Laura Berg
Encyclopedia
Laura Kay Berg (born January 6, 1975 in Santa Fe Springs, California
) is an American softball
player who plays the position of center fielder
. She is one of only four women to have won four Olympic medals in softball, having won a medal at every Olympics the sport was contested.
and started for the school's softball team. During their four years, Berg would be named an all-Western Athletic Conference
and all-American each year, and would help Fresno State win the 1998 Women's College World Series
.
in 1994, participating in the 1994 ISF Women's World Championship
, where the US team won the gold medal. Berg redshirt
ed at Fresno State in 1996, the year that she won her first Olympic gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics
. In 1998, she won her second gold medal at the world championships
. At the 1999 Pan American Games
Berg performed well in the gold medal effort, batting
.375 for the tournament with fifteen hits. In the 2000 Summer Olympics
Berg drove in the winning run in the eighth inning of the gold medal game.
From 2000 to 2003 she was an assistant coach at Fresno State, while continuing to participate at tournaments with the national team. She added gold medals at the 2002 World Championships and 2003 Pan American Games
to her resume, batting .471 in the Pan-Americans. In the 2004 Athens Olympics
she started eight of the nine games, batting .368, and held a perfect fielding average. She returned to Fresno State's coaching staff for 2005 and 2006, and in 2006 won her fourth consecutive World Championship in Beijing. Berg's four World Championship appearances is a record for the event.
In 2007 Berg returned to her third Pan American Games
, where she won another gold medal, and was chosen to carry the U.S. flag during the closing ceremonies. At the 2008 Summer Olympics
, she captured a silver medal with the U.S. team, the only time in Olympic history the United States did not win the gold medal.
Santa Fe Springs, California
Santa Fe Springs is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is one of the Gateway Cities of southeast Los Angeles County. The population was 16,223 at the 2010 census, down from 17,438 at the 2000 census....
) is an American softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
player who plays the position of center fielder
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
. She is one of only four women to have won four Olympic medals in softball, having won a medal at every Olympics the sport was contested.
Early life and collegiate career
Berg was born on January 6, 1975 to Harvey and Audrey Berg, along with her twin sister Randi Berg. Both Berg sisters enrolled at Fresno StateCalifornia State University, Fresno
California State University, Fresno, often referred to as Fresno State University and synonymously known in athletics as Fresno State , is one of the leading campuses of the California State University system, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, USA.The campus sits at the foot of...
and started for the school's softball team. During their four years, Berg would be named an all-Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
and all-American each year, and would help Fresno State win the 1998 Women's College World Series
Women's College World Series
The Women's College World Series is the final portion of the NCAA Division I Softball Championship for college softball in the United States. The tournament format consists of two four-team double-elimination brackets. The winners of each bracket then compete in a best-of-three title game series...
.
National team
Berg would also join the United States national teamUnited States women's national softball team
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in 1994, participating in the 1994 ISF Women's World Championship
1994 ISF Women's World Championship
The 1994 ISF Women's World Championship for softball was held July 29-August 7, 1994 in St. John's, Newfoundland. The United States won its third consecutive title with a 6-0 victory over China. The event had 28 participating countries, the largest amount in the event's history...
, where the US team won the gold medal. Berg redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
ed at Fresno State in 1996, the year that she won her first Olympic gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
. In 1998, she won her second gold medal at the world championships
1998 ISF World Championship
The 1998 ISF Women's World Championship for softball was held July 20–30, 1998 in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka, Japan. A fourth straight title was won by the team from the United States, coached by Margie Wright, which avenged its only loss of the tournament to Australia by a 1-0 margin in the...
. At the 1999 Pan American Games
1999 Pan American Games
The 1999 Pan American Games, officially the XIII Pan American Games or the 13th Pan American Games, was a major international multi-sport event that was held from July 23-August 8, 1999 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Approximately 5,000 athletes from 42 nations participated at the games. The 1999...
Berg performed well in the gold medal effort, batting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.375 for the tournament with fifteen hits. In the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
Berg drove in the winning run in the eighth inning of the gold medal game.
From 2000 to 2003 she was an assistant coach at Fresno State, while continuing to participate at tournaments with the national team. She added gold medals at the 2002 World Championships and 2003 Pan American Games
2003 Pan American Games
The 14th Pan American Games were held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, from 1 to 17 August 2003. The successful bid for the games was made in the mid-1990s, when this country had one of the highest growth rates in Latin America....
to her resume, batting .471 in the Pan-Americans. In the 2004 Athens Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
she started eight of the nine games, batting .368, and held a perfect fielding average. She returned to Fresno State's coaching staff for 2005 and 2006, and in 2006 won her fourth consecutive World Championship in Beijing. Berg's four World Championship appearances is a record for the event.
In 2007 Berg returned to her third Pan American Games
2007 Pan American Games
The 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games, were a major continental multi-sport event that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 13 to July 29, 2007. A total of 5,633 athletes from 42 National Olympic Committees competed in 332 events in 34 sports and in...
, where she won another gold medal, and was chosen to carry the U.S. flag during the closing ceremonies. At the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, she captured a silver medal with the U.S. team, the only time in Olympic history the United States did not win the gold medal.
Other awards and honors
- 2005 International Sports Invitational Champion
- 2001 Played for WPSL Gold professional team consisting of 2000 Olympians
- WAC Champions- Fresno State
- Second FSU player to record 100 or more hits in a season
- Four-time NFCA All-American (three First-Team and one Third-Team)
- Four-time NCAA All-Regional Team