Notre Alum Molly Huddle has advanced to Friday's finals of the 5,000 meter women's run.

Huddle finished 5th in her heat but was actually in the lead for the final laps before being passed by four other runners in the final 80 meters.

Huddle clocked 15:02.26 in Tuesday morning's semifinal.

Huddle will be joined in the final by fellow American Julie Culley, who finished 5th in the 1st heat.

“I wasn’t clear what the first heat had run, but I knew it was fast because they said Julie [Culley] had a lifetime PR in 5th, so I knew we
had to go at least 15:10 in case I wasn’t 5th place," Huddle explained. "So I said, ‘you know it is scary and probably dumb to lead, but If I get a season’s best out of it and don’t make the final I’ll probably be a little happier than if I just jog around and don’t make the final.’”

Huddle, who graduated from Notre Dame in 2007, is the eighth-fastest qualifier overall.

Huddle and Culley have already made history, as they are only the third and fourth Americans ever to reach the women's 5,000-meter final at an Olympics.