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Boys' athlete of the week Cardinal Newman senior Austin Davis By RICH RUPPRECHT THE PRESS DEMOCRAT Cardinal Newman senior Austin Davis gets mistaken for a basketball player often. Maybe because there aren't too many 6-foot-10 discus throwers. Davis, who qualified for the state meet last year, finished second last weekend at the Stanford Invitational with a throw of 157-8. The winner was Mitty's Drew Gordon, best known for receiving a basketball scholarship to UCLA. Gordon edged Davis by a foot-and-a half and it meant Gordon, at 6-9, and Davis were probably the tallest 1-2 finishers ever at Stanford. Davis' seventh grade basketball coach suggested track and field throwing events and Davis holds the Rincon Valley Middle School record in the discus. "I played basketball my freshman year, but I really like throwing the discus," said Davis, who remembers tossing a pie tin to work on technique when he first started. "Austin has a great work ethic," said Newman track coach Pat LaFortune. "He's got great potential. As he matures and puts on weight he's just going to get better and better." Davis has thrown over 165 feet in practice and his goal is Brian Chase's school record of 175-4. His best in the shot is 45-11. Davis credits throwing coach Lynn Meister with helping him improve. "He tells me to slow down. Sometimes I start a little too quick." Davis, who has a 4.0 GPA, is headed for the University of Oregon to hopefully compete in the discus and shot. "I'm about 200 pounds, so they want me to hit the weights and get stronger."
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