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Pennsylvanian sculpts CP wrestling program
  
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By MIKE TAYLOR
Bill Durning has a simple, if not easy, goal.
Durning, the second-year wrestling coach at College Park, is a Pennsylvanian with a serious grappling pedigree.
He coached under three Hall of Famers at Upper Darby, Haverford and West Chester East High Schools in the Philadelphia suburbs. He wrestled internationally for Team USA in 1991 and at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1992. And now he’s trying to build a dynasty at College Park.
Such a goal is not as easy as it sounds, though, and the main reason is obvious.
“Wrestling in Pennsylvania is like football down here, it’s the most important thing in the world,” Durning said. “It was way different coming down to a place that had no real tradition. Wrestling’s only been in the north (Texas), in the Dallas area, for 25 years and down here for about 10-12 years. We started wrestling back home in ’36.”
Durning has a kindred spirit in Joaquin Bautista, the coach at The Woodlands. In 1993, Bautista won three New Mexico state high school championships at 145 pounds. He also barely missed out on the Olympics in 2000 and 2004.
“We’re from the same type of generation, we know a lot of the old timers,” Bautista said. “The guys we grew up wrestling with are on their way out. It’s kind of cool to talk about the old times.”
'It's what he is'
Despite nearly five decades behind the eight ball, Durning has had his share of success with College Park’s fledgling program.
Earlier this year, senior Stephen Contreras was the first boy in school history to make it to a state tournament. He did not place, but upset the No. 2 seeded wrestler 12-2 in the first of his three matches in the 103-pound weight class.
And that from a former gymnast who began wrestling because he was too small to play football.
Durning also coaches senior Brittney Roberts, a three-sport athlete who was named an All-American after she finished seventh in the 165-pound weight class at this summer’s Junior Freestyle and Greco-Roman Nationals in Fargo, N.D. Roberts went 4-4 in her matches, helping the Team Texas girls to be crowned champs at the event.
Roberts qualified for the state tournament as a sophomore, but not last year. She, like Contreras, comes from a nondescript background.
“Actually, one of my best friends was in wrestling,” Roberts said. “I was just going to do it as a hobby; it wasn’t supposed to be anything big for me. It ended up I did really well the first year and I liked it so I came back.”
At his summer’s Texas State Tournament, Contreras won the freestyle championship at 105 pounds and was the Greco-Roman runner-up in the same weight class. He also made the trip to Fargo for Nationals.
“It was a crazy experience,” he said. “There were 23 mats the size of a football field. It was pretty intense.”
The success Contreras and Roberts have experienced is no surprise given their coach’s background. But the tradition Durning imbibed in the Keystone State has him salivating for more.
“(Upper Darby) won seven league titles,” Durning said. “We had kids winning Dapper Dan — it’s the Rose Bowl of wrestling — senior nationals, and then I come here where kids have never seen what a wrestling mat looks like.
“I’m used to having kids start at five, six years old — not 15-16 years old.”
Spend a minute with Durning and his passion for the sport is apparent.
“He eats, sleeps, breaths, dreams wrestling,” said Andrea Boehly, Durning’s girlfriend of nearly four years. “It’s what he is. It’s what he talks about and is passionate about. He’s dedicated his whole life since I think the seventh grade to wrestling.
“He’s absolutely committed.”
Hall of Fame material
But what really drives Durning is the success of his mentors.
Off the top of his head, Durning names six eastern Pennsylvania coaches after which he models himself. Three are Pennsylvania Hall of Famers.
“They’ve all got their Hall of Fame rings and I want a Hall of Fame ring so I couldn’t keep being an assistant,” he said.
A few years ago, Durning took a head coaching position in Maryland, but he “hated” it. He returned to Pennsylvania, got out of teaching and posted his resume on usawrestling.com as he taught classes at his brother’s karate studio. Soon after, College Park came calling.
“We were horrible when he first met us, and he turned us all around and he did really well with us,” Roberts said.
Durning took another step in the right direction when he brought his team to the Universities of Pennsylvania and Maryland wrestling camps this summer while Contreras and Roberts were in North Dakota.
“He’s done a pretty good job over there with his kids,” Bautista said. “The big thing there is getting the kids to do it all year long. Once they do there’s a big difference.”
College Park, like other wrestling squads in the area, is gearing up for the upcoming season, which begins next month. Contreras and Roberts will be the team’s anchors, but up-and-comers like Max Wirts and Joe Hughes will also pose formidable challenges to opponents.
Off-season conditioning is not pleasant for the College Park wrestlers, with daily four mile runs in the morning followed by an intense 45 minutes in the weight room.
“Last year I just had to yell and bust their stones,” Durning said. “Now it’s to the point where I don’t have to do that.”
But even when he does, there’s a reason for it all.
“You will never have to work harder in a match than you do in practice,” Durning said.
And when those matches do roll around, Durning’s wrestlers are sure to leave their mark.
