1995 BYU Hall of Fame

Athletic achievement was already routine to Maria Betioli when she entered BYU in 1979 as a heralded freshman pentathlete from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Possessed with self-confidence and a sense of purpose, she had collected dozens of track and field awards in the high jump, relays, and hurdles. She has also competed for Brazil in the Olympic Games in two sports, track and field and volleyball.

After signing with BYU as one of the first women to receive an athletic grant, Maria focused on the high jump - a sport that was to bring her seven All-America awards. The first six came under the sponsorship of the American Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), precursor to women's involvement in the NCAA.

She was fourth at the 1979 AIAW outdoors (6-1¼), third at the 1980 AIAW indoors (6-1), second at the 1980 AIAW outdoors (6-0½), second at the 1981 AIAW outdoors (5-10¾), third at the 1982 AIAW indoors (6-0 ½), second at the 1982 AIAW outdoors (5-10), and fourth at the 1982 NCAA outdoors (6-0¼), the first year of NCAA sponsorship for women.

Maria still holds the South American record at 6-3½. She also owned BYU's outdoor record of 6-1¼ for 15 years and the indoor record of 6-1 for nine years. She is still fifth (indoor) and third (outdoor) on the university's all-time high jump lists.

Although Maria is best remembered for her skills as a high jumper, she also garnered many points for the Cougars in the sprint and hurdle events, including holding the school record for the 800-yard medley relay.

Among her many athletic honors, she was named AIAW All-Region VII in 1982 and All-Intermountain Athletic Conference seven times between 1979 and 1983. She received the Cougar Club Competitor Award in 1982 and the "Go Forth to Serve" Award in 1991.

Maria graduated from BYU in 1983 with a BS degree in recreation management and remained on campus to earn an MS degree in recreation administration in 1984 and an EdD in professional leadership in 1992.

Reflecting the humanitarianism of her mother, a generous, caring person, Maria has served for 12 years with the Food and Care Coalition in Provo. In 1993 she was elected executive secretary of the coalition's board of directors and a member of its Program, Nomination, and Public Education Committees. She is also a valued member of the Task Force in Special Education for the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD).

Maria is married to Hermes Zanandrea, a PhD graduate of BYU.

• Named AIAW All-Region VII for indoor track and field

• Named Outstanding Female Athlete of the Meet at the Vandal Indoor Invitational at Moscow, Idaho for a meet record high jump of 6-1
• Named AIAW All-Region VII in indoor and outdoor track and field
• Placed third at indoor nationals (6-1) and second at outdoor nationals (6-1/2), earning two All-America honors

• Named AIAW All-Region VII in indoor and outdoor track and field
• Placed second at national outdoors on a wet field (5-10.75), earning All-America honors

• Placed third at national indoors (6-0.50), earning an All-America citation