Sean Daly never ran indoor track in high school, mainly because Weedsport didn't have an indoor track and field team.

But the Oneonta sophomore has made a quick and successful transition to indoor running.

On Saturday, Daly earned his first All-American honor when the Oneonta 4x400 relay team won the indoor national title at the NCAA Division III championships in Terre Haute, Ind. Daly, who runs the third leg, helped his team edge Caroll College with a time of 3:17.19.

The other members of the relay team are senior Joe Reed, of Rome, junior Fred Romer, of Garrison, and senior Eric Theiss, of Saratoga Springs. The foursome also won the SUNYAC and ECAC titles as well this season.

“We went in with a fast seed and were really confident about it,” Daly said. “We've worked really hard for this and we did what we came to do. It was a nice feeling to win at nationals.”

This was also the first national title for the Oneonta men's indoor track and field program, which is in its seventh year as a varsity sport.

Since both of his parents are runners, it was an easy choice for Daly to take up the sport at an early age.

“I ran in a fun run at 2 years old,” Daly said. “So I guess it's in my blood. I really look up to my dad, he was really fast and both of my parents enjoy running.” While other area schools participated in indoor track and field, Daly said he was running on his own in the snow during the winter sports seasons in high school.

And he still has a passion for outdoor track.

Daly is looking forward to the upcoming season and is hoping to pick up another national title.

“This is my first year running, since I was injured all last year,” Daly said. “So to be able to get out there and do this well, I just want to keep the success going. We want to repeat this in outdoor and take the national title there, too, for the 4x400 relay. I would also like to get closer to the provisional national time in the 800-meter, even if I don't qualify.”

Daly also helped the distance medley relay team finish in second place at the SUNYAC championships and has a season-best time of 1:57.22 in the 800-meter.

“I am competitive in everything I do,” Daly said. “There is an individual sense of accomplishment in knowing that I helped these guys out, which is nice. In high school I was the fastest on the team and now I am the slowest on the relay team, which is a good feeling because I know that if I screw up at all the whole team will be affected. The feeling of the team victory trumps the individual completely.”