Colton McMaster is the Clark Kent of Astoria High School. He may look quiet, humble and unassuming, but put him in a football, basketball or track uniform, and he becomes Clatsop County’s latest superhero.

Topping the list of his summer highlights was a sixth-place finish — nationally — in a virtual track meet discus competition in May.

“That doesn’t mean that I’m the sixth-best in the nation,” he said, “because there’s probably a whole lot of kids better than me who didn’t compete.”

McMaster also placed ninth in another virtual meet with his best throw ever.

His mark of 173 feet, 6 inches, on film and measured by his mom, bettered the Astoria school record by over 10 feet. The Fishermen school record is 163-5, a mark which still belongs to Jason Thiel, set in 1989.

Track is not McMaster’s only sport.

McMaster wrestled and played baseball through middle school, eventually trading those two sports for basketball and track.

And that has turned out to be a pretty good deal.

McMaster was one of the Cowapa League’s leading scorers in basketball last season.

“We’re looking up in basketball,” he said, as the Fishermen were 2-22 last year. “I’m hoping so. Me and Xander (Marincovich) have been working a lot. Last Saturday against Ilwaco, I had 24 points and he had 40.”

In track, McMaster will be the front-runner for a 4A state title in the discus in the spring.

Between basketball and track, McMaster will suit up for his junior year of football.

He is hoping to become the Rob Gronkowski of the Cowapa, as the Fishermen will take advantage of his talents as a tight end.

Astoria football “could use the tight end more than they have in 15 years,” McMaster said. “Last year they really couldn’t work me into the offense. I didn’t know the routes really well, and I just wasn’t as physically developed. I probably would have gotten eaten alive.”

McMaster likes the idea of a spring football season, with games starting in mid-March.

“There’s always a homecoming game, but I think a prom game would be pretty cool,” he said. “A spring season is better for me. If I get hurt playing football in the fall, then I would be out either the next sport or two sports that come after that.”

But beginning in early May, McMaster will compete in his best sport. The shortened spring track season will be just his second year at the high school level.

The coronavirus wiped out the 2020 season, but with luck, McMaster still has two years to rewrite the Astoria record book in at least two events: the discus and shot put.

McMaster’s best mark is 145-5, set as a freshman in 2019 and making the list of top discus throws in school history. He stands as the fourth-best discus thrower in Fishermen history.

After the season was canceled, McMaster said, “I was super disappointed. I was ready. I wanted to beat the school record my sophomore year.”

Instead, he gave a glimpse of what might have been by competing in three virtual meets over the summer. The meets were open to any high school thrower in the nation.

He took first in the first meet with a throw of 156-1. McMaster placed sixth in the second meet (160-9), then took ninth in a virtual meet in June, with his new personal best toss of 173-6.

“I did my regular warmups, then it was on the third throw,” he said, “which is usually how it goes. You can throw as much as you want, as long as you get it on film.”

The mark was good enough to beat the Astoria record but does not count as an official school record.

In virtual meets, athletes have to film the full throw and measurement in one take.

“I didn’t expect them to count it as a school record. It has to be in a regulated meet,” McMaster said, adding he will set the new school record “as soon as we can get myself in a regular meet. I just want to hit it as soon as I can, so I can keep improving on it.”

Although only a junior, McMaster has hopes of competing in college.

Through Astoria throwing coach Bob Ellsberg, he said, “I’ve been contacted by Stanford about track. My transcripts are solid, but I would need to take way more AP classes in order to be qualified there.”

Meet directors for Astoria home meets may have to set up precautionary measures once meets start again since McMaster’s throws in the discus are landing on or near the new track, the spectator bleachers and closing in on traffic along Marine Drive.

Ellsberg “told me that by the time they put up a net, I’ll be throwing over it,” McMaster said. “They’re talking about putting down some rubber mats on the track so I’m not denting the track.”