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| - University of North Dakota Director of Athletics Brian Faison announced the resignation of head men’s and women’s swimming coach Maviael Sampaio, who has accepted the position of head coach of the Elizabethtown (Ky.) Swim Team. “We are going to miss Mavi and his family,” said Faison. “He has done a truly exceptional job of leading the men’s and women’s swimming programs at UND and continuing their national dominance.” In eight years as head coach at UND, Sampaio guided the Fighting Sioux to seven men’s and five women’s North Central Conference championships. He has led UND’s men’s team to top-five NCAA Division II finishes in each of his eight seasons, including runner-up finishes in 2006-07 and 2001-02. His women’s teams have placed in the top five nationally in six of his eight seasons. “This is a new challenge for me that I want to try,” said Sampaio. “I want to try developing kids in the United States, doing the same job I was doing back home (in Brazil (also known as ) File:Flag of Brazil.svg ), coordinating their development and preparing them for college. With the experience and knowledge I gained at UND, I want to develop them and send them to the right places.” Since taking over UND’s men’s and women’s swimming programs prior to the 2001-02 season, Sampaio’s swimmers have captured 32 individual and relay NCAA Division II national titles and set six national records. In 2006-07, Rodrigo Ferreira was named the NCAA Division II Swimmer of the Year. During Sampaio’s tenure, UND swimmers earned 341 All-America honors for top eight national finishes, including 213 by the men’s team and 128 by the women’s team. “Taking over the program from Mike Stromberg, there were big shoes to fill,” said Sampaio. “I think I accomplished what the school wanted from me, raising both teams to the highest level in Division II. “This season, 2008-09, being the (program’s) first in Division I, we established the team as a good team, showing our swimmers and the entire swimming community that we belong at this level.” Last weekend at the Conference USA swim meet in 2009, Sampaio’s student-athletes broke 19 school records and recorded four NCAA Division I ‘B’ cut times. UND’s men’s team placed fourth while the women’s team finished fifth. Sampaio took over as Sioux head coach after spending the 2001-02 season as an assistant coach under Stromberg. Prior to arriving at UND, Sampaio spent three years as head coach of the Flamengo Swim Team in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (also known as ) File:Flag of Brazil.svg , and led the team to back-to-back national championships and eight South American records. He also coached the Brazilian National Team and at different points coached Brazil at the World Cup, World Championship, Pan-American Games and South American Championships. A native of Rio de Janeiro, Sampaio received a master’s degree in kinesiology from UND in July 2007. He received a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1986 from Tupa Physical Education University in Sao Paul, Brazil. According to Faison, a national search for Sampaio’s replacement will begin immediately.
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