TIFFIN, Ohio, May 14, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The final step of a nine-year, $30 million building campaign at Tiffin University has come to a conclusion with the opening of the Heminger Center, the campus' new state-of-the-art student recreation center. The 120,000-square foot building features sports surfaces made by Mondo, the global leader in the track and field, indoor sport and contract flooring markets.
The facility, part of a Tiffin initiative to enhance its campus facilities, includes an indoor track; four multipurpose courts that will be used for basketball, volleyball and tennis; an artificial turf field that will be used for TU football, soccer, lacrosse, baseball and softball team practices, intramurals, club sports and other recreational activities; coaches' offices; locker rooms; an athletic training room; two classrooms and a food court.
When it was time to select a track, Mondo was an easy choice. "I've been involved in track and field for more than 25 years, as both a competitor and a coach, and Mondo has always been the fastest surface that any of my teams have run on," said Jeremy Croy, Tiffin's track and field head coach. "Plus, the new Mondotrack surface feels great, and it's the surface of the 2012 Olympics, which is a good selling point and an excellent showcase feature for our university."
In addition to Mondotrack for the indoor track, TU officials chose Mondo's Sportflex M for the multipurpose courts, and its Mondoturf with 3NX fiber for the artificial turf field.
- Mondotrack, the official track of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics, provides the optimum blend of speed, safety and comfort for both high-speed competition and training. 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.
- Sportflex M, Mondo's indoor-outdoor multipurpose rubber flooring, withstands static and rolling loads, such as bleachers, tables and chairs. It is stain resistant and does not require any coatings or special maintenance.
- Mondoturf is Mondo's latest-generation artificial turf system.
- 3NX fiber perfectly mimics the way natural grass responds with outstanding resilience and durability while offering superior player comfort. Ideal for soccer, the groundbreaking 3NX fiber lends itself to easy pivots and turns even in high-torque scenarios. Ball roll and bounce mimic roll and bounce on natural grass.
TU purchased the surfaces from Kiefer Specialty Flooring, Lindenhurst, Ill., which also performed the installation.
"Designed to enhance student life, Heminger Center will provide flexibility for students' recreational experiences and will improve the level of competition for our athletic teams," said Tiffin University President Paul Marion. "It also will be available for use by area schools and community groups as well as for conferences, trade shows and other activities. In addition, university commencement ceremonies will be held there."
The facility was named after Gary and Jane Heminger, who made a generous contribution to the university for construction of the recreation center.
About Tiffin University
Founded in 1888, Tiffin University is a private, coeducational university located on a vibrant, 110-acre campus in north central Ohio. It offers its 6,816 students professionally focused academic programs through on-campus and online courses.
About Mondo
Mondo is the global leader in the track and field, indoor sport and contract flooring markets, manufacturing rubber flooring surfaces for virtually every application. More than 1,100 Mondo tracks and 800 Mondo artificial turf fields are installed worldwide. An official supplier of athletic tracks for the past nine Olympic Games and the upcoming 2012 London Olympics, Mondo also is the official supplier or official sponsor of more than 100 sports federations and associations.
The company supplies a wide variety of commercial rubber flooring and manufactures 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 mondoworldwide.com.
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Mondo, Mondotrack and Mondoturf are registered trademarks of Mondo.