Several of the country's top collegiate athletes in the United States will be hoping to book tickets for next month's National Outdoor Track and Field Championships when the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division One East and West Preliminary round competitions get under way today with the men in action.

The University of Kentucky in Lexington will host the East Preliminary, while the West Preliminary will take place in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Twenty-four athletes, 12 from each region, will advance to the NCAA Championships scheduled for Eugene, Oregon, from June 10-13.