Parker loses to eventual champion, finishes eighth

After taking second at the NCAA wrestling championship tournament last year in the 174-pound weight class, Greg Parker entered his senior season with hopes of bringing home a national title. Considering that he was seeded second among the 32 wrestlers competing in this year's 184-lb bracket, a championship seemed within reach.

But at this weekend's NCAA tournament in Kansas City, Mo., Parker finished a disappointing eigth place, going 3-3 in six matches. Although he was again named an All-American for his efforts, the honor provided little consolation.

On Thursday morning Parker opened the tournament with an impressive 15-2 dismantling of Boise State's Tony D'Amico. The win advanced him to a showdown with Ed Strauss of Boston University in the sweet sixteen round which was wrestled later that evening. In that match Parker again looked very impressive, defeating Strauss with a 19-4 technical fall that ended the contest after only 5 minutes and 26 seconds.

The win moved Parker on to the quarterfinal round that took place the following morning. His opponent in the match was No. 10 seed Jake Rosholt of Oklahoma State. Rosholt got the better of Parker early in the match and ended it early with a pin with 40 seconds left in the first period. Rosholt would go on to win the individual title.

The disappointing loss sent Parker into the consolation bracket where he faced No. 12 seed Scott Justus of Virginia Tech. The match was crucial because the winner secured at least a top eight finish and All-American honors.

Facing the pressure, Parker wrestled extremely well and dismissed an overmatched Justus with a 14-2 drubbing. The victory set up yet another match with Ivy League rival Clint Wattenberg of Cornell. Parker had faced Wattenberg, who was the No. 3 seed in the bracket, twice before earlier in the season. In the previous matches Parker had won extremely close contests, one a double overtime victory and the other a come from behind last second pin. This time, however, Wattenberg was able to get the best of his Princeton nemesis and win a close 16-12 decision.

Dropping down

The loss moved Parker out of competition in the consolation bracket and set up a placing match against the loser of the other consolation quarter final, Mark Becks of Penn State. The purpose of the contest was to determine who would place seventh in the tournament. Parker lost a hard fought match that ended in a 5-3 decision. Though the loss was a tough way to go out, Parker's three previous victories and eighth place finish made the Tiger wrestler an All-American for the second time in his career.

The disappointment of his underwhelming showing at this year's NCAA championships does not diminish the magnitude of what Parker has accomplished over the course of four years. He ends his career as perhaps the most successful wrestler of Princeton's near century of collegiate wrestling competition.

He is the all time Tiger high point scorer at the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association tournament, where he placed four times, twice as the champion, and this past year earned Outstanding Wrestler honors. Furthermore, he holds the Princeton record for most victories and is one of only a handful of two time All-Americans.

Unfortunately for Parker, his otherwise illustrious career abruptly came to an unfulfilling finish this weekend.