Laverne Jones-Ferrette and Tabarie Henry, well-known V.I. track stars and teammates from the 2008 Beijing Olympics, set world-leading times within hours of each other Sunday at track meets in Germany and Texas, gaining notice from Gov. John deJongh Jr.
Jones, a two-time V.I. Olympian, ran the world’s fastest 60-meter dash of the past two years in the heats of the BW Bank Meet in Karlsruhe, Germany, setting a V.I. national record of 7.09 seconds with the fifth-fastest short dash on record. Jones went on to win the event before 4,500 fans, with a time of 7.11 seconds in the finals, according to a statement from Government House.
A few hours later, Henry ran the fastest indoor 400 meters in the world this year. The Texas A & M sophomore’s time of 45.81 seconds earned him first place at the 2010 Texas A & M Challenge. Henry also ran the third leg for the winning 4 x 400-meter relay team, which posted a time of 3:05.
Last week, Henry set this year’s seventh-fastest 200-meter time with a 21.13-second performance. He is the territory’s national record holder at 200 and 400 meters.
"Through their accomplishments on the track field, Jones-Ferrette and Henry serve as role models for not only the next generation of V.I. Olympians, but to our young academic and artistic stars as well,” deJongh said, adding, “We must continue to ensure that the next Laverne Jones-Ferrette has all the resources available to her now to be successful when her time comes to excel on the world stage.”
