Highlights from the Redhawks Kick-Off Luncheon

A Southeast Missouri State football helmet sits on a bench during a game at Houck Field.

Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

The Southeast Missouri State athletics department held the Redhawks Kick-Off Luncheon at the event center in the Century Casino on Tuesday, attended by representatives of the four sports teams, distinguished media figures, and significant supporters.

One thing that stood out with the coaches' panel was how long each of them has been running their respective programs at SEMO. Heather Nelson built the women's soccer program from scratch and is in her 26th season as head coach. Ryan Lane runs the cross-country team and has been coaching at his alma mater for 14 years. Julie Yankus is about to start her 14th season as the volleyball coach. Football head coach Tom Matukewicz finished his first decade running the Redhawks last year and will enter his 11th season earlier than usual.

The Luncheon began with SEMO athletic director Brady Barke informing the crowd about SEMO's role in the NCAA's settlement in three cases – House v. NCAA, Hubbard v. NCAA, and Carter v. NCAA – involving back damages and future benefits for Division I student-athletes.

The settlement, which will pay $2.78 billion over 10 years to student-athletes ($280 million annually), is something that Barke says "fundamentally changes everything about college athletics."

"We're talking about them being paid in a sense, not as employees yet, but to receive a portion of the revenue that has been generated through college athletics," Barke said."

Barke also said the scholarship limit will also change starting next year. Currently, SEMO affords 191.3 scholarships across all sports. That number can rise to about 360 scholarships, totaling to "about $3.5 million."

Or as Matukewicz put it, the price to play has permanently changed.

However, Barke made it known that the fundamental mission of SEMO athletics has not changed.

"We're about graduating champions," Barke said. "We want every one of our student-athletes to come here and have as good of a student-athlete experience as we can provide. We want to prepare them for whatever's next in their lives and we want them to be able to walk across the stage, shake [SEMO president Dr. Carlos Vargas'] hand to receive their diploma, and have at least one championship ring. That's our goal and it's not going to change."

Last year, the Redhawks won the Ohio Valley Conference championship in softball, baseball, and women's indoor and outdoor track. Since 2020, SEMO has won 20 conference championships across 10 different sports.

Football

The Redhawks begin the football season in Montgomery, Alabama, on Saturday, Aug. 24, in the FCS Kickoff against North Alabama. The Week 0 event marks the first slate of FCS games of the college football season. The only time an FCS team like SEMO is featured on national television is Week 0 when they play an overwhelming FBS school and the playoffs.

Matukewicz said he was not originally for that game and that it took three meetings worth of convincing from Barke to get him on board with playing the first game of the season earlier than usual and away from Houck Field.

Now that the special event is two weeks away, Matukewicz emphasized the importance of such opportunities and what winning that game means for the program.

"The 2024 team has not earned this opportunity," Matukewicz said. "The teams before you, they gave you this opportunity. That's the truth. And it's really up to the 2024 team to take this opportunity and run with it.

"You only get so many opportunities in life," he added. "I've been doing this for a really long time. There's a window that opened. We need to make sure everybody who turns the TV on, they remember the Redhawks. I don't know what the line's going to be, but you don't want to bet against us, because there's a sense of urgency at fall camp. We're not going to lose this game."

With the departures of running back Geno Hess and Ryan Flournoy, "2,500 yards walked out the door." Matukewicz expressed confidence in the reinforcements recruited through high school and the transfer portal. However, as long as the offensive line is at its best, everything else on the attack takes care of itself.

"Ultimately there's one position on the field that really dictates all the other positions," Matukewicz said. "The O-line is really the key to all of it. If you're blocking people, you'll be able to throw it and you'll be able to run it. So that's been our mindset from recruiting to development."

Women's Soccer

In the 25 years under Nelson's guidance, the Redhawks have posted 19 winning seasons, won six Ohio Valley Conference regular season championships, and two OVC Tournament championships.

SEMO's season ended in the conference tournament semifinals. The Redhawks have been mainstays in the OVC Tournament and their journey back begins on Thursday, August 15, when they host Missouri-St. Louis at Houck Field. 

The Redhawks are picked to finish 7th in the OVC but return a lot of talent including Cayla Koerner, who Nelson describes as, "without a doubt one of the most athletic threats from a distance."

"I don't think Cayla knows how athletic she is," Nelson said, "and we're going to make sure we help her find that out."

Zoey Memmel returns for a fifth year after missing 2023 with an injury.

"That says a lot about resilience and determination in our sport because it's relentless with injuries," Nelson said.

Nelson has long been active in local recruiting, bringing in plenty of players from schools like Saxony Lutheran, Notre Dame, and Jackson, where her daughter, sophomore Justi Nelson, played. A total of four Jackson alumni currently play for the Redhawks.

"The fact that we've been able to be hands-on in this community and help grow students from a young age to fall in love with this sport has really been a big difference maker for us," Nelson said.

Cross Country

Lane expressed confidence that his men's team can be better this year than the best group of Redhawks assembled during their run as a Division I program.

"The best men's team that we've had in Division I was 2010 and they were 72nd out of 350-whatever teams in the country in Division I ahead of about 15 Power Fives," Lane said. "This team is significantly more talented on the men's side.

"I expect this to be better than the 2010 team," he added. "I won't accept anything less."

The SEMO track & field team has been a haven for local talent looking to expand into the college ranks. Cross country is no different. Returning local runners range from graduate student Clayton Eftink (Notre Dame), senior Haley Smith (Notre Dame), junior Layla Fliege (Jackson), sophomores Ryan Seabaugh (Cape Central) and Cade McCadams (Jackson).

"We absolutely live and die with local kids," Lane said. "Every one of these has either scored at a conference meet — meaning you got top 8 at the track conference meet or top 5 for our team —or they haven't had a chance to yet because they haven't started."

Volleyball

SEMO has been at the OVC Tournament in 12 of the last 13 seasons and has played in the championship game in four of the last five.

The Redhawks graduated a team full of seniors last year but still have enough talent to compete again this year.

"We have 18 people on the roster," Yankus said, "six returners, six freshmen, six transfers, so 12 new people from last season. A big change but we still have a lot of solid leaders that are coming back."

They added two new local products in freshman Holland Guilliams from Jackson and junior Alandry Below from Advance, who transferred after two years at Mineral Area College.

"Alandry is the most competitive person in the gym," Yankus said. "She plays way taller than she is, and she is definitely going to be a fun person to watch this year."

Unfortunately, SEMO doesn't host a home game until Oct. 2, 14 matches into the season, which starts in Arkansas State on Aug. 30.

"We aren't home for a long time but hopefully by the time you can watch us play at home, we'll have a solid record," Yankus said. "We'll have it all figured out by then and just be cruising along."

There is a lot of optimism in the Redhawks continuing to contend for a conference championship in its 50th season as a program.

"We're gonna get to the championship game this year," Yankus said, "and we're gonna win it."