Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Insider Podcast - Season 8 - Episode 17
1/12/2026 6:03:00 PM | Gymnastics, Tennis, General
Cantu, Kucera Ignite Eastern Insider Winter Debut Show
Click Here to Listen to the Podcast.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Eastern Michigan opened the new year and the winter semester with optimism, humor, and a packed agenda as Greg Steiner and Elena Davis set the stage during the opening segment of Episode 17 of Season 8 of the Eastern Insider Podcast Powered by DTE.
"New year, new Eastern Insider, back and better than ever," Steiner said as the show began on Jan. 12, the first day of classes on campus. The timing added to the mood. The sun was out. Snow was nowhere to be found. "By my check it is January 12th," Steiner said. "That's scary." Davis pushed back on the concern, pointing out the upside. "It is fantastic because today is also the first day of practice for EMU baseball for the spring as well as lacrosse," she said. Both teams practiced outside, a detail that drew surprise. "They were outside," Steiner said. "That sounds awful." Davis defended the decision, noting winter weather loomed later in the week. "You have to get every opportunity you can," she said, especially with baseball less than a month from first pitch at Little Rock.
The conversation shifted to reflection as the calendar turned. Davis said she entered the year focused on confidence. "I want to be better at not second-guessing myself," she said. "I have this position for a reason." She added that early broadcasts in the new year reinforced that belief. "I feel like I've done a pretty spectacular job," she said. Steiner took a different view on resolutions. "I don't do New Year's resolutions," he said. He explained the challenge rests in turning short term motivation into daily habit. "You could say you're going to do something," he said. "It doesn't mean you're actually going to do it." Still, he shared a personal goal tied to balance. "I've got to be better at leaving at a decent time of the day," Steiner said, admitting long nights at the office remained common.
With the tone set, the show moved into athletics. Eastern Michigan basketball faced a difficult stretch. The men dropped a road game at Western Michigan. The women fell at Kent State while playing without Sisi Eleko. Davis noted the context, calling Kent State the preseason favorite. The week ahead offered opportunity. The men returned home Tuesday to face Northern Illinois in the Huskies' final visit before leaving the league. The night also honored EMU President James Smith. "It's a big night," Steiner said. Davis added another detail fans welcomed. "It also marks the return of the EMU basketball band," she said.
The women traveled next, heading to Oxford to face unbeaten Miami. Coverage plans followed, then the weekend slate. The men traveled to Bowling Green. The women headed north to Mount Pleasant. "Those dreaded Chippewas," Steiner said.
The episode previewed two featured interviews. Steiner spoke with tennis coach Ryan Kuchera as his team opened the season Saturday against Cleveland State. "He's in his third year," Steiner said, noting the opponent was coached by an EMU alum. Gymnastics followed, with Gwen Cantu joining the show after a strong opening meet. Davis highlighted the result. "She got first in vault at Bowling Green," she said. "We got first in every rotation." Steiner added context. The road win marked the program's first in more than a year. Davis said the team needed it. "They really needed and appreciated it," she said.
Attention turned to the upcoming home meet, which doubled as a themed event. Fans were encouraged to dress as characters from Golden Girls. Steiner named them all. "Blanche, Rose, Sophia, and Dorothy," he said, earning praise from Davis. "Grandma Betty would be proud," she said. The conversation drifted into the show's cultural impact. "They were before their time," Steiner said, referencing storylines that pushed boundaries decades ago. He joked the series shaped him. "They helped expand my horizon," he said.
The open closed with a look ahead. "We are inching ever closer to episode 200," Steiner said. Just three episodes remained. Davis echoed the excitement as the show paused for break. "We are back and better than ever," she said, setting the tone for the interviews and the semester ahead.
Segemt 1 - Gwendelyn Cantu
The moment stayed with Gwendelyn Cantu long after the meet ended. The Eastern Michigan junior stood atop the vault standings for the first time in her career, a breakthrough built on years of work and steady belief.
"It feels pretty good," Cantu said. "And for the first one, it just feels amazing."
Cantu earned first place on vault during Eastern Michigan's meet at Bowling Green, marking a personal milestone early in the season. The result confirmed progress she felt long before the scores posted.
"It just feels like my hard work has paid off in the gym," she said. "And it feels like I can just keep accelerating throughout the season."
Vault was not always a strength. Cantu said power and technique developed over time, especially after arriving at Eastern.
"I got more powerful," she said. "Coming into college, I have great college coaches that have really helped me to be better at vault and the corrections."
The growth did not come easily. As a high school underclassman, Cantu lacked the skills needed to compete at the next level.
"When I was a freshman in high school and sophomore, junior, I never even had a full," she said. "It was like, yeah, I want to compete in college. So I get that full down."
Eastern began the meet on bars, where energy set the tone for later success. Cantu credited team chemistry for maintaining momentum through each rotation.
"The energy was just super high," she said. "We just kept dancing, kept cheering, making jokes, laughing. It's so fun."
Mental preparation plays a central role in her routine. Cantu acknowledged ongoing challenges, especially after a recent fall on bars.
