Elgin Owl Commits to Colorado State University-Pueblo

Surrounded by family, friends and fellow athletes, Comanche Nation Tribal Member and Elgin Owl George Tahdooahnippah signed to wrestle at Colorado State University-Pueblo in Pueblo, Colorado.

He’ll begin training sometime in August.

Tahdooahnippah said the school was an opportunity to go to the next level and compete.

“They have really nice facilities,” he said. “When I got there, it looked like a hospital from the outside, but when I walked into all the buildings, it was just a really nice school. They had rec centers and just overall a really nice school, and I feel like I fit there.”

Tahdooahnippah’s degree choice is mechatronic engineering, which focuses on building robots.

“So, it's more of a tech school. I'm just really excited,” he said. “Because I always liked building Legos when I was little, and I don't know, just getting to build robots and program everything is just really fascinating to me.”

Tahdooahnippah said he’s excited for the next step.

“I know at some point I'm going to have to leave my home and go venture,” he said. “And that's what I'm doing, and just one step at a time, and one step at achieving my goals at the next level.”

In high school, Tahdooahnippah won two state championships.

“My greatest accomplishments were probably…placing at state, when I won that match. Just that thrill and knowing, ‘Oh, I'm going to be an Oklahoma State placer,’” he said. “It was just so unexpected. I'm like, ‘Oh, wow, I'm here, I'm here, I did it, I did it.’ I didn't think I was going to be able to do it. I've wrestled so long, but it's just the fact that I knew I worked so hard, and then I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish.”

Tahdooahnippah has also made comebacks on the mat.

“I was down by seven points, and I threw a headlock and put this dude on his back, and we advanced to the next round at dual state,” he said. “And then we ended up winning it that year. We're back-to-back.”

Tahdooahnippah is going to miss his coach, Cody Rowell.

“He's trained me since I was a kid, and I'm very thankful for him and his family and everything that they have done for me, and…he's just so inspirational,” he said.

Tahdooahnippah said his parents and family were some of his biggest supporters and that he would miss his teachers and friends.