamamoto (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 57.04

Mizuna Ono (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 57.73

Rina Tawa (Konan Univ.) - 58.09

Honoka Aoki (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 58.14

3000 mSC

Reimi Yoshimura (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 9:45.52

Yuzu Nishide (Kansai Gaikokugo Univ.) - 9:55.01

Manami Nishiyama (Matsuyama Univ.) - 10:07.06

Satsuki Horio (Kyoto Sangyo Univ.) - 10:09.98

Yukika Miyauchi (Nitaai Univ.) - 10:12.07

10000 mRW

Minori Yabuta (Mukogawa Joshi Univ.) - 46:10.77

Mao Tatsumi (Chukyo Univ.) - 46:28.72

Yukiko Umeno (Juntendo Univ.) - 46:34.71

Kana Koide (Juntendo Univ.) - 47:37.37

Hitomi Shimooka (Doshisha Univ.) - 48:00.32

High Jump

Karin Odama (Nittai Univ.) - 1.78 m

Nagisa Takahashi (Nihon Univ.) - 1.78 m

Reina Takeyama (Kantaiheiyo Univ.) - 1.78 m

Pole Vault

Eri Furubayashi (Sonoda Gakuen Joshi Univ.) - 4.13 m

Akari Osakaya (Sonoda Gakuen Joshi Univ.) - 4.10 m

Rena Tanaka (Kagawa Univ.) - 4.10 m

Long Jump

Yuki Azuma (Nittai Univ.) - 6.41 m

Ayaka Kora (Tsukuba Univ.) - 6.35 m

Mizuki Takahashi (Fukushima Univ.) - 6.23 m

Triple Jump

Maoko Takashima (Fukuoka Univ.) - 13.19 m

Akari Funada (Mukogawa Joshi Univ.) - 13.11 m

Ayaka Kora (Tsukuba Univ.) - 12.98 m

Shot Put

Fumika Ono (Saitama  Univ.) - 16.32 m

Nanaka Kori (Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ.) - 16.23 m

Yuka Takahashi (Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ.) - 15.47 m

Discus Throw

Maki Saito (Tokyo Joshi Taiiku Univ.) - 55.46 m

Nanaka Kori (Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ.) - 55.30 m

Mizuki Handa (Tsukuba Univ.) - 51.30 m

Hammer Throw

Momoko Watanabe (Tsukuba Univ.) - 60.49 m

Narumi Matsushima (Kokusai Budo Univ.) - 59.43 m

Remi Katsuya (Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ.) - 58.69 m

Javelin Throw

Sae Takemoto (Osaka Taiiku Univ.) - 62.39 m

Momone Ueda (Fukuoka Univ.) - 61.75 m

Mikako Yamashita (Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ.) - 59.30 m

Heptathlon

Karin Odama (Nittai Univ.) - 5633

Yuri Tanaka (Shigakkan Univ.) - 5346

Suzuka Ikeda (Tsukuba Univ.) - 5289

4x100 m Relay

Nittai Univ. - 44.65

Fukuoka Univ. - 44.92

Ritsumeikan Univ. - 45.26

4x400 m Relay

Waseda Univ. - 3:37.15

Ritsumeikan Univ. - 3:38.43

Aoyama Gakuin Univ. - 3:39.22

Men

100 m

Bruno Dede (Tokai Univ.) - 10.19

Ryota Suzuki (Josai Univ.) - 10.22

Daisuke Miyamoto (Toyo Univ.) - 10.24

Ryo Wada (Toyo Univ.) - 10.28

Takuya Kuwahara (Kwansei Gakuin Univ.) - 10.30

200 m

Akira Matsumoto (Waseda Univ.) - 20.57

Keigo Yasuda (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 20.61

Yuki Kinoshita (Juntendo Univ.) - 20.66

Naoki Uemoto (Kyoto Sangyo Univ.) - 20.72

Koki Ueyama (Kinki Univ.) - 20.72

400 m

Daichi Inoue (Nihon Univ.) - 45.83

Yuki Joseph Nakajima (Toyo Univ.) - 46.09

Ryuki Iwasaki (Osaka Taiiku Univ.) - 46.09

Daiki Nose (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 46.35

Shunta Fujiyoshi (Waseda Univ.) - 46.50

800 m

Hiroki Miyamoto (Kantaiheiyo Univ.) - 1:45.75

Mikuto Kaneko (Chukyo Univ.) - 1:45.85

Junya Matsumoto (Hosei Univ.) - 1:47.02

Daiki Nemoto (Juntendo Univ.) - 1:47.94

Yutaro Ihama (Rikkyo Univ.) -1:47.98

1500 m

Kazuto Iijima (Tokai Univ.) - 3:38.94

Yusuke Takahashi (Hokkaido Univ.) - 3:40.34

Keita Nakai (Kantaiheiyo Univ.) - 3:42.37

Toshiki Yamada (Chuo Univ.) - 3:43.73

Yasuhiro Katsuki (Toyo Univ.) - 3:44.62

5000 m

Vincent Yegon (Tokyo Kokusai Univ.) - 13:15.15

Charles Kamau Wanjiku (Musashino Gakuin Univ.) - 13:25.65

Yamato Yoshii (Chuo Univ.) - 13:25.87

Lawrence Ngure (Sapporo Gakuin Univ.) - 13:30.57

Kotaro Kondo (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 13:34.88

Yuhi Nakaya (Waseda Univ.) - 13:39.21

Tesfarm Weldu Dejene (Seisa Univ.) - 13:41.03

Takuro Miura (Chuo Univ.) - 13:41.05

Hiroki Wakabayashi (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 13:41.32

