RGV Sports Hall of Fame Program 2022

Laura Vasquez

Hometown: Edinburg, Texas

High School: Edinburg High School College: The University of TexasPan American

Best Known For: Track & Field

In 1987, she won gold medals in the 800-meter run and 1,600-m run at the regional meet and then repeated that double at the UIL state championships in Austin. At that time, she was only the second female to win two golds at state in one year since the early 1950s. That same year, she took the runner-up spot at the state cross country meet.

As the state’s top middle-distance runner, she was invited to the US National High School Girls Cross Country Championships in New Orleans. She finished fourth there and went on to be named a Prep High School All-American.

Her other accolades included a proclamation that named May 21, 1987, “Laura Vasquez Day.” She also received the keys to the City of Edinburg. She attended San Jacinto Junior College and earned a kinesiology degree from The University of Texas-Pan American.

“I enjoyed the feeling, the adrenaline it gave me, and running among the top runners in the state of Texas,” she said. “I feel grateful, privileged, excited, and humbly honored to know my perseverance and hard work are being recognized by being part of the RGV Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2022.”