CEDAR FALLS, Iowa, Feb. 10, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Name the sport, and it probably happens inside the University of Northern Iowa's UNI-Dome: varsity teams, students and community members use it for soccer, softball, track, basketball and football. The venue hosts UNI varsity football games, as well as more than 40 local high school regular season games and state championship football games in the fall, and UNI varsity softball games in the winter.
That variety keeps the venue busy year-round, but it also creates a major challenge: finding a surface that allows the venue to host a combination of field sports and hard-court sports. So in 2009, when the university was planning to replace its worn-out Astroturf field, UNI administrators knew they needed an innovative solution.
Mondo, the leader in sports flooring, was up to the challenge. After thoroughly consulting with university officials and analyzing the venue's needs, Mondo custom-designed a Mondoturf artificial turf field that can be easily rolled up and conveniently stored when it's not in use. The field contains 32 rollable panels secured by a Velcro system.
"We needed a unique solution that would meet our specific needs," said Troy Dannen, UNI director of athletics. "Mondo was great to work with. They really listened to what we needed, and the end result is fantastic."
The new field will be retracted and rolled about 10 times per year. "Portability and storage considerations were paramount because we also needed to accommodate a running track and basketball court underneath the turf field," Dannen said. "It was critical that we have a safe, high-performance surface that would ensure our athletes' success."
The customized system for the UNI-Dome is just the latest example of Mondo's ability to respond to the particular needs of each client and each venue. "Our world-class engineers and designers, and our high-performance products, give Mondo the ability to provide flooring solutions for virtually any facility with unique needs," said Federico Stroppiana, president, Mondo North and South America.
In addition to its portability, the Mondoturf field gives UNI athletes a professional-grade surface on which to train and compete. "Athletes love it, and already we have seen far fewer injuries and torn skin on the new surface," Dannen said. "We noticed our student-athletes' legs were stronger later in the season. With the Mondoturf, we can perform our best."
Mondoturf Ecofill was designed through extensive biomechanical research to reproduce all of the properties of natural grass without the problems associated with traditional artificial turf fields. It uses an environmentally friendly infill called Ecofill, which is made from a synthetic material and not reground tire pellets, which are commonly used by other artificial turf manufacturers. Reground tire pellets are becoming increasingly controversial as a potential health hazard and for their detrimental environmental impact.
Installed in more than 800 facilities worldwide, Mondoturf Ecofill delivers the appropriate amount of shock absorption and energy return for optimal, natural-field–like athletic performance. An environmentally friendly material, Ecofill is virtually odor free, even in hot, humid conditions, and it retains less heat than traditional black rubber granules, so it reduces the potential for athletic fatigue and dehydration and minimizes the need for fields to be watered down prior to use. It also is completely recyclable, which is an industry first.
About the University of Northern Iowa
Founded in 1876, the University of Northern Iowa is home to nearly 13,000 students. The university offers 10 NCAA Division I sports for women and seven for men. It was recently named on the Princeton Review website's list of the Best Colleges in the Midwest.
About Mondo
Mondo is the global leader in the sports flooring market, manufacturing floor surfaces for virtually every sport. Throughout its 60-year history, the company has invested heavily in research and development to produce cutting-edge products that meet the highest quality standards, deliver optimal athletic performance, are durable, require minimal maintenance and are environmentally safe.
More than 1,100 Mondo tracks and 800 Mondo artificial turf fields are installed worldwide. The official supplier of the athletic track for the past nine Olympic Games, Mondo also is the official supplier or official sponsor of more than 100 sports federations and associations, including Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, FIBA, IAAF, National Soccer Coaches Association of America, NIRSA, U.S. Track Coaches Association and YMCA.
The company also supplies a wide variety of commercial flooring and is the world's largest producer of sports and toy balls with an average daily production of 450,000 units. In addition, it manufactures large luxury yachts under its Mondo Marine division.
A family-owned business since its founding in 1948, Mondo sells its products in more than 196 countries. The company's global headquarters are in Italy, and it has manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and Asia. More information about Mondo is available at www.mondousa.com.
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Mondo and Ecofill are registered trademarks of Mondo.