Nino Bonaccorsi becomes first Pitt wrestler to win national championship in 15 years
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- For the first time in 15 years, a wrestler from the University of Pittsburgh can call themselves a national champion.
Over the weekend, Pitt's Nino Bonaccorsi, a Bethel Park graduate, won the 2023 National Championship in the 197-pound weight class with a 5-3 win over South Dakota State's Tanner Sloan.
Only the 6th Pitt wrestler to post a perfect season AND a national title 🥇
— Bob Pompeani (@KDPomp) March 20, 2023
Hugh Peery, 1953 + 1954
Ed Peery, 1955 + 1957
Ed DeWitt, 1956
Pat Santoro, 1988
Keith Gavin, 2008
And now… Nino Bonaccorsi, 2023
CONGRATULATIONS 🍾🎈🎊 pic.twitter.com/omfjZHixo5
"This is so surreal," Bonaccorsi told the Tribune-Review. "I've been dreaming of this moment since I was a kid. I just kept wrestling. I knew it was going to be ugly, but I came away with the victory. Coach Gavin knew how much I wanted this. We put so much work into this – physically, mentally, everything. I couldn't have done it without him. I can't believe it. This is amazing."
Pitt's most recent national champion was Keith Gavin, in 2008, who is now the school's head wrestling coach.
Bonaccorsi finished his 2022-23 season with an undefeated record