Juan “Chucky” Durazo was a standout wrestler for Channel Islands High School, despite only wrestling for the varsity team his senior year. He was given the opportunity to wrestle at Moorpark College, in hopes of developing his skills and attracting Division I or Division II schools that could offer him scholarships.

Today, he is at Mt. Sac, a community college in Walnut, CA, on the wrestling team, battling for a starting role on the team, all while struggling to get into classes to stay eligible to wrestle.

Durazo was one of many wrestlers who came to Moorpark College to compete at the two-year college level, only to discover the forty-one year program had been cut. The storied program, which was the only wrestling program offered in the VCCCD, won state championships in 1990, ‘91, ‘97, ‘99 and ‘00 before being suspended indefinitely a week before classes began.

Durazo was shocked that the sport was shelved and that Pam Eddinger, president of Moorpark College, supported the decision to cut the sport.

“Her cutting this program is like cutting a big artery to the wrestling community,” he said. “It is a growing and dying sport.”

According to Durazo, he had met with Eddinger to discuss his future, and this is when she recommended him to try and wrestle at Mt. Sac College. Since the program was cut a week before classes started, there were very few classes available for him to register in to remain eligible to wrestle.

Durazo is one of many student-athletes that were affected by the cuts in not only wrestling, but also in men and women’s golf.
Moorpark College Athletic Director Howard Davis seemed very disheartened by the whole situation.

“Suspending these three sports presented, by far, the most difficult task and few days in my 11 year career as an Athletic Director,” Davis said.

“It was extremely painful and gut wrenching to inform the coaches, and by extension, the student athletes.”

According to Davis, there was some speculation that former alumni and current wrestler were making an effort to raise money to revive the program.

“There has been some advocacy on the part of the alumni to reinstate the program,” he later stated.

However, the program remains indefinitely suspended. This upset many alumni, and wrestlers registered in the class, believing that the program would be revived.

The VCCCD board of trustees meeting was held on Tuesday, Sept. 8, where many alumni spoke, including two former wrestlers, who spoke to the board of trustees to consider reviving the program, because they believed they would have never made it to college without the opportunity to wrestle at Moorpark.

Gary Murphy, 1978 graduate of Moorpark College and wrestling coach for Newbury Park High School, was very animate about the whole situation.

“Here’s the money, here’s the tennis shoes,” he said passionately. “This is how it works. It doesn’t make sense to me.”

For now, student-athletes like Durazo, now have to find other means to continue their athletic careers at the community college level.

While struggling to get into classes and be academically eligible at Mt. Sac, Durazo also faces competition for a prominent role on the team.

“At this point, I am fighting for a spot with another heavyweight,” Durazo said.
“I have to work with what I have.”

Davis believes that athletics was, and still remains a major gateway toward success in academics, as well as athletics.

“In many cases athletic participation is the major impetus to continue and ultimately receive an college education,” Davis stated in an email.

“Without athletics, many of those young people would never have dreamed that they could reach that pinnacle.”

The Student-athletes future still seems very unclear as long as they are still relying on the budget.

“The near future in California’s budget situation is bleak,” Davis concluded.

“I am optimistic though that our state will begin to see the extremely negative impact that funding education at this level will have on our future.”