ORGANIC INFILL FOOTBALL FIELD COMES TO CENTRAL TEXAS

Austin, TX (March 3, 2017) - The Mustangs in Manor are busting out of the gate this spring with the first Central Texas athletic field to have organic Geo Plus infill added to their new Matrix® turf with Helix technology and Cushdrain® padding built by Hellas Construction. The Athletic Complex was built in 2009, and when the district decided to look into renovating the field, they sought out Hellas Construction.

“It was time for a new field,” said Ryan Warnick, project manager with Hellas Construction. “The field was eight years old and showing a lot of wear. They were also wanting to get rid of the track and make the end zones turf too, for special events or activities.”

Players were very excited on the first day of practice on the field. Head Coach Jimmie Mitchell said, “They were rolling around and doing flips. They loved it,” he said.

Mitchell became head coach for the Mustangs in May of last year, but with his 14 years of experience as an athletic director and head coach, he was able to help district officials make a lot of the key decisions for the field and he was even able to visit some of Hellas’ other organic infill fields . “I was in on the ground floor to do this field,” he said. “We visited Flour Bluff and Jourdanton and they told us how much they loved the fields, and we loved it too,” said Coach Mitchell.

“We’ve known people at Manor for years,” said Jim Loerwald, Business Development Manager with Hellas Construction. “They have seen the fields we have done recently and knew we would be the best choice,” he said. “The district decided to go with the Geo Plus infill because of the heat difference and the playability and chose Hellas because of our product and reputation,” Loerwald said.

The Manor field has the same Matrix turf with Helix technology and Geo Plus infill that Cal-Berkeley chose for their California Memorial Stadium. The Geo Plus® infill, exclusive to Hellas Construction, is the premium organic alternative to black crumb rubber and made with cork and coconut fibers. This organic combination of cork and coconut, along with silica pea gravel makes an infill that will stay put, with less “splash out” and act more like the dirt in real grass. It has optimal shock absorption, excellent traction in all weather conditions, without causing abrasions on players when falling or sliding. It is 100% organic and recyclable, containing no industrial or artificial components, meaning it can be reused for agricultural or gardening purposes at the end of a field’s life. The Geo Plus infill is also UV resistant, even at high temperatures, resisting break down and deterioration. This odorless infill doesn’t retain heat, but instead retains moisture, using it to cool the surface temperature of the field, similar to how sweat cools the skin on a person’s body. Surface temperatures on a field will be up to 40 degrees cooler than a regular synthetic turf field with the black crumb rubber.

The Manor Mustangs play their first game of the 2017 season on September 1, against Leander Rouse Raiders. When asked how the team will do this year, Mitchell said, “We’re going to do great!” He is excited to see how the new field affects their play. Go Mustangs!


The newly renovated Mustang Stadium in Manor features organic Geo Plus infill by Hellas Construction.


Geo Plus infill exclusive to Hellas Construction

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