Tigers swimmer lands full ride with St. Norbert College
It was a major milestone for Taos High School Senior, Estevan Andres Salazar, on Wednesday (Nov. 10) when the swim team champ signed an official Letter of Intent to attend St. Norbert College in DePete, Wisconsin. Salazar will be attending on a full athletic scholarship when he becomes a St. Norbert Green Knight in the Fall 2022 Semester.
To hammer home just how significant the signing was, a small crowd was in attendance to witness Salazar’s accomplishment. His family and friends, coaches, teachers, mentors, and even the Taos High School Interim Athletic Director Hernando Chavez, all turned out to support Salazar outside of the Tigers’ gymnasium.
“First and foremost, I want to express how proud we are of Estevan and his accomplishments,” Chavez said. “He is a [fantastic]
student athlete and represents both his team and community well, and we wish him the very best of luck.”
At Salazar’s side, eyes beaming with pride and tears, stood his mother, “He has worked so hard for [this],” she said.
Salazar has been swimming competitively since the third grade, and his mom says helping him get to college has been a family effort.
“Whenever we couldn’t take him, I had family members take him to practice or where he needed to be,” she said.
Often that place he “needed to be” was in the pool, following the tutelage of Coach Nancy Call. Call has been Salazar’s coach twice. Once when he was a little kid, just starting out, and again in high school, where Salazar swam for Coach Call in both 2019 and 2020.
“This is pretty impressive,” she said of the signing. “It’s really nice to see how he has progressed through the years.”
And the young man himself? He is obviously excited.
“I feel pretty good,” he said right after the signing. And while he is anxious and grateful to continue his swimming career, it doesn’t overshadow his excitement for the entire college experience.
“I’m excited to travel far away,” he said with a laugh.
Salazar said he plans to pursue a degree in business.