SPARTANBURG, S.C., June 11, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mondo, a global leader in the sports flooring market, today announced that Spartanburg High School is installing state-of-the-art Mondo turf and track surfaces as part of a major renovation of its athletic complex. For the artificial turf, school officials selected Mondoturf Fine Tuned System 3, and for the track surface, they chose Mondotrack.
Mondoturf FTS 3 replicates the playing performance and characteristics of a natural grass field, and it produces minimal environmental impact. Because of its low lifecycle cost, the system is an excellent value and it boasts exceptional safety features, including optimum shock absorption and energy return.
Spartanburg's new field, which is replacing natural grass, will serve as the school's main playing field and will be used for football (varsity practice and freshman and JV games), as well as soccer and lacrosse. The durable new field also will be used for youth sports.
Spartanburg High officials chose Mondoturf FTS 3 in part because the field minimizes environmental impact compared with other manufacturers' artificial turf. The turf system's infill, Mondo's Ecofill Star, is a patented, environmentally friendly, factory-manufactured polyolefin-based granule infill, not reground tire pellets, which are commonly used by other artificial turf manufacturers. Ecofill Star is virtually odor free, even in hot, humid conditions, and it retains less heat than traditional black rubber granules for reduced athletic fatigue and dehydration and field watering prior to use. It also is completely recyclable, which is an industry first.
"We were very interested in how the field would impact our students' health and the environment," said Myles Wilson, the school's athletic director. "We want to be a good steward, and we chose Mondo because we wanted a field that would not cause problems for others now and in the future. We didn't want chemicals from reground tire pellets getting into the atmosphere or water supplies. With Mondo, we could be sure we would be getting a product that is environmentally friendly and safe for everyone."
The FTS 3 underlayment is made of recycled tire pellets and other recycled materials that are treated and encapsulated in polyurethane, preventing the possibility of contamination and leakage. The underlayment compacts less than traditional systems, so the field's play and performance characteristics remain consistent throughout the entire surface, ensuring optimal play and outstanding ball action while minimizing the risk of injuries to athletes, even if the infill migrates. It also provides excellent drainage, which was another critical consideration.
In addition, the FTS 3 underlayment can continue to be used when the original turf reaches the end of its useful life and is replaced. The system also minimizes the cost of future turf replacements because it uses 45 millimeter or 50 millimeter fiber, which is less expensive and uses less infill than systems with traditional 60 millimeter fiber.
"The field is near a creek, so we needed a system that would drain quickly," said Glenn Stiegman, former assistant superintendent of Spartanburg School District 7 and a consultant for the renovation. "With the old natural grass field, the field would stay wet for too long after a rain. With Mondoturf FTS 3, we'll be able to use the field immediately after a storm without worrying about playability, injuries or field damage. We're very comfortable that we have the best option for us."
Wilson said research proving Ecofill Star's ability to minimize surface temperature was another important factor in the school's choice of fields. "We saw the research showing that the Ecofill Star infill helped keep temperatures down compared to fields with infill made from rubber," he said. "It gets very hot during our August practices, so if there was a way to reduce temperatures, we knew we had to do it, and that meant going with Mondo."
For its new track, Spartanburg High chose Mondotrack, the track of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. School officials were impressed not only by the surface's Olympic connection, but also by Mondo's warranty and customer support, and the track's reputation among other scholastic athletic directors. When the school was evaluating track suppliers, officials queried coaches from around the state for their recommendations.
"Before I even finished asking the question, every one of them said 'Mondo,'" Wilson said. "Choosing Mondo is a no-brainer in the track community. It's obvious at every level that Mondo makes superior tracks."
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 for both competition and training. More than 230 world records have been set on Mondo tracks, including five at the 2008 Olympic Games.
The new, eight-lane track will replace a six-lane crushed-rubber surface. "Our old track hasn't held up very well, and it needed frequent repairs, but with Mondotrack we know we're getting a first-class product that will stand up to heavy use and last a long time," Stiegman said.
Installation of the Mondo FTS 3 field and Mondotrack is scheduled for completion in the fall.
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 FIBA, IAAF, Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, 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, Mondoturf, Fine Tuned System and Ecofill are registered trademarks of Mondo.