Sarah Wanjiru of Daito Bunka University opened the first day of the 2025 National University Track and Field Championships by lapping the field to break the women's 10000 m MR, and day 2 of the meet saw that repeated in the women's 10000 m race walk. Collegiate record holder and Ritsumeikan University 4th-year Ayane Yanai lapped the entire field to win the 10000 mRW by almost 2 minutes, chopping almost 35 seconds off the 2007-era meet record with a 44:18.02 for the win. 2nd-placer Satsuki Ishida of Mukogawa Joshi University had a close one over 3rd-placer Toko Nakajima of Waseda University, finishing just 5 seconds up in 46:14.57 to 46:19.75.
The most unexpected result came in the men's 1500 m. Better known as a half marathoner and long distance track runner, Waseda's Tomonori Yamaguchi won his 1500 m heat in 3:44.21 on Thursday to make Friday's final. There he took over after a slow 61-second first lap, cruising the next 2 laps in 57 each before kicking for the win in a 3:40.46 PB. Tokai University's Judah Hyodo won a 3-way sprint finish for 2nd in 3:42.13, Josai University's Takayoshi Oba taking 3rd in 3:42.18 by 0.05 over Kiyoto Ono from Juntendo University.
But the race of the day was the men's 4x100 m relay final. Waseda came in off 6-straight national titles, but Kanto Regionals winner Chuo University was unfazed and went slightly ahead over its first 3 runners. Waseda anchor Naoki Inoue closed on Chuo's Kazuki Mitsui and looked to have gotten it on the lean, but the photo finish showed that Chuo had broken Waseda's streak 38.83 to 38.84. And it wasn't just them. Leading with Asian Championships gold medalist Hiroki Yanagita, Toyo University made it under 39 seconds too in 38.93 for 3rd. 4th and 5th-placers Kantaiheiyo University and Juntendo clocked 39.008 and 39.010, with 6th-place Tsukuba University running a quality 39.08, a time that would have just missed beating Chuo at Kanto Regionals. In sheer depth it was one of the best collegiate 4x100 m races in Japanese history.
The National University Track and Field Championships continue through Sunday.
94th National University Track and Field Championships
Day Two Highlights
JFE Harenokuni Stadium, Okayama, 6 June 2025
Women's 100 m Final -1.0 m/s
1. Aiha Yamagata (2nd yr., Fukuoka Univ.) - 11.66
2. Akiha Kobari (1st yr., Surugadai Univ.) - 11.69
3. Jennifer Saita (2nd yr., Konan Univ.) - 11.70
4. Rin Shibato (2nd yr., Fukuoka Univ.) - 11.75
5. Aoi Sato (3rd yr., Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 11.75
6. Koyuki Nagaishi (4th yr., Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 11.76
7. Yume Okuno (4th yr., Konan Univ.) - 11.77
8. Miu Kurashige (3rd yr., Konan Univ.) - 11.85
Men's 100 m Final -1.1 m/s
1. Yoshiki Kinashi (2nd yr., Tsukuba Univ. Grad School) - 10.31
2. Rai Atago (4th yr., Tokai Univ.) - 10.36
3. Yuta Sekiguchi (3rd yr., Waseda Univ.) - 10.37
4. Naoki Inoue (4th yr., Waseda Univ.) - 10.38
5. Yugo Haitamataira (1st yr., Juntendo Univ. Grad School) - 10.43
6. Issa (4th yr., Kantaiheiyo Univ.) - 10.49
7. Yuhi Mori (4th yr., Daito Bunka Univ.) - 10.50
8. Riku Oishi (3rd yr., Toyo Univ.) - 10.55
1. Arie Flores (3rd yr., Nittai Univ.) - 53.43
2. Aoi Teramoto (4th yr., Tenri Univ.) - 53.55
