SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 8, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sacramento State, once the national epicenter for the sport of track and field, is reestablishing itself as a go-to venue for track and field championships by installing a new state-of-the-art track: Mondo's new Super X 720 track. The university will be among the first in the world with the innovative new surface which is manufactured by Mondo, the global leader in the track and field, indoor sport and contract flooring markets.
The new eight-lane, 400-meter competition track going into Sacramento State's 21,195-seat Hornet Stadium is replacing a Mondo Super X Performance track that was installed in 1998. A two-lane, 400-meter warm up track and all runways also will have the Super X 720 surface.
Officials at USA Track & Field told Sacramento State that while the city had the weather and the fans needed to host major track meets, the school needed a new track to be considered for championship competitions. When university officials evaluated possible replacement tracks, Mondo emerged on top for several reasons, including the durability and performance benefits of the previous Mondo track.
"I've seen the beating that our Super X Performance track has taken since it was installed 15 years ago, and it has held up extremely well. It's been proven to be exceptionally durable," said Kathleen Raske, director of track & field and cross country, Sacramento State Athletics. "Knowing what our track surface goes through with football games and other events held in Hornet Stadium, we felt Mondo would hold up the absolute best. Plus, Mondo offers outstanding athletic performance. Numerous records were set on the Mondo track since 2000, including one world, six American, eight U.S. championship and six collegiate records. When it comes to worldwide athletics, there's no question that the No. 1 track surface is Mondo."
With the selection of the new Mondo Super X 720 track to replace the previous track, Sacramento State already has won the right to host two prestigious track and field meets: the 2014 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and the 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor West Regional Championships. Raske believes the new surface will help the university land even more important events in the future.
"Being among the first to install Super X 720, which is the first of its kind in the world, sets Sacramento State apart from other venues in the United States," she said. "This undoubtedly will enable us to host more national-class track competitions as well as recruit more top-notch track and field athletes."
The Super X 720 surfaces will be installed by Staples Construction Co., Inc., Ventura, Calif., while Robert Cohen Co. of Albuquerque, N.M., will serve as subcontractor. Installation will begin in April and is scheduled for completion by the end of May.
About Super X 720
Mondo's new Super X 720 track features reformulated rubber, and it combines the wear layer of Super X Performance track and the backing of Mondotrack vulcanized together to form one continuous, seamless piece of material that delivers exceptional traction, durability, drainage and safety. The reformulation of the rubber increases shock absorbency and energy return, which further helps the performance layer increase athletes' comfort during training and enables them to achieve faster times than when running on other surfaces.
About Mondo
Mondo is the global leader in the track and field, indoor sport and contract flooring markets, manufacturing flooring surfaces for virtually every application. More than 1,100 Mondo tracks and millions of square feet of the company's high-performance athletic surfaces are installed worldwide.
An official supplier of athletic tracks for the past 10 Olympic Games, Mondo also is the official supplier or official sponsor of more than 100 sports federations and associations.
A family-owned business since its founding in 1948, the company sells its products in more than 196 countries through Mondo-owned manufacturing companies in Italy, Luxembourg, Spain and China. For news updates, the latest on Mondo products, events and flooring installations, visit mondoworldwide.com and like Mondotrack's Facebook page and Mondo America's Facebook page.
Mondo and Mondotrack are registered trademarks of Mondo.