EUGENE, Ore.—Villanova women's cross country and track & field alumna Angel Piccirillo advanced to the semifinal round of the 1500 meters and 2024 men's track & field team member Sean Dolan made his professional debut in the first round of the 800 meters as the United States Olympic Team Trials resumed on Thursday following a two-day break. Piccirillo was advanced on time out of the first round heats in the 1500 meters.
MEN'S 800 METERS
The first event on the Hayward Field track Thursday afternoon was the first round of the men's 800 meters. Dolan, a seven-time All-American who capped his career with a fifth place finish in the NCAA 800 meters just two weeks earlier, stepped onto the same track donning not the familiar white Villanova singlet but the color red as he made his professional debut for Atlanta Track Club. Dolan signed with the club's Elite team as well as with adidas following the close of the outdoor collegiate season.
In his first professional race Dolan posted a time of 1:48.42 in Thursday afternoon's race. He made his second career appearance at the U.S. Olympic Trials after debuting at the meet in 2021 following his first full collegiate season.
WOMEN'S 1500 METERS
One of the most stacked events in the meet program at the Olympic Trials came down to an especially fast heat in the first round on Thursday evening. Piccirillo raced in the last of three heats and recorded a time of 4:08.25 to move on to the semifinal round. She narrowly held off the runner behind her by .19 seconds to claim the last on-time qualifying spot. All three on-time qualifies from an initial field of 38 competitors came out of that final heat.
Piccirillo came in 11th overall out of the 38 athletes in the first round. She went out strong with a 1:06.40 split for the first lap and was able to stay in position to advance even as the race heated up around her over the final 800 meters. The first 11 runners across the finish line in Piccirillo's heat all ranked in the top 12 overall. This is Piccirillo's second time competing at the Olympic Trials. She previously competed in the 800 meters in 2021.
UP NEXT
The semifinal round of the women's 800 meters is scheduled for 8:50 p.m. Eastern time on Friday night.