Yusaku Nomura (Juntendo Univ.) - 13:41.73

10000 m

Charles Kamau Wanjiku (Musashino Gakuin Univ.) - 27:30.09

James Bunuka (Surugadai Univ.) - 27:45.59

Phillip Muruwa (Soka Univ.) - 27:50.43

Boniface Murua (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 28:08.10

Luka Musembi (Tokyo Kokusai Univ.) - 28:20.09

Ryo Nishikubo (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 28:21.39

Tatsuya Matsuoka (Nihon Univ.) - 28:21.52

Paul Onyiego (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 28:28.67

Yudai Shimazu (Soka Univ.) - 28:34.40

Tomoki Yoshioka (Juntendo Univ.) - 28:36.90

110 mH

Shunsuke Izumiya (Juntendo Univ.) - 13.06

Rachid Muratake (Juntendo Univ.) - 13.28

Taiga Yokote (Hosei Univ.) - 13.45

Ryo Tokuoka (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 13.65

Koichiro Shimizu (Kwansei Gakuin Univ.) - 13.72

400 mH

Kazuki Kurokawa (Hosei Univ.) - 48.68

Hiromu Yamauchi (Waseda Univ.) - 48.84

Tatsuhiro Yamamoto (Nihon Univ.) - 49.12

Kyohei Yoshida (Tokyo Gakugei Univ.) - 49.40

Haruto Deguchi (Juntendo Univ.) - 49.90

3000 mSC

Ryuji Miura (Juntendo Univ.) - 8:09.92

Hibiki Obara (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 8:27.80

Soma Hattori (Juntendo Univ.) - 8:39.19

Waku Morotomi (Waseda Univ.) - 8:45.74

Taiju Nishikata (Kanagawa Univ.) - 8:47.18

10000 mRW

Yuta Koga (Meiji Univ.) - 39:00.94

Hiroto Jusho (Juntendo Univ.) - 39:18.63

Ryo Hamanishi (Meiji Univ.) - 30:12.38

Subaru Ishida (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 40:20.41

Hayato Yanagihara (Biwako Sports Univ.) - 40:49.98

High Jump

Haruki Horii (Niigata Iryo Fukushi Univ.) - 2.24 m

Sho Watanabe (Tokai Univ.) - 2.20 m

Shunsuke Kuboki (Tokyo Gakugei Univ.) - 2.18 m

Pole Vault

Kazuki Furukawa (Tsukuba Univ.) - 5.52 m

Yosuke Osaki (Nitaai Univ.) - 5.50 m

Riku Oku (Juntendo Univ.) - 5.41 m

Long Jump

Hiromichi Yoshida (Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 8.14 m

Koki Fujihara (Toyo Univ.) - 8.12 m

Riku Ito (Kinki Univ. Kogyo Senmon Gakko) - 8.00 m

Triple Jump

Riku Ito (Kinki Univ. Kogyo Senmon Gakko) - 16.35 m

Yuto Adachi (Fukuoka Univ.) - 16.07 m

Shonosuke Soma (Nittai Univ.) - 15.94 m

Shot Put

Shinichi Yukinaga (Shikoku Univ.) - 17.85 m

Ryuji Iwasa (Tokai Univ.) - 17.69 m

Hitoshi Okumura (Kokushikan Univ.) - 17.47 m

Discus Throw

Shinichi Yukinaga (Shikoku Univ.) - 60.69 m

Kosei Yamashita (Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ.) - 55.33 m

Toshiaki Abe (Nihon Univ.) - 54.69 m

Hammer Throw

Shota Fukuda (Nihon Univ.) - 71.37 m

Tatsuto Nakagawa (Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ.) - 71.10 m

Kohei Oda (Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ.) - 68.58 m

Javelin Throw

Fumihito Suzuki (Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ.) - 77.05 m

Yusaku Iwao (Tsukuba Univ.) - 76.41 m

Kotaro Tsutsumi (Tsukuba Univ.) - 72.88 m

Decathlon

Shun Taue (Juntendo Univ.) - 7764

Hideru Kawakami (Kwansei Gakun Univ.) - 7653

Seigi Sata (Juntendo Univ.) - 7298

4x100 m Relay

Chuo Univ. - 38.65

Hosei Univ. - 38.96

Tokai Univ. - 39.10

4x400 m Relay

Nihon Univ. - 3:04.32

Waseda Univ. - 3:04.34

Toyo Univ. - 3:05.84

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