La Center’s Austin Nixon is The Columbian 2022-23 Week 16 prep athlete of the weekFree

La Center boys basketball players Austin Nixon is the The Columbian 2022-23 Week 16 high school athlete of the week.

Nixon received 576 of the 1,481 votes cast this week to win the honor.

Nixon scored 24 points and 19 points in two league wins and went 14-for-14 from the line in the second half of a win over Stevenson.

Winners of the athlete-of-the-week may not be nominated again during the regular season, and no athlete may be nominated in consecutive weeks.

Nominees and the ballot are posted Monday, with voting continuing through 7 p.m. Wednesday.

FINAL VOTE TOTALS

1. Austin Nixon, La Center, 576
2. Isabella Albaugh, Washougal, 363
3. Kairos Phed, Prairie, 213
4. Uruwa Abe, Ridgefield, 204
5. Spencer Needham, Union, 125

Here are the accomplishments of the other nominees:

URUWA ABE, RIDGEFIELD GIRLS WRESTLING: Abe won the 115-pound division at the Vikings Invitational in Puyallup with two pins and a major decision.

ISABELLA ALBAUGH, WASHOUGAL GIRLS BASKETBALL: Albaugh averaged 25 points and five rebounds in two league wins, including a 34-point game against Hudson’s Bay.

SPENCER NEEDHAM, UNION BOYS WRESTLING: Needham went 8-0 on the week, including 7-0 with five pins in the Prairie Duals Tournament.

KAIROS PHED, PRAIRIE BOYS SWIMMING: Phed won the 200 freestyle, 100 butterfly and helped the Falcons win the 200-free relay in a meet against the Evergreen schools.