For the first time since the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association began using computer rankings in 2008, the SIU men’s track and field team is in the top 25.

The team is now No. 23, eight spots better than last week and 11 better than Week One.

Senior throwers Josh Freeman and Bradley Sauer and junior high jumper Kyle Landon are ranked in the top five nationally in their events.

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Freeman is fifth in shot put with a throw of 19.67 meters, which improved on his indoor SIU all-time record. He finished as an All-American in both indoor and outdoor shot last season. Freeman has won three of the four shot put competitions this year.

Sauer is fifth in the weight throw with a distance of 22.06 meters, set last weekend at the Vanderbilt Invitational. The throw also puts him at No. 2 all-time at SIU behind J.C. Lambert, who threw for 22.66 meters in 2012.

Landon is third in the high jump with a height of 2.24 meters. The height tied him for third all-time at SIU and puts him just shy of the automatic qualification mark of 2.25 meters for the Olympic trials.

The Salukis are back at home Friday at the SIU Recreation Center for the Don DeNoon Invitational.

Brent Meske can be reached at [email protected] or at 536-3333