KASUMIGAURA ROARS FROM BEHIND FOR 20TH SENBATSU WRESTLING CROWN

NIIGATA, Niigata (March 28) – Kasumigaura (Ibaraki) high school won the final three bouts for a 4-3 win over Tatebayashi (Gunma) in the team championship final at the National High School Invitational Tournment, more commonly known in Japan as the "senbatsu" tournament.

In a rematch of the Kanto regional final, Tatebayashi raced out to a 3-1 lead at Niigata Municipal Gymnasium, but cadet world team member Kaito OKUDA sparked a rally with an arm throw to fall at 74kg.

Kasumigaura’s Seiyu ISHIZAWA came from behind in the second period to edge Takumi TAKUMI, 9-8, at 84kg and Masahide TOMIEI slammed the door shut on Tatebayashi with a first-period fall at 120kg.

The triumph gave Kasumigaura its 20th overall high school invitational team title.

The third-place trophies went to Hiryu (Shizuoka) high school and Tosu Kogyo (Saga). Kasumigaura defeated Hiryu, and Tatebayashi edged Tosu Kogyo by identical 4-3 scores in the semifinals.

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