A Maryland student is traveling to Greece to compete in a unique sport
THANKS, SELENA. JOINING ME NOW IS ROHAN TITUS AND COACH JOHN LOW FROM MCDANIEL COLLEGE. AND YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED TO REPRESENT YOUR TEAM IN GREECE. TELL US WHAT THIS SPORT IS BECAUSE IT’S VERY INTERESTING. ALL RIGHT. SO BEACH WRESTLING IS BASICALLY LIKE IT’S A COMBINATION OF THE FOLK STYLE WRESTLING FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD. AND THE US. WHAT WERE YOU TALKING ABOUT? BEACH WRESTLING. AND YOU SAID THE RULES ARE DIFFERENT. IT’S NOT LIKE REGULAR MAT WRESTLING IN A GYM. IT’S ALMOST LIKE SUMO WRESTLING, A LITTLE BIT MORE LIKE SUMO. YOU HAVE A CIRCLE IN THE SAND AND YOU GET A POINT. IF YOU PUSH YOUR OPPONENT OUT, YOU GET A POINT. IF YOU GET THEM DOWN, FACE DOWN AND YOU GET THREE POINTS IF YOU TAKE THEM TO THE BACK AND MATCHES GO TO THREE. SO THEY GO PRETTY QUICKLY. YEAH. WELL, WHAT GOT YOU INTERESTED IN WRESTLING. AND THEN BEACH WRESTLING? WELL, I FIRST GOT STARTED IN WRESTLING BECAUSE I ACTUALLY DID A MARTIAL ART BEFOREHAND. BUT AFTER COVID I WAS LIKE, I NEED SOMETHING TO DO. AND SO I DECIDED TO JOIN MY HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING TEAM AND IT WAS SUCH A FUN EXPERIENCE AND I JUST DECIDED TO CONTINUE WRESTLING IN HIGH SCHOOL. AND THEN WHEN I WENT TO FARGO, WHICH IS A REALLY BIG EVENT IN WRESTLING. OH, THIS IS YOU. YEAH, THIS IS ME. LOOK AT YOU GO, GIRL. THERE SHE IS. TAKE HER DOWN. THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. HOW DID YOU LEARN HOW TO BEACH WRESTLE? EXPERIENCE MOSTLY. BUT THE BIGGEST WAY WAS FIRST INTRODUCED ME TO IT WAS FARGO. BECAUSE THERE WAS A BEACH COMPETITION RIGHT NEXT DOOR. AND SO I WENT OVER THERE AND I WAS LIKE, –, DARN, THIS IS COOL. AND I WAS LIKE. AND SO THAT’S WHAT GOT ME STARTED. GOTTA LOVE THE HONESTY. AND COACH. HOW LONG HAVE YOU GUYS HAD BEACH WRESTLING AT YOUR SCHOOL AT MCDANIEL? WELL, WE ACTUALLY DON’T. ROWAN DID THIS OF OUR OWN ACCORD. GOTCHA. IT’S A WAY TO DO SOME OFF SEASON TRAINING. SHE’S ON OUR ROSTER, SO I SEE HER. ACTUALLY. WE STARTED PRACTICE TOMORROW NIGHT. SHE A LOT OF THE MOVES AND TECHNIQUES SHE’S DOING ARE GOING TO BE SIMILAR. IT’S JUST GOING TO BE A DIFFERENT VENUE. SHE’S GOING TO BE IN THE SAND AND BARE FEET, AND THE MATCH IS GOING TO GO A LOT MORE QUICKLY. HOW PROUD ARE YOU FOR HER TO BE REPRESENTING? THIS IS AWESOME. WE’RE SENDING SOMEBODY FROM MCDANIEL TO GREECE. SHE’S GOING TO BE WEARING US FLAG AND REPRESENTING THE COUNTRY. AND YOU KNOW, YOU CAN’T DO BETTER THAN THAT, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT JUST REPRESENTING MCDANIEL. YOU’RE NOT JUST REPRESENTING YOU’RE REPRESENTING THE US. HOW BIG OF AN HONOR DO YOU FEEL IT IS TO CARRY THAT? I THINK THAT THIS IS AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY, AND I’M REALLY HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS. YEAH, WELL, WE’RE ALL STANDING BEHIND YOU. WE’RE SO PROUD AND SO EXCITED. HOW CAN LIKE, HOW CAN PEOPLE GET INVOLVED IN BEACH WRESTLING IF THEY HADN’T EVER HEARD OF IT BEFORE? THIS IS THE FIRST TIME. SO ACTUALLY USA WRESTLING IS OUR NATIONAL GOVERNING BODY FOR OLYMPIC SPORTS. UNITED WORLD WRESTLING IS THE WORLD VERSION OF THAT. IF THEY GET IN TOUCH WITH MARYLAND STATE WRESTLING ASSOCIATION, IF THEY’RE IN MARYLAND, THEY’RE THE GOVERNING BODY FOR THOSE AS WELL. SO IT’S KIND OF HIERARCHY, AND IT TENDS TO BE OFF SEASON. SO IT’S TRADITIONAL SEASON SO MORE IN THE SPRING AND THE SUMMER BECAUSE THE WEATHER IS BETTER. YEAH. BUT IF YOU FOLLOW USA WRESTLING THAT’S THAT’S AN OPTION THAT YOU HAVE. ROWAN WENT TO THE QUALIFIER IN NORTH CAROLINA. THEY’RE QUALIFIERS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. SO IF ANYBODY WANTS TO GIVE IT A TRY CAN DO THAT. HAVE YOU EVER EVEN BEEN OUT THE COUNTRY? NO. OH WOW. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I’VE EVER BEEN OUT THE COUNTRY. I THINK THE FURTHEST ANYONE IN MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY HAS BEEN OUT THE COUNTRY. OH THAT’S AWESOME. SO YOU’RE JUST TAKING THAT, TAKING THE FLAG AND LITERALLY
A Maryland student is traveling to Greece to compete in a unique sport
McDaniel student Rowan Titus is traveling to Greece to compete in an international beach wrestling tournament. She and her coach explain how this style of wrestling differs from others.
McDaniel student Rowan Titus is traveling to Greece to compete in an international beach wrestling tournament. She and her coach explain how this style of wrestling differs from others.