"I definitely have struggled with the mental aspects of gymnastics," she said. "I did peel off the bar a couple months ago. It's still in the back of my head. It probably always will."
Even so, she continues to push forward.
"I want to do it for myself," Cantu said. "I want to do it for my team, my coaches."
Cantu praised head coach Katie Minasola for creating a positive environment. Donovan enters her ninth season leading the program.
"She's so funny. She's the best," Cantu said. "She still has that energy. Every day feels fresh."
Cantu's journey to Eastern began with a single offer. She committed quickly after visiting campus.
"Eastern was my first offer," she said. "I stepped foot here, met the coaches, and I knew."
The transition from Illinois brought challenges, but family support eased the move. Her parents attend nearly every meet.
"They come to every competition," Cantu said. "At least one of my parents is always there."
They witnessed her first-place vault at Bowling Green, a venue where she had never competed before due to injury.
"I was super excited yesterday to be able to compete there," she said.
Looking ahead, Cantu expressed excitement for postseason competition and hosting the MAC Championships next season.
"The energy is going to be so high," she said. "Friends can come. More family can come."
Outside the gym, Cantu enjoys wakesurfing during the summer in Tennessee.
"I can do a 360," she said. "I love it."
Eastern returns home Saturday for Golden Girls Night. Cantu delivered a clear invitation.
"If you want to see some cool flips and new leos, pull up and come watch," she said. "It's going to be a good meet. I can feel it."
Segment 2 - Ryan Kucera
Spring brings a shift for Eastern Michigan women's tennis. Fall invitationals fade. Team tennis takes over. Third-year head coach Ryan Kucera sees the change every January.
"It's always an interesting time for me because I love going home to see my family," Kucera said. "I love that my student-athletes get to go home and see their families, but also, there's that building excitement. And it's just so fun to be back, starting practice, spending every day with the team, and building something great."
Fall events focus on individual results. Spring asks for shared responsibility. Six singles courts. Three doubles matches. Every point affects the group.
"Most of these young women, their whole lives have been competing just for themselves," Kucera said. "And so when you start playing side by side with your teammates, six young women in a row battling together against an opponent, the little things of competition start to matter a lot more."
Body language matters. Effort matters. Support matters.
"Can you keep good body language even when you're losing," Kucera said. "Because that's going to affect the person next to you."
Eastern enters the spring with a young roster. Buy-in arrived early. Kucera saw signs during fall tournaments.
"Some of our fall invitational tournaments felt like that with the way the young women were engaged with each other," Kucera said. "Supporting each other when they played, giving each other feedback."
Development extends beyond match play. A partnership with the Kovacs Institute through GameAbove added structure to training and recovery.
"The biggest thing we learned was on the physical side, the recovery aspect," Kucera said. "Periodizing our training so that we're able to continue to grow even throughout playing a ton of matches."
The work helped manage injuries and sustain form over extended periods.
"That was really helpful to help us manage the team and manage some injuries," Kucera said.
Support also shows up at the Chippewa Club, home of EMU tennis. Facility upgrades and daily backing from staff built a strong home environment.
"They know our team. They're big fans of our girls," Kucera said. "Our girls are big fans of them. And it really makes it feel like home for us."
Eastern posted strong home results during the past two seasons. Kucera credits atmosphere as much as tactics.
Preseason expectations placed Eastern eighth in the Mid-American Conference. Kucera shrugs.
"Nobody's ever won or lost a championship in a preseason poll," Kucera said. "The goal every year is to win the championship."
Roster turnover contributed to outside projections. Four or five starters departed. Belief stayed.
"I will ride with this group over any group because of the commitment, the enthusiasm, how much we've improved over the fall," Kucera said.
Eight players bring eight nationalities. Culture forms through intention.
"They want to be teammates. They want to get to know each other," Kucera said. "We try to be a team that is open and curious."
The season opens Jan. 17 at home against Cleveland State. Admission costs nothing. Kucera offers one request.
"Get here for the doubles point," Kucera said. "See college doubles. It is so fun. It is so energetic. It is so fast-paced."
Fans will see speed, pressure, and emotion up close. Spring tennis has arrived.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Eastern Michigan opened the new year and the winter semester with optimism, humor, and a packed agenda as Greg Steiner and Elena Davis set the stage during the opening segment of Episode 17 of Season 8 of the Eastern Insider Podcast Powered by DTE.
"New year, new Eastern Insider, back and better than ever," Steiner said as the show began on Jan. 12, the first day of classes on campus. The timing added to the mood. The sun was out. Snow was nowhere to be found. "By my check it is January 12th," Steiner said. "That's scary." Davis pushed back on the concern, pointing out the upside. "It is fantastic because today is also the first day of practice for EMU baseball for the spring as well as lacrosse," she said. Both teams practiced outside, a detail that drew surprise. "They were outside," Steiner said. "That sounds awful." Davis defended the decision, noting winter weather loomed later in the week. "You have to get every opportunity you can," she said, especially with baseball less than a month from first pitch at Little Rock.
