DES MOINES, Iowa, April 20, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- One of the nation's great track and field events will celebrate its 100th year April 22-25, as the Drake Relays hosts a field featuring Olympic gold medalists, world record holders and numerous past champions. It is the fourth year that Drake Relays participants will compete on a Mondo Super X Performance track, the same track that has been used for eight Olympic Games.
Many meet and venue records have been established since the Super X Performance track was installed in 2006 at historic Drake Stadium. Eight Drake Relays marks were set or tied last year alone, including three by collegiate men, two in the women's invitational, one by a collegiate woman and two by high school girls. Last June, the university hosted the NCAA Division I outdoor track and field championships where three meet records and 19 stadium records were set on the Mondo surface.
"The Drake Relays has grown to become one of the largest and most important meets in the United States," said Brian Brown, Drake Relay's director. "Considering Mondo's Olympic heritage and the track's reputation for letting athletes perform their best, it's a surface worthy of the world-class athletes who compete at the Drake Relays and our student-athletes who use the track year-round."
The world's top track for more than 30 years, Mondo Super X Performance has been installed at more than 1,100 venues globally, and it is recognized around the world as the fastest, most durable and environmentally safest track available.
Designed to maintain its initial physical properties so it provides consistent performance throughout its life, Super X Performance features a vulcanized natural rubber surface to provide maximum elasticity and unparalleled durability, and its embossed, textured finish makes it extremely easy to maintain with no resurfacing required. The high-performance track is renowned for its shock absorption and optimal energy return, and its ideal blend of speed and comfort minimizes the occurrence of injuries. It was used for the track and field competitions at the eight Olympic games prior to Beijing in 2008. (The surface at Beijing was Mondo's newest track, Mondotrack.)
The 2009 Drake Relays will feature 113 events, including 20 invitationals as well as competitions for collegiate, scholastic and masters athletes. Among the luminaries scheduled to participate are three-time Olympic gold medalist Jeremy Wariner (400 meters); Olympic gold medalist Stephanie Brown Trafton and American record holder Suzy Powell-Roos (discus); and two-time world champion Perdita Felicien (100-meter hurdles).
ESPN2 will air action from the Relays' final session on a tape-delayed basis the following day; and this year's event will be a part of the prestigious Visa Championship Series.
About Drake University
Founded in 1881, Drake University is home to approximately 5,600 undergraduate and graduate students. It is ranked among the top universities for educational quality, student achievement and educational value. Drake athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division I level as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference and the Pioneer Football League. It also is home to Drake Stadium, one of the most popular track and field venues in the U.S. In addition to the Drake Relays, the 14,557-seat venue hosts several major annual events each year, including the Iowa High School Boys and Girls State track championships. Drake also was home to the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Among the track and field legends who have competed at the stadium are Bruce Jenner, Michael Johnson, Carl Lewis, Ralph Metcalfe, Al Oerter, Jesse Owens, Wilma Rudolph, Frank Shorter, Gwen Torrence and Jeremy Wariner.
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 deliver optimal athletic performance and are environmentally friendly.
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. 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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