Athlete Of The Week: Thomas Olean

SANDWICH – Thomas Olean has racked up the qualifications for states this winter.

Olean, a sophomore on Nauset’s swim team, entered last Friday’s meet against Martha’s Vineyard having already qualified for five events: the 100-yard butterfly, the 200-yard individual medley and the 50-, 100- and 200-yard freestyle.

He wanted a sixth.

Against Martha’s Vineyard, Olean dove into the 100-yard backstroke. He won the event with a time of 59.38 and, in the process, qualified for states in another race.

“It feels awesome,” he said.

Olean, 15, has been swimming for more than half his life. He started swimming for clubs when he was 6 and is now in his third year on the high school team. He cited consistency — practicing consistently, training, lifting — as to how he had reached this elite level of swimming.

“He trains hard,” Nauset head coach Justin Bohannon said. “He comes to practice every day. Works hard, and he just has a passion for it and swims hard.”

There are eight individual events at states, and swimmers can only swim two races per meet, so collecting all the qualifications is a gradual exercise. The sole two events left for Olean, should he want to go for them, are the 100-yard breaststroke and the 500-yard freestyle. He said he’ll try.

With all the different races, Olean said his process and approach varies. He said he tries to pace himself off the faster swimmers and hang around them and feed off them while going as fast as he can.

“Whenever we need someone to swim, he's the first one I go to,” Bohannon said. “No matter what stroke or distance, he’s the first kid I think of if I need someone in a certain race.”

Olean already has plenty of postseason experience. As an eighth grader, he went to sectionals and states as part of Nauset’s relay team. He was Nauset’s top swimmer as a freshman and made states in the 100-yard backstroke. Bohannon said Olean was “really coming into his own this year.”

“He's just been swimming unbelievably,” Bohannon said.