Four Jamaicans will will enter today’s start of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One track and field regionals at University of North Florida and Sacramento State University in California, as leaders in the country as athletes seek to qualify for the nationals set for Austin, Texas June 5-8.

Triple jumper Jordan Scott of University of Virgina, sprint hurdler Janeek Brown of University of Arkansas, discus national record holder Shadae Lawrence of Colorado State and intermediate hurdler Ranae McKenzie of Kansas State are all national leaders in their respective disciplines.

Fifty-six Jamaicans representing 35 institutions are down to take part in the three-day championships that will decide the qualifiers for the end of season nationals to be hosted by University of Texas in Austin.

The East Regionals will be held at North Florida’s Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, while the West Regionals will be held at Sacramento State University, California, and both will see equal numbers of qualifiers advancing to the nationals.

Scott has set a series of personal bests and school records on his way to 17.08m in the triple jump and will compete at the East Regionals, while Odaine Lewis of Texas Tech is ranked fourth nationally and Obrien Wasome of University of Texas is in seventh spot.

Lawrence has broken the national record in the women’s discus throw twice and her 65.05m is the third best ever in the NCAA. She will compete in the West, while Shanice Love of Florida State University, who will compete in the East, is ranked third with 61.54m.

Brown is the second-fastest female sprint hurdler in the world with her 12.55 seconds in the 100m hurdles with Jeanine Williams of Georgia Tech in fourth place.

Brown has also shown her speed over the flat events and is ranked number six in the 200m.

McKenzie has the top time in the 400m hurdles with 56.11 seconds and will compete in the West Regionals.

Lewis, who will contest both horizontal jumps, is the second ranked long jumper with 8.10m (2.4m/s) just ahead of his personal best 8.09m.

Roje Stona, a freshman at Clemson University, is ranked fifth in the discus throw with a personal best 61.22m.

Kiara Grant of Norfolk State, who broke the 19-year-old national junior record in the 100m when she ran 11.11 seconds, is the fifth ranked over 100m and the world leader in the Under-20 age group.

Jazmine Fray of Texas A&M is fifth in the 800m with her two minutes 03.39 seconds; Sashane Hanson of Texas A&M-Commerce is fifth in the high jump and Shardia Lawrence of Kansas State, Shadae’s twin sister, is ranked number six in the triple jump.