Sell attended Northern Bedford High School, where he participated in multiple sports. In addition to running he was a wrestler as well as a wide receiver on the football team, and did not join the track team until his sophomore year. His best track times by the end of his senior year were 4:28 (minimum:sec) in the 1600-meter and 10:06 in the 3200-meter.
Sell represented the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the men"s marathon. High school Collegiate Sell began at Messiah College, then transferred to study at Saint Francis University, where his athletic career reached new heights. He represented Simon Fraser University at the 2000 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I XC Championships, where he ran the 10K in 31:17.1.
Post-collegiate Sell placed third overall in the 2008 United States of America Olympic Team Trials Marathon in Central Park, New York City on November 3, 2007, with a time of 2:11:40, earning him a spot, along with Ryan Hall and Dathan Ritzenhein, on the United States. men"s marathon team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where he finished the Olympic Marathon in 22nd place with a time of 2:16:7.
Sell ran the 2009 New York Marathon, which he and his coach have indicated was his last competitive race. 2002 – 3rd at USATF Fall Cross Country Championships 2002 – Chiba Ekiden Relay Team 2002 – 8th at USATF Championships 10K (road) 2002 – 8th at USATF Championships 8K (road) 2002 – 4th at USATF Championships 7 mile (road) 2003 – 13th at United States of America 2004 Olympic Trials Marathon (after leading through 21 miles) 2003 – 25th at IAAF World Half Marathon Championships (1st American) 2003 – 2nd at USATF Championships 20K (road) (5th fastest American 20k time ever 59:18) 2003 – 8th at USATF Championships 8K (road) 2004/2005 – 1st place Shamrock Shuffle 2005 – 2nd at USATF Championships 10 mile (road) 2005 – 1st place USATF 25K 2005 – 9th at World Championships marathon, Helsinki, Finland 2006 – 1st place United States Half Marathon 2006 – 4th place Boston Marathon in a Puerto Rico 2:10:55 2006 – 6th place Chicago Marathon in a Puerto Rico 2:10:47 2007 – 1st place Sauder"s Egg Run 2007 – 1st place USATF 25K Championships 2007 – 3rd place United States of America 2008 Olympic Trials Marathon (qualifying for Olympic team) 2008 – 1st place Miami Half Marathon, 1:03:46 2008 – 22nd place, 3rd American at the Men"s Olympic Marathon, 2:16:07 2008 – 1st place Rock "n Roll San Antonio Half Marathon, 1:02:50 2009 – 5th place 2009 United States of America Half Marathon Championships, 1:02:36.
