YAMANASHI GAKUIN WINS EAST JAPAN COLLEGIATE CROWN

TOKYO (May 13-17) – Yamanashi Gakuin University defeated Waseda University, 4-3, to claim the East Japan Collegiate Wrestling Championship crown.

YGU raced out to 3-0 lead in the final at Komazawa Gymnasium in Tokyo, but saw the lead disappear as the Waseda wrestlers came back with wins in the next three weight categories.

But at 120kg, YGU's Kazakh foreign exchange student Oleg Bolchin caught All-Japan greco-roman champ Shori Maekawa on his back after a missed throw and pressed for the fall and the title.

YGU and Waseda both finished at the top of their preliminary groups with perfect 7-0 marks, followed by Nihon University and Takushoku University, respectively, at 6-1.

In the second division, the National Defense Academy of Japan defeated Rikkyo University in the final, 5-2, but neither school was able to advance to the first division.  In the promotion-relegation duals, Tokyo Agricultural University blanked NDA, 7-0, while Gunma University eased past Rikkyo, 5-2.

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