Forgues, Vergara Twins Named 2007 Henry Laskau Award Winners
Posted November 24th, 2007 at 2:29 PM by Martin Kennedy
Section: News & Results
Lauren Forgues and twins Ricardo and Roberto Vergara, have been named the 2007 Henry Laskau Award winners. Now in its fourth year, the Laskau Awards are presented annually to the top USA junior male and female race walkers. The awards will be presented during ceremonies December 1 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The Laskau Awards commemorate the three-time Olympian’s accomplishments not only as an athlete, but as an inspirational master of the sport who promoted race walking at many levels, including converting numerous runners into race walkers. Laskau, who passed away in May of 2000, was the second race walker ever inducted into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame.
University of Maine sophomore Lauren Forgues, from Boothbay, Maine, had a spectacular year. Not only did she take second (13:55.9 for 3,000m) among the top female walkers in the country at the AT&T USA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Boston last February, she was the winner of both the Pan American Cup Trials (50:35) and the USA Junior Nationals (51:49).
Last summer Forgues went to South America twice to represent the USA in international competitions. In May’s Pan American Race Walk Cup, Forgues earned the bronze medal in a field that represented teams of walkers from the top countries in the Americas. Later that summer in July, she finished as the runner-up at the Junior Pan American Games in Brazil.
The first twins of race walking, the Vergaro’s from Edinburg, Texas, are generally inseparable. And just as they did at this year’s two major competitions, the USA Junior National Championships, and the Pan American Cup Trials, the 17 year olds finished 1-2 in most races. Roberto won the USA Nationals in 47:28 with Ricardo taking the title at the PAC Trials with a 48:02 effort.
Written by: Tom Surber
Via: USA Track & Field
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Tags: 2007 Henry Laskau Award winners, athlete, henry laskau award, Lauren Forgues, master, National Track & Field Hall of Fame, Pan American Cup, pan american games, race walk, race walkers, Ricardo Vergara, roberto vergara, runners, USA Track & Field, usatf, usatfs annual meeting
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