WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Aug. 13, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Mondo, the global leader in the sports flooring market, today announced the completion of another installation of a Mondoturf Ecofill Star artificial turf field. The latest school to choose the state-of-the-art artificial turf is West Liberty State College.
Mondo's Mondoturf Ecofill Star artificial turf field features Ecofill Star infill, a combination of 100 percent post-consumer recycled resilient granules and rounded or subangular sand, which provides unparalleled durability and is much better for the environment than traditional recycled rubber infill. Installation at WLSC's football field was completed in late July.
"Our teams have played on fields with infill made from recycled rubber, and we know those fields can give off tremendous heat," said Jim Watson, director of athletics, West Liberty State College. "It's amazing how much cooler Mondoturf Ecofill Starr fields are. It can get quite hot in West Liberty, and when we saw that Mondo could stay up to 30 degrees cooler than rubber infill-based artificial turf fields -- and that it's more environmentally friendly -- we felt we owed it to our student-athletes to install it."
WLSC officials knew they wanted an artificial turf field to replace the college's natural grass football field. The previous field was costly and demanding to maintain, and it was susceptible to muddy conditions during rainfall. To save wear on the stadium field, the football team practiced on a separate field. Now, with the more durable Mondoturf field, the team can hold practices at the same place it plays on Saturdays.
When the college began evaluating options for artificial turf fields, representatives decided to stay away from surfaces that used recycled crumb rubber for infill. When they considered the performance and environmental benefits of Ecofill Star over recycled rubber infill -- and after visiting another facility that had recently installed a Mondoturf Ecofill Star field -- WLSC officials were sold. "Any way we looked at it, Mondoturf Ecofill Star was the only way to go," Watson said. (A white paper detailing the performance and environment benefits of Ecofill Star is available at www.mondoworldwide.com/contract_tecnico_pdf/synthetic_turf_study%20_health_risks.pdf)
WLSC also had previous experience with Mondo installations: Its Academic Sports and Recreation Complex, built in 1998, features Mondo's Sportflex and Ramflex surfaces for its multipurpose room, jogging track and weight room, so school officials knew they would get exceptional customer service from the company. "Mondo has been absolutely excellent, from beginning to end," Watson said. "Everyone associated with the installation has been fabulous to work with." Vasco Sports Contractors of Massillon, Ohio, served as site contractor, and the architect was J.T. Sauer & Associates of McKees of Rocks, Pa.
The installation has generated excitement on campus -- the athletic department tracked construction progress with photography updates at its Web site throughout the course of the project, and photos of the completed field are now available online at www.hilltoppersports.com/content/TURF%20INSTALL/7-20-08/IMG_9137.html.
The Hilltoppers (www.hilltoppersports.com), who compete in NCAA Division II athletics, will inaugurate the new field Aug. 30 against Edinboro University. Watson predicts that visiting teams will be mightily impressed with the new surface. "Those with rubber fields will leave with their heads shaking," he said. "We believe we have one of the best fields in the country, at any level of athletics."
West Liberty State College is a four-year comprehensive college. Its athletic teams compete in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and the college counts former NFL defensive back Mark Murphy among its alumni.
Installed in more than 300 facilities worldwide, Mondoturf Ecofill Star 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 Star, 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 Star 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.
Mondoturf systems are manufactured in North America.
About Mondo
Mondo is the global leader in the sports flooring market, manufacturing floor 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's global headquarters are 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.
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Mondo is a registered trademark of Mondo.