Edward, Mullings, Henry all reach World Championship finals
 As the 12th annual IAAF Track and Field World Championships in Berlin reached its midway point Wednesday the number of Barton athletes competing is reaching a peak as well. Three Cougars – two from last year’s team and one former Barton star – all reached the finals of their event on the 5th day of competition. Alonso Edward and Steve Mullings each made it to the finals of the 200m while Tabarie Henry will be running the finals of the 400m. It will be the 1st finals for all 3 at the World Championships.
Other impressive efforts from Wednesday including moving all 3 former Cougar women into the semifinals of the 200m in 2-time Olympic Gold medalist in the event Veronica Campbell-Brown, fellow Jamaican Simone Facey and Laverne Jones-Ferrette of the Virgin Islands. The first Cougar to compete on the day – 2009 sophomore Ryan Brathwaite – had little trouble in reaching the semifinals of the 110m hurdles as all 7 athletes that competed for the Cougars during their careers had good days on the track.
Men’s 200m – Alonso Edward, Steve Mullings
Edward, just a 19-year old from Panama, impressed in the opening of 2 heats in the 200m semifinals as he ran between the last 2 Olympic Gold medal winners in the event. Edward – competing in his 1st World Championships – came in behind the defending Olympic Champion and World Record holder Usain Bolt but beat the 2004 Olympic Gold medal winner and the silver medal winner in 2008 in Shawn Crawford from the United States. Bolt won the heat in 20.08 followed by Edward in 20.22. Crawford was 3rd in 20.35.
 Mullings, running for the powerful Jamaican team, took 2nd in his heat to Wallace Spearmon of the United States. Spearman won in 20.14 with Mullings running a 20.26. In the quarterfinals, Edward beat Spearman head-to-heat in their heat.
The finals of the 200m will take place Thursday with Edward running in lane 6 and Mullings in lane 3. Between the two will be Bolt in 5 and Spearmon in 4.
Men’s 400m – Tabarie Henry
Henry is definitely back in form as he made it to the finals of the 400m in just his 1st World Championships as well. It is the 1st final for Henry in one of the two big events in track – the Olympics and World Championships. He ran in the 2008 Olympics making it to the semifinals but was not able to take that next step. Wednesday in Berlin he did just that.
With 3 semifinal heats, Henry, running for the US Virgin Islands, needed to finish in the top 2 to guarantee one of the 8 spots in the finals. He did just that and nearly won the heat, taking 2nd in 44.97 just behind Chris Brown of the Bahamas who ran a 44.95.
Henry and the other 400m runners will get Thursday off before competing in the finals Friday. Henry will draw lane 7 in the finals, running next to Jeremy Wariner of the United States.
Men’s 110m hurdles – Ryan Brathwaite
Brathwaite finds himself in the round that has been his pinnacle at the world biggest stages – the semifinals of the 110m hurdles. That is where his Olympic games ended in 2008 and his World Championships in 2007.
This time around Brathwaite has his eyes on the finals after running the 2nd fastest time in the opening round of the hurdles. Brathwaite, running for Barbados, cruised home with a 13.35 to win heat 4. The only faster time turned in during the opening round was a 13.34.
Brathwaite will compete Thursday in the semifinals and – if things go his way – the finals as well. Semifinal action is set for early evening in Berlin with Brathwaite running in the 2nd of 3 heats. The top 2 from each heat qualify for the finals as well as the next 2 best times. The finals – along with 200m men’s final – will be the featured events Thursday night.
Women’s 200m – Veronica Campbell-Brown, Simone Facey, Laverne Jones-Ferrette
 Campbell – the gold medalist in the last 2 Olympics at 200m – began her quest for her 1st 200m gold at the World Championships. She took silver in 2007 at Osaka and 4th in Helsinki in 2005. In the final heat of the 200m opening round, Campbell cruised to a win in 23.01 to move into semifinal action. Fellow Jamaican Simone Facey joined her as a heat winner with Facey winning the opening heat in 22.83. A 3rd ex-Cougar will join the duo in semifinal action as Jones placed 3rd in the 5th heat to take one of the 24 spots available in the semifinals. Jones, who led most of her heat, ran a 22.97.
The semifinals will be composed of 3 heats with the top 2 from each and the 2 next best times moving into Friday’s finals. The 3 former Cougars will all be in different heats Thursday for the semis. Campbell will run from lane 5 in the 1st heat, Jones from lane 8 in the 2nd heat and Facey from 5 in the final heat.
The semifinal will be new experience for Facey who is in her 1st World Championships. Jones will be seeking her 1st spot in the finals after advancing to the semifinal in each of the last 2 World Championships.
Schedule
As noted above, Thursday will have the 110 hurdles semifinals and finals as well as the 200m finals for the men. The women will run their 200m semifinals. The 400m runners will take a day off before their finals on Friday. Clayton Latham, another former Cougar long jumping for St. Vincent, will get started with the opening round in that competition as well Thursday. Also on Friday the relays will get underway for the men with the women’s relays starting on Saturday as the Championships draw to a conclusion on Sunday.
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