CAROLINA BEACH, N.C. — Though the season has ended for many months in the collegiate wrestling realm, the Newberry College wrestling student-athletes continue to succeed at a high level as sophomore John Parker (Temecula, Calif.) picked up a third-place finish at the 2023 US Marine Corps Beach Wrestling National Championships, held at Carolina Beach in North Carolina on May 20, 2023.
Because of his third-place finish at the 90 kg weight class, Parker has been named a potential alternate to the United States World Beach Wrestling squad that will head to the World Beach Games later this summer.
“Beach wrestling has been emerging as the third legitimate worldwide style, and is one of three styles sponsored by United World Wrestling (UWW),” said Associate Head Coach Bryant Blanton. “The National Championships have been growing each year, and this year’s field was the largest as deepest yet. With a World Team spot up for grabs, it was great to see John step up and compete with that level of success. To come home with a third-place finish and a potential spot as an alternate for the World Championships is a huge accomplishment and a testament to John’s meticulous preparation and work ethic.”
Beach wrestling differs from the folkstyle form of wrestling that is used at NCAA competitions as beach wrestling is mostly done from the neutral or standing position. The two wrestlers grapple for control of one another inside a circle set on the beach and look to either push their opponents outside of the ring, force them to touch a body part other than their hands to the sand, or to take them down to the sand in a similar style to folkstyle. The competition is competed in a single three minute period where one point is given out for a push out, a sand touch, or an illegal action. Two points are given for a takedown that exposes the opponents back to the ground during the takedown. A win by fall can also occur if the opponent is taken directly to their back on the takedown. The first wrestler to pick up three points in the contest is named the winner.