SKOKIE, Ill., May 14, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Mondo, a global leader in the sports flooring market, today announced that Niles West High School will install Mondo surfaces at its Basrak Field. The Niles Township High School District 219 Board of Education chose Mondotrack for its new track and Mondoturf Ecofill Star artificial turf for its new field.
Niles West will be among the first high schools in the country to install Mondotrack, which also is the official track surface of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
The installation for both new surfaces will begin in late May, with completion scheduled for August. Niles North High School, part of the same school district, replaced its natural grass football field with Mondoturf Ecofill last year.
"We have been extremely happy with the Mondoturf field at Niles North," said Jeff Greenspan, chairman of the facilities committee at both Niles North and Niles West high schools and a member of the District 219 Board of Education. "Because it uses recycled plastic for its infill instead of rubber, it's environmentally friendly as well as safe for our athletes. Both factors were important in our decision. We have no doubt we are giving our student athletes the best field and the best track available."
An eight-lane Mondotrack will replace Niles West's existing six-lane rubber track, while the Mondoturf Ecofill Star will replace a natural grass surface. The track and field will be used for interscholastic competition and physical education classes, and the school will continue to make the venue available for use by youth sports groups.
"Expanding the track to eight lanes will enable Niles West to host premier track and field events," said Kaine Osburn, the school's principal. "Likewise, the Mondoturf field will enable us to host regional and sectional competitions in soccer and football without having to be concerned about adverse weather causing poor field conditions."
Osburn also noted that the Mondo field will lower maintenance costs while increasing the number of hours the facility can be used.
Niles West High School serves more than 2,500 students from the Chicago suburbs of Lincolnwood, Niles, Morton Grove and Skokie. It is the alma mater of Rashard Mendenhall, the former University of Illinois running back who was chosen in the first round of last month's NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Other famous alumni include former NFL quarterback Jim Hart and Olympic gymnast Bart Connor.
Mondotrack builds upon the success of Mondo's Super X Performance track, which has been the world's top track for more than 30 years. It was designed to provide optimal traction and a greater contact area than other tracks. It converts the maximum amount of force generated by runners' 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.
Installed in more than 300 facilities worldwide, Mondoturf Ecofill was designed through extensive biomechanical research to reproduce all of the properties of natural grass without the problems associated with artificial fields made of the increasingly controversial reground tire pellets, which are commonly used by other artificial turf manufacturers.
Ecofill, Mondoturf's infill, is an environmentally friendly material that is virtually odor free, even in hot, humid conditions. It delivers the appropriate amount of shock absorption and energy return for optimal, natural-field-like athletic performance. Ecofill also 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 Mondo
Mondo is the global leader in the sports flooring market, manufacturing playing surfaces for virtually every sport. The official supplier of the athletic track and basketball and handball courts of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, 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.
Mondo invests heavily in research and development to ensure its products meet the highest quality standards in the industry, deliver optimal athletic performance, are durable, require minimal maintenance and are environmentally safe.
A family-owned business since its founding in 1948, Mondo has its global headquarters in Italy. The company has manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and Asia and sells its products in more than 196 countries. More information about Mondo is available at www.mondousa.com.
Mondo and Ecofill Star are registered trademarks of Mondo.
The Mondo logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3747