Omwamba Doubles and Suzuki Defends in National University T&F Championships 5000 m – by Brett Larner – Japan Running News

Two days after winning the National University Track & Field Championships 10000 m title, Kenyan first-year Enock Omwamba (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) returned to outrun Nihon University's Kenyan pair Benjamin Gandu and Daniel Kitonyi and all Japanese comers for the 5000 m title.  Running off a slow first 2000 m in 5:40, Omwamba accelerated throughout the second half of the race to take the win in 13:53.53, Gandu 2nd in 13:55.81.

 Shuho Dairokuno (Meiji Univ.) was the top Japanese finisher, 4th overall in 14:02.01 a step ahead of Aoyama Gakuin University's star first-year recruit Kazuma Kubota with Aoyama Gakuin captain Takehiro Deki just behind in his first quality performance since his 2:10:02 marathon debut at March's Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon.  Defending collegiate 5000 m champion Kenta Murayama (Komazawa Univ.) was only 14th in 14:22.38 just ahead of his twin brother Kota Murayama (Josai Univ.)

The women's 5000 m went out the other way, defending champion Ayuko Suzuki (Nagoya Univ.) taking things out very fast with a 3:03 first km and burning off all competition early. Suzuki was alone for almost the entire race, opening a 20-second gap on chaser Mai Shoji (Chukyo Univ.) before fading badly over the final 2000 m. Suzuki slowed to 3:20/km but still managed to hold on for her second-straight win, clocking a solid 15:44.45 to Shoji's 15:51.25. 10000 m champ Haruka Kyuma (Tsukuba Univ.) was 8th in 16:04.93.

2012 National University T&F Championships Day Three

National Stadium, Tokyo, 9/11/12
click here for complete results

Men's 5000 m
1. Enock Omwamba (Kenya/Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) – 13:53.53
2. Benjamin Gandu (Kenya/Nihon Univ.) – 13:55.81
3. Daniel Kitonyi (Kenya/Nihon Univ.) – 13:57.68
4. Shuho Dairokuno (Meiji Univ.) – 14:02.01
5. Kazuma Kubota (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) – 14:02.70
6. Takehiro Deki (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) – 14:03.71
7. Yuki Maeda (Waseda Univ.) – 14:05.56
8. Wataru Ueno (Komazawa Univ.) – 14:06.18
9. Shuhei Yamamoto (Waseda Univ.) – 14:08.10
10. Tatsuya Oike (Juntendo Univ.) – 14:14.21

Women's 5000 m
1. Ayuko Suzuki (Nagoya Univ.) – 15:44.45
2. Mai Shoji (Chukyo Univ.) – 15:51.25
3. Shiho Takechi (Bukkyo Univ.) – 15:56.78
4. Miho Shimizu (Hakuoh Univ.) – 15:58.50
5. Mai Tsuda (Ritsumeikan Univ.) – 15:59.25
6. Sairi Maeda (Bukkyo Univ.) – 15:59.81
7. Nanaka Izawa (Juntendo Univ.) – 16:04.15
8. Haruka Kyuma (Tsukuba Univ.) – 16:04.93
9. Mutsumi Ikeda (Ritsumeikan Univ.) – 16:05.63
10. Hitomi Suzuki (Tamagawa Univ.) – 16:11.90

 

Haruka Kyuma, Enock Omwamba Win National University T&F Championships 10000 m Titles

 

 
Day one of the 2012 Japanese National University Track & Field Championships saw a breakthrough run in the women's 10000 m from one half of Tsukuba University's Kyuma twins, Haruka Kyuma, who dominated the competition to take the win in a solid best mark of 32:59.64, five seconds ahead of runner-up Ai Furukubo (Kyoto Sangyo Univ.) who in turn held off 3rd-place Mai Tsuda (Ritsumeikan Univ.) by three seconds.  Kyuma's twin sister Moe Kyuma, also of Tsukuba, was a distant 5th in 33:36.18.

Kenyan newcomer Enock Omwamba (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) continued his rise up through the ranks this year in the men's 10000 m, outgunning defending national collegiate camp Benjamin Gandu (Kenya/Nihon Univ.) by two seconds to take the national title in 28:58.77.  Gandu's first-year teammate Daniel Kitonyi (Kenya/Nihon Univ.) picked up the 1500 m title in 3:44.51 in the absence of defending champion Suguru Osako (Waseda Univ.), who has been racing in Italy this month.  The women's 1500 m title went to another Haruka, Haruka Mochizuki (Juntendo Univ.), who took her first national title in 4:20.36.

 

 

2012 National University T&F Championships Day One
National Stadium, Tokyo, 9/9/12
click here for complete results

Women's 10000 m
1. Haruka Kyuma (Tsukuba Univ.) – 32:59.64
2. Ai Furukubo (Kyoto Sangyo Univ.) – 33:04.49
3. Mai Tsuda (Ritsumeikan Univ.) – 33:07.72
4. Chinami Mori (Bukkyo Univ.) – 33:11.25
5. Moe Kyuma (Tsukuba Univ.) – 33:36.18
6. Mai Shinozuka (Chuo Univ.) – 33:46.36
7. Narumi Shirataki (Nihon Univ.) – 33:54.06
8. Mari Tayama (Daito Bunka Univ.) – 33:56.43
9. Rina Asano (Osaka Gakuin Univ.) – 33:57.05
10. Nanaka Izawa (Juntendo Univ.) – 34:12.55

Men's 10000 m
1. Enock Omwamba (Kenya/Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) – 28:58.77
2. Benjamin Gandu (Kenya/Nihon Univ.) – 29:00.57
3. Shota Hiraga (Waseda Univ.) – 29:25.47
4. Kota Murayama (Josai Univ.) – 29:33.21
5. Hiroto Inoue (Yamanashi Gakuin Univ.) – 29:33.66
6. Tsubasa Hayakawa (Tokai Univ.) – 29:33.67
7. Kazuki Noda (Kyoto Sangyo Univ.) – 29:34.38
8. Kazuhiro Kuga (Komazawa Univ.) – 29:37.93
9. Hiroshi Ichida (Daito Bunka Univ.) – 29:40.93
10. Takashi Ichida (Daito Bunka Univ.) – 29:42.61
DNF – Leul Gebrselassie (Ethiopia/Tokyo Kokusai Univ.)

Women's 1500 m Final
1. Haruka Mochizuki (Juntendo Univ.) – 4:20.36
2. Chikako Mori (Daito Bunka Univ.) – 4:21.80
3. Satoe Kikuchi (Matsuyama Univ.) – 4:22.13
4. Mayuko Nakamura (Kyoto Kyoiku Univ.) – 4:22.37
5. Miki Kobayashi (Juntendo Univ.) – 4:23.16

Men's 1500 m Final
1. Daniel Kitonyi (Nihon Univ.) – 3:44.51
2. Hideyuki Tanaka (Juntendo Univ.) – 3:45.41
3. Takayuki Maeno (Meiji Univ.) – 3:47.06
4. Toshihiro Kenmotsu (Asia Pacific Univ.) – 3:48.52
5. Ryo Iketani (Kanaya Taiku Univ.) – 3:50.51

(c) 2012 Brett Larner – Japan Running News
all rights reserved