HAVERFORD, Pa., March 19, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As one of America's leading liberal arts colleges, Haverford College prides itself on providing unparalleled opportunities in both academics and athletics. That's why when the college resurfaced its Gary Lutnick Tennis and Track Center in December, school officials selected Mondo, the global leader in sports flooring.
The facility, which now boasts a four-lane, 200-meter oval Mondotrack and four Mondo tennis courts, gives students the opportunity to play, train and compete on a cutting-edge surface that provides real performance benefits. The college also has Mondo surfaces in the weight room and the training and locker areas.
Mondotrack enables athletes to perform their best consistently. This was evident during February's Haverford Quad track meet when two new school records were set. Haverford's women's 4x200-meter relay team clocked 1 minute, 46.31 seconds, and the men's team also broke a school record in the triple jump with a distance of 14.24 meters.
According to Wendy Smith, Haverford's director of athletics, the decision to go with Mondo was an easy one. "We wanted to have the best possible competition surface for both tennis and track," she said. "Based on conversations with other institutions and Mondo's reputation, we knew that surface was Mondo."
More than 40 percent of Haverford students participate in varsity sports, and more than 10 percent play club sports. Their feedback about the new track and courts has been extremely positive, said Ann Koger, head coach of Haverford's women's tennis team.
In particular, Haverford tennis players have noticed the difference. "The old court surface was a hard material that was very challenging for the tennis players, and it wasn't conducive to the highest level of performance," Koger said. "Competition and practice on the new Mondo courts are easier because they provide a truer bounce and, compared with the old surface, lead to fewer injuries and less muscle soreness. We hope to see a continued upswing in the athletic performance of our players and in our recruiting as a result."
Smith said the Mondo surfaces will be a long-term asset to the college. "The Mondo surfaces, along with other improvements we made to Alumni Field House, send a clear message: this is a top facility," she said.
Mondotrack was the track surface for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The surface builds upon the success of Mondo's world-renowned Super X Performance track, which has been the world's top track for more than 30 years and was the track of the previous eight Olympic Games. Mondotrack was designed to provide optimal traction and a greater contact area than other tracks. It converts the maximum amount of force generated by athletes' 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 with the optimum blend of speed and comfort to accommodate both high competition and training venues. More than 230 world records have been set on Mondo tracks, including five at the 2008 Olympics.
About Haverford College
Haverford College was founded in 1833 as an institution of learning grounded in Quaker values. Enrolling nearly 1,200 students, Haverford provides a liberal arts education based on a rich curriculum. In 2007-08, Haverford athletes and teams qualified for Division III NCAA postseason competition in 10 of 23 sports. Extensive renovations to many of the school's athletic facilities over the past several years have helped Haverford stand out for its combination of athletic and academic excellence.
About Mondo
Mondo is the global leader in the sports flooring market, manufacturing floor surfaces for virtually every sport. 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.
The Mondo logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=5765
Mondo and Mondotrack are registered trademarks of Mondo.