“This is the best the women’s throwing program will ever be,” junior thrower Alexus Scott said of the upcoming track and field season.

Scott and senior teammate Ashely Gaston will return after they earned Honorable Mention All-American awards last season. Last year’s track and field team featured one All-American and four Honorable Mention All-Americans, all of whom returned this season.

When the Salukis’ season starts Saturday, they hope to improve from their previous conference finishes and qualify for nationals.

The women finished third in both the indoor and outdoor Missouri Valley Conference Championship meets last season. The men finished third in indoor and fifth in outdoor.

“Every year I go in, I have high hopes,” Coach Connie Price-Smith said. “On paper, we have the credentials to be more successful.”

Price-Smith said the women’s throwing team has the most depth on the whole roster.

“I hate to speculate, but I think there could be a few All-Americans in the group,” she said.

Scott finished 23rd in shot put at the outdoor NCAA Championships. She was also named All-MVC at indoor after finishing second.

Scott said she was ranked low in the outdoor regionals last season, but ended up qualifying for nationals.

“A lot of people look at me and wonder who I am and where I came from, so surprising people is a motivation for me,” she said.

Price-Smith, who was not shocked with Scott’s finish last season, said she has to believe in her talents and maintain confidence.

Gaston returns to the team after earning two Honorable Mention All-American awards last season. She finished 21st in shot put and 22nd in discus at the outdoor NCAA Championships.

Senior thrower DeAnna Price, an All-American in hammer throw, returns from an injury that kept her out during the 2013-2014 season. Her personal record of 65.04 meters ranked 18th in the U.S. in the 2012-2013 season and is fourth best in Saluki history.

Junior thrower Josh Freeman finished 10th in shot put at the indoor NCAA Championships and 21st at the outdoor NCAA Championships.

Freeman was the outdoor MVC Champion in shot put with a throw of 19.86 meters and the MVC Men’s Most Outstanding Field Athlete.

He earned All-MVC recognition in shot put and finished second in the MVC indoor championships with an 18.73 meter throw. Illinois State senior thrower Curtis Jensen won the event with an 18.81 meter throw.

He said he faced back issues, specifically with his sciatic nerve, early in fall training. He missed three weeks, but is ready to compete again.

“Once I get some more training in over winter break, I’ll be right back where I want to be,” he said. “I’m feeling healthy, fast and strong now.”

Freeman said his goal for the first meet is to throw about 63-feet-9-inches, a school record he set in 2014. He said by doing so, he would likely qualify for the national championships.

Senior thrower Curtis Wideman was also an Honorable Mention All-American last season by finishing 19th in the hammer throw.

He finished second in weight throw and third in shot put to earn All-MVC honors for both the indoor and outdoor seasons.

“We’re going to have a lot of people light it up in the throws,” Freeman said. “Not only in the conference, but I think our throws will be great nationally as well.”

The team will return all of the top performers from last season, including All-American sophomore high jumper Kyle Landon. Landon was the indoor and outdoor high jump MVC champion, and tied for third at the outdoor NCAA Championships.

Landon said he started last season injured, but has already seen a lot of improvement this year.

“I definitely want the national title this year,” he said. “Third place as a freshman last year was not expected, but you have to set the bar higher every year.”

Price-Smith said Price, Gaston, senior thrower Brad Sauer and junior jumper, sprinter and hurdler Kemar Jones will all miss the first meet.

The Salukis begin their season at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Saluki Fast Start.

Brent Meske can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @brentmeskeDE.