EUGENE, Ore. — Former Penn State standout Bridget Franek kept her London Olympic dreams alive thanks to a solid performance Monday in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase at the U.S. Track and Field .

Franek covered the distance in 9 minutes, 45.05 seconds to win her heat by a half-second over Sara Hall. Franek’s time was second best among the 14 qualifiers for Friday’s final, trailing Colorado’s Emma Coburn, who ran 9:43.19, to win Monday’s other heat.

Franek, a 2010 graduate, is hoping to become the second track and field athlete with Penn State ties to qualify for the London Games. On Sunday, volunteer assistant coach Ryan Whiting qualified in the shot put with a 71-feet, 3/4 -inch effort.