Bethel Park wrestler working way to the top
Nino Bonaccorsi works on his moves during a recent match against Upper St. Clair. In his bout, Bonaccorsi pinned his opponent in the first period.
Nino Bonaccorsi
Bethel Park’s Nino Bonaccorsi lifts and turns his opponent on his back on his way to a first-period fall during a section match against Upper. St. Clair.
Nino Bonaccorsi possesses a heart of a lion. Be careful though, the Bethel Park senior will maul you on the wrestling mat.
“Nino is as genuine as they come. A great kid,” said Hawks’ coach Bob Stewart. “When he wrestles though, he goes all out. He doesn’t care who you are. It doesn’t matter to him who he wrestles. He goes hard and he doesn’t stop.”
Only one opponent has stopped Bonaccorsi this season. During the holiday break, Austin Bell halted Bonaccorsi’s bid for a Powerade title, pouncing on him for a 5-4 victory in the 170-pound championship. Despite his second-place showing, Bonaccorsi (15-1) said he was “pleased” with his performance at Powerade. “I liked how I wrestled. I was happy to place after a rough year last season,” continued the junior, who did not place in the 2014 Powerade after a medal performance (sixth) as a freshman.
“Awesome,” added Bonaccorsi of his experience, but acknowledged subtle missteps in his final against Bell. “The difference was he wrestled better than I did.” He added that things did not go his way on the mats against Bell, with whom he will be a teammate in two years at the University of Pittsburgh.
Until then the pair will remain rivals. Bonaccorsi expects to face Scott several more times before the season ends in mid-March. Last year, Bell took third in the state while Bonaccorsi secured sixth place. Bell was a WPIAL runner-up and Bonaccorsi, a fourth-place finisher. Bonaccorsi, however, won the section title.
“The next match (between us) will be important because he got the last one on me,” Bonaccorsi said. “If I work, then I can win the section and we will go into the WPIAL seeded 1-2.”
Currently, Bell is ranked ahead of Bonaccorsi. “That’s on paper,” said Stewart. “Nino had a great Powerade but a tough loss. It will help him. I think he knows he can beat him. I think it’s Nino’s time. He’s always been on the brink. He’s always been winning tournaments since he was little.”
Fourteen years ago, Bonaccorsi began recording victories on the mat, carrying on a strong family tradition. For starters, his father wrestled at Bethel Park. Mark Bonaccorsi then gained fame at Clarion and Pitt. His cousins, Dom and Anthony, were standouts on the mats, too. Then there was his brother. Nick Bonaccorsi set the standard at Bethel Park before heading to Pitt. He is a two-time NCAA qualifier and in his senior year for the Panthers. He won a record 159 matches in high school.
“My whole family wrestled so I think that’s pretty cool. Nick has the most accolades but I’m not done yet,” Bonaccorsi said with a laugh.
“Yes,” he continued, “Nick pushes. It’s cool. I know he has gotten all these awards but there is no pressure. You are just expected to go hard and wrestle well. Ever since I was little, I have wanted to be the best I could be. Nick set that example. The standard. I learned from Nick to go out and wrestle 100 percent. Don’t leave anything out there on the mat. Never walk away feeling you had a little bit left in you. Go all out.”
On a daily basis, Bonaccorsi goes all out in his training. His routine starts at the training table, consuming plenty of protein and lots of vegetables. “I try to eat healthy. No processed food,” he said. Bonaccorsi lifts weights five days a week and runs, mainly in South Park, which is close to his home. Often he works out twice a day, attending two practices. The first is for his high school squad. Bonaccorsi works on technique and moves, often with his father, who is an assistant to Stewart. The next practice is a full-tilt workout against some of the best opponents under the watchful eye of the top coaches in the region. On Sunday and Mondays, he travels to the University of Pittsburgh to train with the Pitt Wrestling Club. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, he ventures to North Allegheny to work out with Pitt Bull.
“The best wrestlers are there,” he said of the clubs. “We train during the season and wrestle full matches.”
As a result, Bonaccorsi is prepared. “In all aspects,” Stewart said. “Nino is in tip-top condition. He has great mat awareness and he expects big things from himself.”
Just a junior, Bonaccorsi has plenty to show for his efforts. He is 79-19 overall, a section champion as well as a place winner in district, regional and state competition. He plans to enter the Century Club (for 100 career victories) and challenge his brother’s school record for wins. His main objective, however, is a PIAA crown.
“The goal is always to win a state title,” explained Stewart. “Obviously, it’s a difficult goal for anybody but Nino is set on it. He’s only a junior so he has time. You just take it one match at a time.”
One match proved instrumental in Bonaccorsi’s belief that he can be a contender with the best wrestlers. It wasn’t Powerade. It was the Super 32 Tournament held last summer. Bonaccorsi lost, 1-0, in the semifinals, but made a name for himself and moved up in the rankings. “It helped him,” agreed Stewart.
His style and experiences also aid Bonaccorsi. Last year, he was 40-9 overall and competed in the state tournament. “The first time you go there your eyes are opened,” said Bonaccorsi of the Giant Center in Hershey, where the PIAA championships are held. “It’s an awesome experience. I know now that if you think you can win, then that is half the battle.
“The goal individually is to win states,” said Bonaccorsi, who knows he must face Bell to reach that objective. To beat him in a rematch, Bonaccorsi said that he had to go on the offensive. “Attack more,” he said. “Hit my moves better and outwrestle him.
“That is my strength,” he continued. “I go after people. I attack them and put them on the defensive. At the same time that can hurt though,” said Bonccorsi. “I need to think a little more instead of going out there in one gear. Plan how a match will play out.”
After his career at Bethel Park plays out, Bonaccorsi plans to wrestle at Pitt and pursue a career in either nursing or architecture. Bonaccorsi said he selected the Panthers because of tradition, both the school’s rich history and his family’s wrestling presence there. “Plus, it’s close to home,” said Bonaccorsi, who will train to become an all-American and a national champion.
As far as his career plans, Bonaccorsi said his choices are based upon his compassion for others. Regarding nursing he said, “I honestly like to help people and make them feel better. It makes me feel good when I help other people. Yes,” he agreed, “people are surprised when they hear my choices because they are two totally different careers. But, it’s just my nature to help others.”