University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pawlak, Bonnaccorsi Named PNC Achievers of the Week
3/20/2023 11:38:00 AM | General
PITTSBURGH – Gymnastics' Natalia Pawlak and Nino Bonnaccorsi from wrestling turned in a pair of incredible performances under the bright lights of championships competition over the weekend to earn themselves PNC Achiever of the Week recognition.
Pawlak, a freshman from Melissa, Texas, was awarded first team All-East Atlantic Gymnastic League (EAGL) Tournament honors for her 9.900 performance on bars at the conference championships in Durham, N.H. this past weekend. Her mark was the top score in the first rotation and would result in a second-overall finish. Pawlak, and the rest of the Pitt gymnastics team will find out if they qualified for regionals during the NCAA gymnastics selection show later today. The NCAA Regional Championship will take place March 30-April 2.
Nino Bonaccorsi (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) became Pitt's 17th national champion and first in 15 years on Saturday night at the BOK Center in Tulsa, beating South Dakota State's Tanner Sloan in the 197-pound final by 5-3 decision, overcoming a 3-0 deficit. He is the heaviest national champion in program history at 197 pounds and becomes the sixth Pitt wrestler to post a perfect season, unbeaten and untied, with a 21-0 record.
"This is so surreal," said Bonaccorsi. "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."
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Pawlak, a freshman from Melissa, Texas, was awarded first team All-East Atlantic Gymnastic League (EAGL) Tournament honors for her 9.900 performance on bars at the conference championships in Durham, N.H. this past weekend. Her mark was the top score in the first rotation and would result in a second-overall finish. Pawlak, and the rest of the Pitt gymnastics team will find out if they qualified for regionals during the NCAA gymnastics selection show later today. The NCAA Regional Championship will take place March 30-April 2.
Nino Bonaccorsi (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) became Pitt's 17th national champion and first in 15 years on Saturday night at the BOK Center in Tulsa, beating South Dakota State's Tanner Sloan in the 197-pound final by 5-3 decision, overcoming a 3-0 deficit. He is the heaviest national champion in program history at 197 pounds and becomes the sixth Pitt wrestler to post a perfect season, unbeaten and untied, with a 21-0 record.
"This is so surreal," said Bonaccorsi. "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."
#H2P | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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