National Mile Champ Sean Dolan Commits to Villanova


Sean Dolan of Hopewell Valley, one of the top recruits in the country, has made his college choice.

The winner is Villanova! Hopewell Valley coach Aaron Oldfield confirmed Dolan's decision on Monday. 

Dolan also visited Penn State and Providence,.

"I really enjoyed all of the schools, and the time I spent with the guys on the team,'' said Dolan, who is undecided about his major . "I knew it was going to be a tough decision. What set Villanova apart was the way I felt once I stepped on campus. I knew it was a place I wanted to be after meeting the team, and just seeing the vibe of the campus.''

Dolan is coming off of a spectacular junior season.

Last June, the New Jersey native put the finishing touches on a remarkable outdoor campaign with a sizzling double at the New Balance National Outdoor Championships at the University of North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, North Carolina. 

After a big 1:49.82 anchor leg on Saturday night to bring his team across sixth for All-American status in the championship 4x800m with a time of 7:41.84, the junior came back the next day to win the mile in 4:12.22. Dolan was in fourth place at the half-mile and second with a quarter to go, but he cranked out a 2:03.4 final 800m and a 59.8 second last quarter to rally for the victory.  

Dolan's personal best in the mile came when he ran 4:08.86 last May to finish second at the adidas Boost Boston Games, and the Penn Relays in April he blasted a monster 4:07.57 to anchor to bring Hopewell Valley from way back to capture the DMR Championship of American title in a meet record 9:57.77.

Dolan has gotten off to a strong start to his final high school cross-country season. At the Shore Coaches Invitational this past Saturday,  he ran a Holmdel Park personal best of 16:14 to capture the D Division race 


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