Southeast Missouri State football adds running back coach to staff

The addition of Ghaali Muhammad-Lankford to Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz's staff was announced Tuesday afternoon.

Muhammad-Lankford, a native of St. Joseph, Missouri, will serve as the running backs coach.

"We are excited to have Ghaali and his wife, Taryn, join our Redhawk family," Matukewicz said in a press release. "I loved the fact that he was a great player, is from Missouri and coached at Mizzou."

Muhammad served as an offensive graduate assistant at Missouri and worked with then-receivers coach Pat Washington.

Prior to Missouri Muhammad helped coach running backs at the University of Wyoming in 2013, which included coordinating game plans, leading RB meetings and signaling to the running backs during games.

He also coached kick returners, helped with special teams, created scouting reports and managed scout teams.

He played at Wyoming from 2009 to 2012 and led the team in rushing before being sidelined with an injury the remainder of the 2011 season. The next year, his senior season, he recorded a team-high 106 tackles, 10 for loss and recovered four fumbles as a linebacker.

He graduated from Wyoming in 2013 with a degree in communications and is working toward his master's in positive coaching.

Matt Martin, who served as running backs coach and special teams coordinator the past two seasons, will now serve as special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach.

Salim Powell moves from WR coach to cornerbacks, a position he played at Southeast from 2006 to 2009. He replaced CB coach Melvin Rice Jr., who recently took the same position at Southern Illinois after one year with the Redhawks.

Gymnastics

Southeast junior Lauren Israel claimed a share of the Midwest Independent Conference's Gymnast of the Week honor.

Israel shared the honor with Mikailla Northern of Illinois-Chicago.

Israel's 38.825 in the all-around during Friday's win against Wisconsin-Whitewater was a career high. It was the second week in a row she'd increased her career best in the all-around, which she won at the meet.

She won the uneven bars title with a season-high 9.825. She also posted season-best scores of 9.775 on balance beam and 9.750 on floor.

"Lauren had a strong meet on Friday," coach Kristi Ewasko said in a press release. "She continues to work on the details at practice that will continue to increase her scores. She is a consistent competitor for us and we will continue to look for her to be a leader on each event."

The Redhawks travel to Columbia, Missouri, on Friday for a 7 p.m. meet against Missouri and Lindenwood.

The Redhawks' next home meet is Feb. 19 against Illinois State.