CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., May 27, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The NCAA Division I East Region Outdoor Track & Field Championships, and the NCAA Division II and Division III national outdoor championships will be held at three different sites this weekend. But student-athletes at each meet will compete on tracks made by the same family-owned company. The three host venues all feature tracks made by Mondo, which has provided the running tracks for the past nine Olympic Games.
North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, N.C., is the venue for the Division I East Region Championships; Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C., is hosting the Division II Championships; and Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, is the site for the Division III Championships.
Division I East Region Championships
After hosting the exciting MEAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships in early May, North Carolina A&T will welcome athletes for the Division I East Region championships. Installed in 2004, the venue's Mondo Super X Performance track features eight 48-inch lanes.
"Mondo is one of the best surfaces in the world," said Roy Thompson, director of track and field programs at North Carolina A&T. "This track made us one of the top sites in the country. Offering athletes this type of surface to train and compete on has also really helped our recruiting efforts. I can't say enough about the surface. Mondo has a great product."
Division II Championships
Johnson C. Smith University will host NCAA Division II championships at its Irwin Belk Complex. The facility, which opened in 2003, features a Mondo Super X Performance track. The university has already hosted several major events, including the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Track Championships, Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Spring Sports Championships and the American Cancer Society Relay for Life.
Division III Championships
Baldwin-Wallace College will host the NCAA Division III championships at The George Finnie Stadium, which features Mondo's Mondotrack surface, the same track surface that was used for the 2008 Olympic Games. The track was installed in 2008 as part of a comprehensive $2 million renovation.
This will be the fifth time Baldwin-Wallace will host the Division III championships, and the first since 1999. "Since putting in the new track, we've seen a lot of fast times for the high school and college meets we've hosted," said Bill Taraschke, head coach, Baldwin-Wallace track and field. "Competition will be very tough for this year's championship meet, and I expect that we will see a lot of fast times there as well. It's a great track surface."
About Mondo's Tracks
The world's top track for more than 30 years, Mondo Super X Performance has been installed at more than 1,100 venues around the world. Recognized as one of the fastest, most durable and environmentally safest tracks available, it was used in the eight Olympic Games prior to Beijing.
Super X Performance was developed to maintain its initial physical properties throughout its life, so it provides consistent performance. The vulcanized natural rubber surface provides maximum elasticity and unparalleled durability, and its embossed, textured finish makes it extremely easy to maintain with no resurfacing required. This high-performance track is renowned for its shock absorption and optimal energy return, and its ideal blend of speed and comfort minimizes the occurrence of injuries.
Mondotrack builds upon the success of Mondo's world-renowned Super X Performance track. Mondotrack was designed to provide optimal traction and a greater contact area than other tracks. It converts the maximum amount of force generated by athletes' foot strikes to energy for maximum energy return, which helps athletes achieve faster times compared to running on other surfaces. Mondotrack also provides excellent athletic comfort and maximum safety with the optimum blend of speed and comfort to accommodate both high competition and training venues. More than 230 world records have been set on Mondo tracks, including five at the 2008 Olympics.
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 & Field and Cross Country 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.mondoworldwide.com.
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