“My goal is to be a Pennsylvania Hall of Famer,” he said. “I like it here. So maybe I need to be a Texas Hall of Famer.”
Durning, the second-year wrestling coach at College Park, is a Pennsylvanian with a serious grappling pedigree.
He coached under three Hall of Famers at Upper Darby, Haverford and West Chester East High Schools in the Philadelphia suburbs. He wrestled internationally for Team USA in 1991 and at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1992. And now he’s trying to build a dynasty at College Park.
Such a goal is not as easy as it sounds, though, and the main reason is obvious.
“Wrestling in Pennsylvania is like football down here, it’s the most important thing in the world,” Durning said. “It was way different coming down to a place that had no real tradition. Wrestling’s only been in the north (Texas), in the Dallas area, for 25 years and down here for about 10-12 years. We started wrestling back home in ’36.”
Durning has a kindred spirit in Joaquin Bautista, the coach at The Woodlands. In 1993, Bautista won three New Mexico state high school championships at 145 pounds. He also barely missed out on the Olympics in 2000 and 2004.
“We’re from the same type of generation, we know a lot of the old timers,” Bautista said. “The guys we grew up wrestling with are on their way out. It’s kind of cool to talk about the old times.”
'It's what he is'
Despite nearly five decades behind the eight ball, Durning has had his share of success with College Park’s fledgling program.
Earlier this year, senior Stephen Contreras was the first boy in school history to make it to a state tournament. He did not place, but upset the No. 2 seeded wrestler 12-2 in the first of his three matches in the 103-pound weight class.
And that from a former gymnast who began wrestling because he was too small to play football.
Durning also coaches senior Brittney Roberts, a three-sport athlete who was named an All-American after she finished seventh in the 165-pound weight class at this summer’s Junior Freestyle and Greco-Roman Nationals in Fargo, N.D. Roberts went 4-4 in her matches, helping the Team Texas girls to be crowned champs at the event.
Roberts qualified for the state tournament as a sophomore, but not last year. She, like Contreras, comes from a nondescript background.
“Actually, one of my best friends was in wrestling,” Roberts said. “I was just going to do it as a hobby; it wasn’t supposed to be anything big for me. It ended up I did really well the first year and I liked it so I came back.”
At his summer’s Texas State Tournament, Contreras won the freestyle championship at 105 pounds and was the Greco-Roman runner-up in the same weight class. He also made the trip to Fargo for Nationals.
“It was a crazy experience,” he said. “There were 23 mats the size of a football field. It was pretty intense.”
The success Contreras and Roberts have experienced is no surprise given their coach’s background. But the tradition Durning imbibed in the Keystone State has him salivating for more.
“(Upper Darby) won seven league titles,” Durning said. “We had kids winning Dapper Dan — it’s the Rose Bowl of wrestling — senior nationals, and then I come here where kids have never seen what a wrestling mat looks like.
“I’m used to having kids start at five, six years old — not 15-16 years old.”
Spend a minute with Durning and his passion for the sport is apparent.
“He eats, sleeps, breaths, dreams wrestling,” said Andrea Boehly, Durning’s girlfriend of nearly four years. “It’s what he is. It’s what he talks about and is passionate about. He’s dedicated his whole life since I think the seventh grade to wrestling.
“He’s absolutely committed.”
Hall of Fame material
But what really drives Durning is the success of his mentors.
Off the top of his head, Durning names six eastern Pennsylvania coaches after which he models himself. Three are Pennsylvania Hall of Famers.
“They’ve all got their Hall of Fame rings and I want a Hall of Fame ring so I couldn’t keep being an assistant,” he said.
A few years ago, Durning took a head coaching position in Maryland, but he “hated” it. He returned to Pennsylvania, got out of teaching and posted his resume on usawrestling.com as he taught classes at his brother’s karate studio. Soon after, College Park came calling.
“We were horrible when he first met us, and he turned us all around and he did really well with us,” Roberts said.
Durning took another step in the right direction when he brought his team to the Universities of Pennsylvania and Maryland wrestling camps this summer while Contreras and Roberts were in North Dakota.
“He’s done a pretty good job over there with his kids,” Bautista said. “The big thing there is getting the kids to do it all year long. Once they do there’s a big difference.”
College Park, like other wrestling squads in the area, is gearing up for the upcoming season, which begins next month. Contreras and Roberts will be the team’s anchors, but up-and-comers like Max Wirts and Joe Hughes will also pose formidable challenges to opponents.
Off-season conditioning is not pleasant for the College Park wrestlers, with daily four mile runs in the morning followed by an intense 45 minutes in the weight room.
“Last year I just had to yell and bust their stones,” Durning said. “Now it’s to the point where I don’t have to do that.”
But even when he does, there’s a reason for it all.
“You will never have to work harder in a match than you do in practice,” Durning said.
And when those matches do roll around, Durning’s wrestlers are sure to leave their mark.
“My goal is to be a Pennsylvania Hall of Famer,” he said. “I like it here. So maybe I need to be a Texas Hall of Famer.”
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