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Henry to run for US Virgin Islands in 2008 Olympics
 Barton County Community College men’s track standout Tabarie Henry will run in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China later this summer as a member of the US Virgin Island team. Henry can run for either the USA or Virgin Islands since he was born in the Virgin Island before his family moved to the US. His mother is a native of the Caribbean Country. Henry has recently been informed by the Olympic committee in the Virgin Island that he will be part of the team.
Henry put himself in that position by running a 45.42 this past spring at Barton. He ran that time at the John McDonnell Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas on April 19. At the time it was the 10th fastest time in the world this year and is currently the 15th fastest time.
More importantly for Henry and Virgin Islands, the time bested the mark of 45.55 set as an Olympic A Standard. That mark allows a country to take more than 1 competitor in event to the Olympics – although no country can take more than 3. With the low population in the Virgin Islands and limited number of A qualifiers, Henry is assured of his place at the Olympics. Nations will a larger pool of athletes have an Olympic Trial this summer.
Henry will join Laverne Jones as former Cougars who have run for the US Virgin Islands at the Olympics. Jones ran the 100m and 200m at the 2004 Olympics running against former Cougars Veronica Campbell (Gold medal in 200m, bronze in 100m) and Aleen Bailey (4th, 5th) of Jamaica as well as LaShauntea Moore of the USA. Jones has also reached the A mark again this year in the 200m and the B mark 100m, which would allow her to be the only entrant for the US Virgin Islands in that event.
During the 2004 Olympics, Barton had 14 former athletes competing in Athens, Greece. During the track and field competition, Campbell won a gold in the 200m, a bronze in the 100m and teamed with Aleen Bailey and Beverly McDonald to win gold in the 4x100m relay for Jamaica. Bailey and Campbell both ran in the finals while McDonald ran in the prelims for Jamaica. John Moffitt (long jump) and Bernard Williams (200m) won silver for the USA with Derrick Brew taking bronze in the 400m and gold in the 4x400m for the USA.
Several former Cougars are expected to be at the 2008 Olympics with many of them trying to earn their way through the US Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon in late June and early July or at the Jamaican Nationals in late June. Of the 14 former Cougars in 2004, 10 came from the US and Jamaica. Among the more notables are defending 200m Olympic Champion Campbell as well as 100m and 200m men’s World Champion in 2007, Tyson Gay. Gay ran the 2nd fastest 200m ever at the World Championships last summer in 19.76. Gay currently has the fastest time in the world in the 200m this year at 20.00. Campbell currently has the 4th fastest 200m for the women at 22.66.
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