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By Tom Ash, Sentinel Reporter, June 20, 2008

Last updated: Friday, June 20, 2008 2:25 AM EDT

John Austin very nearly faced the end of his athletic career.

A torn elbow ligament in his freshman year at Duke University forced the 2006 Cumberland Valley High School graduate and former PIAA javelin finalist to sit out his first collegiate season.

The injury required surgery, and Austin wasn’t able to throw until just before the 2008 season.

Some athletes never fully recover from a joint injury. But Austin had a little uncommon support to help him through it.

John’s older brother, Dan, suffered a broken foot — twice — in his collegiate career at Williams College. The injury kept Dan from competing for a total of two and one-half years.

“I broke (my foot) my sophomore year in January, then broke it again that following September,” said Dan Austin. “I didn’t compete for two and a half years.”

But the elder Austin bounced back in a big way. In 2006, Dan set the Williams College school record and NCAA Division III record in the discus at 196-11.

At the 2005 NCAA Division III discus finals, Dan placed first with a throw of 196-1 — a distance that could have won him the Division II championship and earned him bronze in the Division I finals that same year.

“I still did some lifting, I swam in a pool while on crutches,” said Dan Austin. “When I finally healed, I surprisingly improved a lot.”

“Seeing (Dan’s) success and how he overcame this... I strived to be just like him,” said John. “I’d like to be as accomplished as he has been.”

This season, the younger Austin took two big steps down his brother’s road to success. John set the Duke University record in the javelin while competing in the NCAA East Regional at 225-5. He then went on to place eighth at the NCAA finals, earning him automatic All-American honors. John is Duke’s first All-American since pole vaulter Brent Warner in 2003.

“My senior year in high school, my personal best was a 172 up until Mid-Penns. I gained 20 feet in three meets,” said John Austin, who finished seventh at the 2006 PIAA javelin finals with a throw of 182-6. “In actuality, I’ve gained probably 35 feet since high school.”

That’s 35 extra feet gained while rehabbing his elbow injury. According to John, he remained confident throughout his rehabilitation but was still impressed with his improvement upon returning to the Duke practice field before this season.

“(In practice) I was throwing farther than I had ever thrown,” said John Austin. “Coming into the season, I had high expectations, even though I shouldn’t have with the elbow. Still, I held myself to a high level of success.”

Confidence runs in the family. After his successful collegiate career, Dan Austin added nearly 10 feet to his Williams College record discus throw (205-0) and will head into the 2008 Olympic Trials as a darkhorse to qualify for the Beijing Olympics.

“I think (Dan) is capable of doing anything at the trials, it’s just up to how the field performs,” said John Austin. “I’d love to see him qualify for the Olympics, that’d be amazing.”

Though qualifying for the Olympics will be Dan’s No. 1 priority this year, he won’t be heart-broken should he miss the cut. The elder Austin will turns 25 this year and, considering the competitive longevity for a thrower, will very likely return for the 2012 Olympic Trials, regardless of what happens this year.

“I think that most people, statistically discus throwers peak around 30 or older,” said Dan Austin. “I’ll take at least a year or two off (after the trials) but (2012) will be in the back of my mind.”

And, while John won’t be joining Dan at the trials this year, he could very well continue to follow his brother’s path to success and vie for an Olympics berth in four years.