A three-time Olympian, Heriwentha (Mae) Faggs was a gold medalist at the 1952 Olympics when she ran on the 4x100m relay team that set a world record of 45.9 Her running experience began at age 15 after she was recruited to run as a member of the New York City Police Athletic League. A year later, she qualified to represent the U.S. in the 200 meters at the London Olympics. After graduating from Bayside High School in New York, she became Hall of Fame coach Ed Temple's first recruited athlete at Tennessee State University. While running for the Tigerbelles, she qualified for her second Olympic team in both the 100 meters, in which she finished sixth, and the 200 meters, in which she failed to qualify for the final. She ran the lead-off leg on the world-record setting 4x100m relay team. At the 1956 Olympics, she won a bronze medal in the 4x100m relay. At the 1955 Pan-American Games, she was also a gold medalist in the 4x100m relay team and took a silver medal in the 200 meters. She won 11 National AAU titles, six of them in the indoor 220-yard sprint. After retiring, Faggs became a schoolteacher.
World Record: 400 m relay - 45.90 American Record: 200 m - 24.20 (August 15, 1956 - )
1952 Olympics: 100 m (6th) 1952 Olympics: 400 m relay (1st) 1956 Olympics: 400 m relay (3rd) 1955 Pan-Am Games: 200 m (2nd) 1955 Pan-Am Games: 400 m relay (1st)
Teacher