3. Yuzuki Kojima (3rd yr., Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 53.78
4. Yuzuki Nakao (3rd yr., Sonoda Gakuen Univ.) - 53.98
5. Shihori Sato (3rd yr., Juntendo Univ.) - 54.48
6. Nakako Ueshima (3rd yr., Waseda Univ.) - 54.69
7. Hinata Tochio (4th yr., Sonoda Gakuen Univ.) - 54.84
8. Haruna Seta (2nd yr., Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) - 55.86
1. Sho Tanabe (2nd yr., Chuo Univ.) - 45.93
2. Haruki Morita (3rd yr., Waseda Univ.) - 46.20
3. Kentaro Shirahata (2nd yr., Toyo Univ.) - 46.71
4. Kyo Kikuta (1st yr., Hosei Univ.) - 46.77
5. Rui Yamasaki (3rd yr., Toyo Univ.) - 46.96
6. Seinosuke Irizuki (2nd yr., Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) - 47.01
7. Jinta Harima (2nd yr., Josai. Univ.) - 47.10
DNF - Ryo Yoshikawa (2nd yr., Tsukuba Univ. Grad School)
1. Airi Tajima (3rd yr., Juntendo Univ.) - 4:14.77
2. Mahiro Hasegawa (4th yr., Kyoto Kyoiku Univ.) - 4:19.44
3. Suzuna Kinoshita (4th yr., Chuo Univ.) - 4:19.83
4. Mai Ozaki (3rd yr., Kyoto Kyoiku Univ.) - 4:20.55
5. Yuka Komatsu (4th yr., Tsukuba Univ.) - 4:20.60
1. Tomonori Yamaguchi (4th yr., Waseda Univ.) - 3:40.46 - PB
2. Judah Hyodo (4th yr., Tokai Univ.) - 3:42.13
3. Takayoshi Oba (2nd yr., Josai Univ.) - 3:42.18
4. Kiyoto Ono (3rd yr., Juntendo Univ.) - 3:42.23
5. Akito Nakamura (3rd yr., Shigakkan Univ.) - 3:42.53
1. Fukuoka University - 44.44
2. Aoyama Gakuin University - 44.50
3. Ritsumeikan University - 44.96
4. Tokyo Joshi Taiiku University - 45.31
5. Nihon Joshi Taiiku University - 45.50
6. Juntendo University - 45.56
7. Sonoda Gakuen University - 45.65
DNF - Konan University
1. Chuo University - 38.83
2. Waseda University - 38.84
3. Toyo University - 38.93
4. Kantaiheiyo University - 39.01
5. Juntendo University - 39.01
6. Tsukuba University - 39.08
7. Tokai University - 39.17
8. Keio University - 39.48
1. Ayane Yanai (4th yr., Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 44:18.02 - MR
2. Satsuki Ishida (3rd yr., Mukogawa Joshi Univ.) - 46:14.57
3. Toko Nakajima (2nd yr., Waseda Univ.) - 46:19.75
4. Kayane Saito (4th yr., Juntendo Univ.) - 46:53.09
5. Suzu Okuno (1st yr., Kansai Univ.) - 46:57.21
1. Rui Kitada (3rd yr., Nittai Univ.) - 5.40 m
2. Hiroto Shinotsuka (4th yr., Ikuei Univ.) - 5.40 m
3. Fuga Matsui (4th yr., Nittai Univ.) - 5.40 m
1. Gai Kitagawa (4th yr., Tokai. Univ.) - 7.81 m (+2.6)
2. Yukiya Onishi (2nd yr., Tenri Univ.) - 7.74 m (+0.0)
3. Ryosuke Isoi (3rd yr., Tsukuba Univ.) - 7.68 m (+1.7)
1. Narumi Tomori (3rd yr., Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ.) - 47.38 m
2. Kaede Hiroi (4th yr., Kanoya Taiiku Univ.) - 47.03 m
3. Karuna Sakamoto (3rd yr., Nittai Univ.) - 45.32 m
1. Raika Murakami (4th yr., Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ.) - 64.85 m
2. Mingamon Konbon (4th yr., Ryutsu Keizai Univ.) - 64.79 m
3. Mimi Shimamoto (2nd yr., Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ.) - 64.01 m
1. Yuji Tarui (4th yr., Shikoku Gakuin Univ.) - 68.35 m
2. Wataru Sakanashi (1st yr., Kantaiheiyo Univ. Grad School) - 67.54 m
3. Koshin Yamakawa (2nd yr., Chukyo Univ. Grad School) - 66.97 m
© 2025 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
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