Flash Sync Speeds with Cowboy Studio Wireless Triggers

I did some searching online and didn’t find a clear answer to this question.

How fast the Canon Rebel T2i sync with a flash (both wired and wireless)?

I finally read that the max sync speed is 1/200th of a second.  I couldn’t believe how slow that is.  I read that it’s the same for the Nikon D80 which makes sense because it’s in the same price range.  I did some testing and found this to be true both of the built-in flash and of wireless sync using the amazingly priced Cowboy Studio NPT-04 wireless trigger.  I was able to shoot at 1/250th when the flash was off-camera but the bottom of the frame was a tad dark from the closing shutter.  Using the 430EX II on camera in high-speed mode (not second curtain mode) I was able to shoot at 1/4000th of a second.  I tried my shot with and without the flash and it definitely synced because it lit up the shot.  When reviewing the shot, the camera says that it was taken at 1/4000th.  This is awesome for high-speed sports photography but how can we do this off-camera?  What if I want to shoot a high-speed vault with a side light, or a back light?  So far, I’ve seen the Pocket Wizards that support high-speed TTL off camera flash sync but $375 is a bit pricey in my opinion just to be able to sync a single flash.

Do you know of a better alternative on a budget?