SATO WINS 3RD STRAIGHT WOMEN’S COLLEGE CROWN, ITO NAMED OW

TOKYO (August 30) – Ayaka Sato won the 63kg crown, pinning Toyo University's Kasumi Utada in the final, for her third straight triumph at the All-Japan women's collegiate wrestling championships.

Sato, who won her first title at 63kg two years ago and then claimed top honors at 59kg last year, led a Shigakkan University sweep of the three heaviest weight categories Rio Watari (67kg) and Yuka Masuo (72kg).

Junior world champion Yurika Ito, however, was named the meet's outstanding wrestler, after defeating International Pacific Rim University teammate Chihiro Kumabe for the 59kg crown. It was Ito's second collegiate triumph after her win in 2009.

At 48kg, first-year student Yuki Irie defeated All-Japan runner-up Fuyuko Mimura in the semifinals and world student champion Miki Akeo of IPU to give Kyushu Kyoritsu University its first champion in its meet debut.

Meanwhile, Chiho Hamada, a first-year student at Nippon Sports Sciences University, also won at 55kg.

Women's freestyle

48kg – Yuki Irie, Kyushu Kyoritsu University

51kg – Haruka Hirano, Nihon University

55kg – Chiho Hamada, Nippon Sports Sciences University

59kg – Yurika Ito, International Pacific Rim University

63kg – Ayaka Sato, Shigakkan University

67kg – Rio Watari, Shigakkan

72kg – Yuka Masuo, Shigakkan