KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The NCAA East Preliminaries begin on Thursday afternoon in Jacksonville, Fla., with three Western Michigan athletes set to compete against some of the best in the region. 

Sandra Ferrari will battle in the long jump after winning the event with a school record mark of 6.29 meters at the MAC Championships. She enters the competition ranked No. 20 in the region. She is a First Team All-MAC performer and will be making her second consecutive appearance at the NCAA Regional meet. 

Mabinty Kebe is fresh off of defending her title in the 400-meter hurdles at the MAC Championships, recording a meet record time of 57.46. That puts her second in school history and earned her First Team All-MAC recognition. She ranks No. 21 in the region and will be making her second straight regional appearance. 

Bri'Yanna Robinson had one of the best performances in the league at the MAC Championships, collecting 19 points across three events. She will compete in the shot put at the regional meet, coming in with a top mark of 15.62 meters. She ranks 38th in the region and will be making her fourth trip to regionals.