Sean Dolan blasted a huge anchor leg to complete a historic performance by the Atlanta Track Club Elite at the Penn Classic at the Ott Center on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania on Friday night.
The NJ native, who starred at NJ's Hopewell Valley High and Villanova, ripped a 1:45.78 in the 4x800 relay to stop the clock at a stunning world record time of 7:10.29!!
Dolan, who joined the Atlanta Track Club Elite in 2024, led a powerhouse lineup:
- Clay Pender: 1:49.689 (26.479 + 26.487 + 27.516 + 29.207)
- Luke Houser: 1:47.467 (25.668 + 26.967 + 27.130 + 27.702)
- Luciano Fiore: 1:47.346 (24.716 + 26.000 + 27.372 + 29.258)
- Sean Dolan: 1:45.783 (24.620 + 25.839 + 27.204 + 28.120)
The race was close in the early stages as the University of Pennsylvania, coached by Dolan's father, Steve, led for the first leg with Joseph Socarras reaching the first exchange in 1:49.06, just ahead of Pender (1:49.69).
World indoor 1500m bronze medallist Luke Houser gained the lead for the Atlanta Track Club on the second of his four laps. Houser split 1:47.47, building a two-second lead and giving his team a shot at breaking the record.
Luciano Fiore extended their lead on the third leg with a 1:47.35 carry. Dolan took the baton for the final leg with a six-second lead as he began to race the clock!!. The NACAC U23 silver medallist in the 800 extended the lead to 12 seconds as he completed the history run by the ATC. The University of Pennsylvania finished second in 7:22.43 as the Quakers shattered a 49-year-old school record by nearly 8 seconds!!!!!!
Dolan is one of the greastest distance runners in NJ history!!!!
At Hopewell Valley High, Dolan won the mile at the 2018 outdoor New Balance Nationals in 4:12.22, one day after anchoring his team to an All-America finish in the 4x800 meter relay, on which he had a 1:49.82 split for the anchor leg. He was a 5-time All-American and he anchored a distance medley relay squad that set a high school boys Championship of America record at the 2018 Penn Relays in 9:57.77, with Dolan recording a split of 4:07.57 on the 1600 meter anchor!
At Villanova, Dolan's resume is legendary:
Silver Medalist, 2023 NACAC Under-23, 800m
5th, 2024 NCAA Championships, 800m
9-time Big East Champion
7-time All-American
2-time Penn Relays Champion (4xMile 2023, DMR 2024)
Owns Villanova school records at 800m and DMR indoors
2-time U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier