Fans witnessed an exciting 200-meter dash battle between the sisters at the Class 4A Girls’ State Track Championships. Sole defeated Sanaa by 0.01 of a second setting a new state record of 23.52 in the prelims on Friday. Sanaa’s time of 23.53 also bested the previous state record of 23.64 set by Chamblee’s Mary Ann Erigha 20 years ago.
Sanaa came back on Saturday to break Sole’s record by running a 23.39 to set the new standard in the event as she got past Sole by just 0.02 of a second. Sole’s time of 23.41 also bester her own mark from the prelims.
The 200 win gave Sanaa a sweep of the 100 and 200 events for the second consecutive year including also setting a record in the 100 of 11.41 to break the 36-year-old mark of 11.50 set by Butler’s Anita Howard in 1986.
The pair teamed with teammates Jadyn Bolden and Miya Carthan for another state record winning the 4×100-meter relay in a time of 45.74 to break the mark of 45.91 set in 2015 by Baldwin. The same four also won gold in the 4×400 relay (3:49.85).
Sanaa now has four state gold medals (2 in the 100 and 2 in the 200) along with a bronze (100) and silver (200) in 2021. Sole’s state medal collection stands at two with the silver (200) and bronze (400) this year.
The twins also hold a gold in the 4×100 relay from 2002 along with a silver in the 4×400 the same year and bronze in the 4×100 in 2021.
Six individual state medals now reside in the hands of the Fredericks as well as five as part of relays making the pair responsible for 11 over three seasons and more to come in 2024.
“Their presence has brought the track and field program to an appreciable level and we are working towards a state championship,” continued George. “They are not only excellent athletes but they are great students in the classroom as well.”
https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/athletics/2023/05/23/dekalb-state-track-medal-haul-was-twin-powered/
