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WASHINGTON BIBLE COLLEGE PRAISES BENEFITS OF
Taraflex® SPORTS FLOORING
ATLANTA, GA, MAY 2, 2005 - Administrators at Washington Bible College (WBC) in Lanham, MD realized they could no longer risk the potential of their students suffering repetitive use injuries when playing on an aging urethane floor. Their solution was to install Taraflex® Sports Flooring over it.
The surface of the 23-year old urethane floor had worn over the last few years, becoming more 'tacky' and making play difficult and risky, especially for the athletes competing in the school's National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) home games. So, school officials decided to relocate, reschedule or cancel home basketball games, practices and other activities to accommodate the late 2004 - early 2005 installation of the new Taraflex® floor in Wagner Center.
"The Taraflex® 3D floor looks like wood and plays better - with no dead spots," says WBC Athletic Director Brian Smith. "The resiliency of the floor is important. We have a 23-year-old building and in spite of our efforts, the roof leaks. Since Taraflex® was installed, we have had enough water on the surface already to have damaged a wood floor. We just mop the Taraflex® floor and it looks great. We got a good floor. Maintenance is even better with just daily dry mop and wet mop."
More than 17,000 square feet of Taraflex® Sport 3D Oak Design with blue keys, a blue border and white, blue and yellow game lines were installed for the main basketball court, main volleyball court, three auxiliary basketball courts and three auxiliary volleyball courts. The WBC Cougars' basketball and volleyball teams play on courts with two NCCAA logos and a Cougar's head logo. Center court displays the college's Cougar logo and the sideline features the College name with 'Cougars' along both baselines. WBC is also a member of the Shenandoah & Chesapeake Athletic Conference. The WBC Women's Basketball team finished first and the Men's team finished second in the Conference's 2004-2005 season.
In the few months the floor has been in place, Smith says it has drawn a lot of attention.
"Basketball officials who have been here before come in and say 'You told me you weren't getting a wood floor'," he explains. "Then they walk in and comment on how great it looks and feels."
There is no down time at the Wagner Center. In addition to indoor soccer, basketball and volleyball, it is the site for physical education classes, college registration, banquets, inauguration for the new WBC president and is rented out six days a week to other groups for sports activities.
"The schedule at Washington Bible College's Wagner Center may grow even busier as administrators see how easy the floor is to maintain and discover its versatility for different activities," says Stephane Leudet, national sales manager. "Students and athletes will appreciate Taraflex's comfort and shock absorption as each new sports season arrives."
Warthan Associates, Inc. of Hopewell, VA installed the flooring.
Approximately 300 undergraduate students attend WBC (www.bible.edu) which is a not-for-profit faith related institution of higher education.
Fitness Management magazine readers selected Taraflex® Sports Flooring for the second annual NOVA 7 Award as the best flooring/surfacing supplier for 2004. All Taraflex® synthetic floors are designed for safety and comfort. Their multi-layered construction includes 100% pure vinyl, reinforced fiberglass grid and closed-cell foam backing to provide shock absorption, help fight fatigue and deliver consistent ball bounce. Product treatments ensure easy maintenance, stain resistance and prevention of mold and bacteria growth. Taraflex® floors meet and exceed the stringent performance standards mandated by all major flooring associations. Gerflor Sports Flooring, LLC is the exclusive agent for Gerflor Sports Flooring.
For more information, call 800-727-7505.