NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame cross country and track and field programs will have two representatives competing for Team USA in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics over the first week of August. Yared Nuguse will compete in the 1,500m event while Molly Seidel is set to run the marathon.
The first round of the 1,500m is scheduled to start at 8:05 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 2 with the advancing runners moving onto the semifinals at 7 a.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 5. The 1,500m final is scheduled for 7:40 a.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 7.
Seidel will race in the marathon at 6 p.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 6.
Nuguse qualified for the Olympics by placing third at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon by placing third in the final.
The Irish standout is coming off a prolific season, as Nuguse made national headlines in the preliminaries of the ACC Championships on May 13, when he clocked a 3:34.68 time that set the all-time collegiate record, established ACC meet and Paul Derr Track facility records, reset the ACC overall record and improved on his own Notre Dame school record.
Nuguse went on to run the fastest time ever in the NCAA Championship’s 1,500 preliminary at Eugene, Oregon, and placed second two nights later in the final with a time of 3:35.60 that stands as the seventh-fastest in NCAA history. The Louisville, Kentucky, junior now owns three of the top 11 all-time NCAA men’s 1,500m marks on record.
Seidel is the most decorated runner in Notre Dame history, capturing four NCAA National titles. Seidel won the 2015 NCAA Cross Country individual title (19:36.2) and followed it up with two 2016 NCAA Indoor titles in the 3,000m (9:02.24) and 5,000m (15:19.64).
Seidel also won the 2015 NCAA Outdoor championship in the 5,000m with a time of 16:07.87.
The 2016 graduate made headlines when making Team USA in the marathon in February 2019 by placing second in the event, despite it being the first marathon she ever competed in.