Status: Fini

Unseeded David Bonin of the University of Northern Illinois went 4-2, including wins over a #12 and a #10 seed, to place 4th at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday.  It took a #1 seed from Northwestern to finally knock Bonin out of the winners' bracket in the semifinals of the 157 lbs. weight class on Friday evening and a #6 seed from Oklahoma State to defeat him in the consolation finals on Saturday.  Bonin, a senior for the panthers, earned All-American status by placing in the Division I top-eight.

David Bonin advances to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships with a 4-0 win over Kyle Bradley of Missouri on March 22, 2013. Courtesy UNI Athletics Communications

Bonin's first match appears to be the toughest of his four wins.  He defeated unseeded Bobby Barnhisel of Navy (31-10) 1-0. Unexpectedly in the second round he faced another unseeded wrestler, Missouri's Kyle Bradley (28-17).  Bradley, however, had knocked fourth-seeded James Green of Nebraska into the consolation bracket in a tie-breaker match, 6-5.  But Bonin advanced to the quarterfinals with a 4-0 decision. In the quarterfinals Bonin faced his first seeded wrestler, #12 Jedd Moore of the University of Virginia (37-12).  The match was scoreless until near the end of the second period.  Bonin, on bottom, used a granby roll to score an escape and dove straight back into his Cavalier opponent for a two point takedown.  Bonin rode Moore for the entirety of the third period and won 6-0.

In the semifinals Bonin faced Northwestern's #1 seeded Jason Welch.  Bonin gave up a takedown near the end of the first period and the score was not overruled by a coach's challenge.  In the second Welch reversed Bonin and rode Bonin terrifically with cross-body and crab legs and was able to score back points.  Bonin and Welch each scored another point during the match (after ESPN-U switched coverage to the other 157 lbs. semifinal) and Welch advanced to the finals with a 7-1 win.  Welch finished fourth in the 157 lbs. weight class in 2012. 

On Saturday morning Bonin, automatically a consolation semifinalist, pinned #10 Roger Pena of Oregon State (43-9) in 5:39 to advance to the match for third place.  There, however, he fell victim to a quick fall by #6 Alex Dieringer of Oklahoma State (40-4) in 1:39.

In 2012 Bonin provided a major upset in pinning #4 seed Walter Peppelman of Harvard in 2:55 in the first round of the tournament.

 Bonin, a native of Broussard, Louisiana, won three Division I state championships for Comeaux High School in Lafayette, Louisiana, in 2006, 2007 and 2008.  In 2008 and 2009 he also won titles at the Louisiana Classic tournament and the Ken Cole Memorial.  As a sophomore in 2006 he placed third at the state tournament.  Also in 2006 Bonin placed second at the Louisiana Classic and the Ken Cole Memorial.  In those two events, if one had to pick someone to whom to lose, it just might as well have been Parkway senior Mike Newberg.

University of Northern Iowa Wrestling Website

2013 NCAA Division I 157 lbs. Bracket   Bonin's UNI "Bio" Page

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