Montanna mounts a record-setting charge

NOT even an injury to some top youngsters could halt Cairns from dominating at last weekend’s North Queensland Athletics Championships in Townsville.

Among the 650 athletes for the three-day competition, one of Australia’s largest regional track and field events, were more than 40 Far North hopefuls.

And they did not disap- point, with Cairns scooping the best senior club and best overall club categories at the championships.

Jack Redmond opened Friday’s first night of competition at the Townsville Sports Reserve in the under-18 hammer by throwing a 56.65m.

The distance saw him just edged out by visiting Indonesian athlete Denni Sianturi with a throw of 56.99m.

Sharing the circle with the under-18 was Australian youth representative Matthew Denni, who raised the crowd to their feet with a new national record in the under-20 hammer with a massive 80.48m.

Cairns runner Montanna McAvoy (pictured) cleaned up in the women’s middle distance, setting a new meet record in the 15-year-old 1500m race with a time of 4 minutes 41.02 seconds, continuing on from her wins in the 800m and the open mile.

Clubmate and former Aussie No.3 Aidan Taylor, coming back from a 12-month lay-off, took gold in the under-20 triple jump in a positive sign ahead of the 2016 track and field season.

Ravenshoe’s emerging star John Dodds continued his dominance in the high jump by taking out both the under-18 and open divisions.

Tableland Athletics throwers Tim Ford and Jennifer Moss claimed a brace of golds in their respective events.