HICKORY, N.C., April 29, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Mondo, the global leader in sports flooring, today announced that Lenoir-Rhyne College will install Mondotrack SX as the track surface at its new Moretz Sports-Athletic Complex. Installation is due to be completed in August 2008.
The new 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. Globally recognized as the fastest, most durable and environmentally safest track available, Mondo's Super X Performance track has been used in the past eight Olympic Games, and Mondo is the official supplier to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing for athletic tracks.
The Mondotrack surface was designed to provide optimal traction and a greater contact area than other tracks. It takes the maximum amount of force generated by athletes' foot strikes and converts it to energy for maximum energy return, which helps athletes achieve faster times than when running on other surfaces. Mondotrack also provides excellent athletic comfort and maximum safety.
"Although we have had outstanding track and field teams in our school's history, we've never had our own intercollegiate track on campus," said Neill McGeachy, director, intercollegiate athletics at Lenoir-Rhyne College. "That's why it was essential for us to select the Mondotrack surface as the centerpiece of our new sports complex. With something this important, we did our homework, compared products and visited other venues. When we selected Mondo, we knew we had chosen a world class surface."
Mondo was honored that Lenoir-Rhyne selected Mondotrack as its track surface, according to Federico Stroppiana, president of Mondo North and South America. "We know how thoroughly the school evaluated its options before selecting Mondo, so we are especially pleased that they decided Mondotrack was the best product for the new track," he said. "We believe our dedication to developing the world's finest track surface pays off for every athlete and every facility."
This is the first on-campus facility for Lenoir-Rhyne's track and field teams, which were reinstated in 2002 after a 15-year hiatus. In the 1960s, when McGeachy was a student-athlete, practice was held on a dusty, vacant lot -- with chalk lanes drawn in the dirt by the track coach -- near the football stadium. The teams currently train at a local high school. The new complex will host the college's track and field, soccer, baseball and softball programs.
Established in 1891, Lenoir-Rhyne College is a private, co-educational college in Hickory, N.C, with an enrollment of more than 1,600 students. The college fields 17 intercollegiate NCAA Division II athletic teams. It is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is open to students from all religious backgrounds. More information about Lenoir-Rhyne College is available at www.lrc.edu.
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.
Mondo is a registered trademark of Mondo.
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