David Bonuchi was born and raised in Columbia, Mo., and grew up to become one of the best divers in Mizzou Swimming & Diving history. Despite fielding other offers, Bonuchi knew that home was where his heart was.
"I think it really had to do with family," Bonuchi said on staying home and becoming a Tiger. "My coach at the time was Jamie Sweeney, so I wanted to stick with him. We did really well."
The Missouri diving program received a big boost in 2012 when the University became a part of the Southeastern Conference.
"We were definitely excited," Bonuchi said about the program joining the SEC. "I knew our team really wanted to make a name for itself. We wanted to compete against the best competition possible, and the SEC was known for having some of the top athletes in the country."
The relocation of Missouri to the SEC from the Big 12 allowed Bonuchi to do something that had never been done before, win a conference championship in two different leagues.
"That was a huge accomplishment," Bonuchi said. "My coach and I had set out to really make a name for Mizzou in the diving world. For me, it was a once in a lifetime experience. I was very blessed to have a coach who believed in me and one who was able to help me reach the goals I had set."
Bonuchi became a three-time conference champion at Mizzou during his time in Columbia, winning the Big 12 diving title in his sophomore year on 3-meter and capturing titles on 1-meter and 3-meter during his junior year in the SEC.
"It was so intense at the time," Bonuchi said on his first conference victory. "It was kind of like winning an NCAA title, because the environment I was in, that's just what it felt like. When I won that first title, I still had two events left to compete in, so while I was super excited and super stoked about it, I had to regroup and have a game plan to finish out the rest of the weekend."
Bonuchi also appreciates the lessons he learned from being a student-athlete throughout his life and attributes a lot of what he learned to help shape his life and get him to get where he is now.
"It's definitely come into play a number of times in my life," said Bonuchi. "One of the things I learned was to never give up. I've gone through a lot of hardships in my life where I've struggled and I had to fight back."
"Ultimately, I've been able to do some great things," he added. "I recently had a son, so that is very exciting and I've been able to translate some of the aspects from being a student athlete such as the hard work, dedication, enthusiasm and commitment. That really has allowed me to be a better father, and to be the best I can, not only for my son, but my fiancé as well."
A big part of this Hall of Fame experience for Bonuchi is his son being able to come and see him be inducted. It has allowed Bonuchi to think back on his childhood.
"It really does have a place in my heart," Bonuchi said on his son attending his Hall of Fame ceremony next month. "When I was younger, I looked up to athletes. I wanted to emulate my life around these star athletes, and for my son to even be there, that's just really special to me"
Despite the Hall of Fame accolade, Bonuchi says he wants his son to know how hard it was for him not just as an athlete but also in the academic world.
"I want my son to grow up and know where I came from and my journey as an athlete," Bonuchi said. "I want him to also know me as an academic, because I had to take care of my academics in order to even compete. I believe that once I show him what it takes to not only be an athlete but a student at the same time, it will be something he'll cherish and remember. I hope he will use it in his life and try to emulate me."
Ahead of competing for his second SEC title, Bonuchi was battling a burst eardrum. Despite this, he still competed in and won the 3-meter title.
"My second SEC title on 3-meter I had a burst eardrum," Bonuchi explained. "In warmups I had slipped out of a dive and burst my eardrum. I had to put putty in my ear and wear a swim cap. Your sense of hearing plays a major role in diving so with that being taken away, everything else had to be on point. I was competing against the best athletes in the country at that time and there was a lot of pressure to live up to that moment. To come away with a victory in that event was really special to me."
The burst eardrum was not the only obstacle that Bonuchi was forced to overcome during his college career.
"At a national event I had fallen off the board and battled back to make the finals," Bonuchi said. "I made the finals with five dives instead of six and I ended up winning in the final. Those are the two times I really had to battle through adversity and each time I was able to come out on top."
The experience of getting the call from Jim Sterk about becoming a Hall of Famer made Bonuchi look back on what he had done and how much of an impact he left.
"It was pretty indescribable when I got the call," Bonuchi said. "It didn't seem real when I was told. There are so many amazing athletes out there in the university's history, and for me to be among some of the legends, I don't have any words. It was almost like a dream come true. I know it's cliché, but it was kind of like that at that moment. I really did have an impact in the diving community and in my sport. To do all that while representing Mizzou was just mind-blowing."
Bonuchi is set to be inducted into the Missouri Athletic Hall of Fame November 15-16.
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Bonuchi is part of the 2019 Mizzou Athletics Hall of Fame class. He is one of six outstanding former University of Missouri athletic figures who have been selected for induction into Mizzou's Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame. They will represent the 29th induction class since the Hall's inception in 1990.
The class will be formally inducted Fri., Nov. 15, in a ceremony and celebration to be held that evening in Columbia. The group will also be recognized at the Mizzou Football home game the next day against Florida.
Tickets for the reception can be purchased through http://www.tsfmizzou.com/halloffame. If fans have questions, please mail (flakerl@missouri.edu) or call the Tiger Scholarship Fund office at (573) 882-0704.