Sean Dolan

Road to Atlanta Track Club Elite

Growing up, Sean was devoted to playing soccer. But by his junior year in high school, he was all-in on track: first, because of a freshman track season when he surprised himself at how well he competed despite his commitments on the pitch, and second after a "promotion" to elite soccer that began to feel more businesslike and less enjoyable. The switch quickly paid off: By the end of that 2018 junior season, he was a national champion in the mile and ranked #1 (4:08.86) in the state. After finishing his high school career as a five-time All-American, he became one of the best male middle-distance runners in Villanova history, a seven-time All-American and nine-time Big East Champion, winning two Penn Relay titles and qualifying for six NCAA Championships. He graduated in 2023 with a bachelor's degree in communications and is pursuing an MBA remotely with a focus on marketing.

All in the Family

Sean's mother, Nicole, ran 400 and 800 meters for Division 1 Wagner College on Staten Island; his father, Steve, was the 1992 NCAA Division II Champion in the decathlon and is now the track and field/cross country coach at the University of Pennsylvania and director of the Penn Relays; his older brother, Tim, ran for their father at UPenn. (The brothers, only a year and half apart in age, teamed up on three record-setting relays in high school.)

Brotherly Love

Between a stress fracture and COVID-19, Sean spent his true freshman season at Villanova in what felt like one long build-up for 2021. After a great indoor season that saw him finish fourth in the mile at NCAA Indoors, however, Sean missed qualifying for the NCAAs outdoors in the 1500m. "I wanted to give it one more try to qualify for the Olympic Trials, and I thought my best chance would be at the 800," he said. "So, I asked my brother to pace me (at a meet on Randall's Island in New York City), and he took me through 400 meters to a big PR." Sean's time of 1:46.41 not only slashed his personal best of 1:48.29 but also earned him a Trials berth on the last day of the qualifying window. "I just ran out of my skin," Sean recalled. "That was a pretty cool moment for us. It was a time so ridiculous I couldn't believe it." Three days later the 20-year-old was in Eugene, where he finished 11 th in the semifinals. He hasn't missed a USATF Championships since.

Why Atlanta Track Club?

Sean already knew Tommy Nohilly, coach of Atlanta Track Club Elite, and when the chance came to consider the Club, it seemed like a good idea to come down for a visit. He liked what he saw: the focus on middle distance, the cohesive team environment, excellent training partners, the weather. "I've done my fair share of shoveling tracks of snow," he said. "Being in warm weather is something that really excites me."

What He Most Wants to Work On

"I've always said I'm at my best in the 800 when I'm at my best in the mile. I'm excited to get really strong, run a little harder in practice, do more race-specific intervals. You have to be humbled sometimes in practice; if that involves some throwing up, we'll see. Taking those calculated risks is something I'm pretty excited about. I'm looking forward to pushing my body to its limits and seeing what I can do in this sport as I try to become the athlete I've always dreamed of being."

Coffee Break

"Coffee is something I've grown to love more than just something you have in the morning. It's like art sometimes, if you get a good coffee that passes the taste test and passes the smell test. Having international roommates and teammates at Villanova, that was always something they were passionate about and being around them, it became a hobby of mine. I haven't had the financial means to make the investment in a big-rig espresso machine, and it worries me a little bit that if I do get it I'm going to be obsessed with it."

How He Knows When He's Ready to Race

"I know I'm ready when the pre-race jitters kind of settle in. I feel like I'm at the point now where I don't get nervous for races; I think my body tells me it's time to go when the time gets closer and closer and closer. It's getting in tune with the environment, seeing your competitors, the chaos of the warmup track, thinking 'alright, now I have to pony up and do it.' I'm ready when I become one with the event, become engulfed in it."