1st-year Sherry Drury (Tsuyama H.S.) broke the Chugoku Region high school girls' 1500 m record of 4:17.64, running a new record of 4:16.76 to win the Chugoku Region High School Championships 1500 m final on June 16. In winning she secured her place at next month's National High School Championships in Sapporo.
On the morning of the 16th Drury took 4th in her 1500 m qualifying heat in 4:36.60. In the final she sat in 3rd through most of the race. With one lap to go she moved into 2nd, and with 200 m to go dropped a sudden kick that gave her a margin of victory of almost 4 seconds. Post-race she commented, "We went out on a good pace in the first 400 m and I got into a good rhythm for the rest of the race. My body felt light and I was feeling good. People cheering for me helped too."
In January this year Drury ran the National Women's Ekiden as a 3rd-year in junior high school. Her 9:02 course record for her 3.0 km stage drew attention nationally and internationally. After graduating in March, she started at Tsuyama H.S. in April. Along with the 1500 m, she is entered in the Chugoku Regionals 800 m, which has its final on the 18th.
Translator's note: The video is from another meet on May 29 where Drury won the 800 m, then 20 minutes later anchored the Tsuyama H.S. 4x400 team. She started in 8th and last by 40 m, and had to make it into the top six for Tsuyama to qualify for the Chugoku Regionals meet.
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translated and edited by Brett Larner
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