The conversation shifted to reflection as the calendar turned. Davis said she entered the year focused on confidence. "I want to be better at not second-guessing myself," she said. "I have this position for a reason." She added that early broadcasts in the new year reinforced that belief. "I feel like I've done a pretty spectacular job," she said. Steiner took a different view on resolutions. "I don't do New Year's resolutions," he said. He explained the challenge rests in turning short term motivation into daily habit. "You could say you're going to do something," he said. "It doesn't mean you're actually going to do it." Still, he shared a personal goal tied to balance. "I've got to be better at leaving at a decent time of the day," Steiner said, admitting long nights at the office remained common.
With the tone set, the show moved into athletics. Eastern Michigan basketball faced a difficult stretch. The men dropped a road game at Western Michigan. The women fell at Kent State while playing without Sisi Eleko. Davis noted the context, calling Kent State the preseason favorite. The week ahead offered opportunity. The men returned home Tuesday to face Northern Illinois in the Huskies' final visit before leaving the league. The night also honored EMU President James Smith. "It's a big night," Steiner said. Davis added another detail fans welcomed. "It also marks the return of the EMU basketball band," she said.
The women traveled next, heading to Oxford to face unbeaten Miami. Coverage plans followed, then the weekend slate. The men traveled to Bowling Green. The women headed north to Mount Pleasant. "Those dreaded Chippewas," Steiner said.
The episode previewed two featured interviews. Steiner spoke with tennis coach Ryan Kuchera as his team opened the season Saturday against Cleveland State. "He's in his third year," Steiner said, noting the opponent was coached by an EMU alum. Gymnastics followed, with Gwen Cantu joining the show after a strong opening meet. Davis highlighted the result. "She got first in vault at Bowling Green," she said. "We got first in every rotation." Steiner added context. The road win marked the program's first in more than a year. Davis said the team needed it. "They really needed and appreciated it," she said.
Attention turned to the upcoming home meet, which doubled as a themed event. Fans were encouraged to dress as characters from Golden Girls. Steiner named them all. "Blanche, Rose, Sophia, and Dorothy," he said, earning praise from Davis. "Grandma Betty would be proud," she said. The conversation drifted into the show's cultural impact. "They were before their time," Steiner said, referencing storylines that pushed boundaries decades ago. He joked the series shaped him. "They helped expand my horizon," he said.
The open closed with a look ahead. "We are inching ever closer to episode 200," Steiner said. Just three episodes remained. Davis echoed the excitement as the show paused for break. "We are back and better than ever," she said, setting the tone for the interviews and the semester ahead.
Segemt 1 - Gwendelyn Cantu
The moment stayed with Gwendelyn Cantu long after the meet ended. The Eastern Michigan junior stood atop the vault standings for the first time in her career, a breakthrough built on years of work and steady belief.
"It feels pretty good," Cantu said. "And for the first one, it just feels amazing."
Cantu earned first place on vault during Eastern Michigan's meet at Bowling Green, marking a personal milestone early in the season. The result confirmed progress she felt long before the scores posted.
"It just feels like my hard work has paid off in the gym," she said. "And it feels like I can just keep accelerating throughout the season."
Vault was not always a strength. Cantu said power and technique developed over time, especially after arriving at Eastern.
"I got more powerful," she said. "Coming into college, I have great college coaches that have really helped me to be better at vault and the corrections."
The growth did not come easily. As a high school underclassman, Cantu lacked the skills needed to compete at the next level.
"When I was a freshman in high school and sophomore, junior, I never even had a full," she said. "It was like, yeah, I want to compete in college. So I get that full down."
Eastern began the meet on bars, where energy set the tone for later success. Cantu credited team chemistry for maintaining momentum through each rotation.
"The energy was just super high," she said. "We just kept dancing, kept cheering, making jokes, laughing. It's so fun."
Mental preparation plays a central role in her routine. Cantu acknowledged ongoing challenges, especially after a recent fall on bars.
"I definitely have struggled with the mental aspects of gymnastics," she said. "I did peel off the bar a couple months ago. It's still in the back of my head. It probably always will."
Even so, she continues to push forward.
"I want to do it for myself," Cantu said. "I want to do it for my team, my coaches."
Cantu praised head coach Katie Minasola for creating a positive environment. Donovan enters her ninth season leading the program.
"She's so funny. She's the best," Cantu said. "She still has that energy. Every day feels fresh."
Cantu's journey to Eastern began with a single offer. She committed quickly after visiting campus.
"Eastern was my first offer," she said. "I stepped foot here, met the coaches, and I knew."
The transition from Illinois brought challenges, but family support eased the move. Her parents attend nearly every meet.
"They come to every competition," Cantu said. "At least one of my parents is always there."
They witnessed her first-place vault at Bowling Green, a venue where she had never competed before due to injury.
"I was super excited yesterday to be able to compete there," she said.
Looking ahead, Cantu expressed excitement for postseason competition and hosting the MAC Championships next season.
"The energy is going to be so high," she said. "Friends can come. More family can come."
Outside the gym, Cantu enjoys wakesurfing during the summer in Tennessee.
"I can do a 360," she said. "I love it."
Eastern returns home Saturday for Golden Girls Night. Cantu delivered a clear invitation.
"If you want to see some cool flips and new leos, pull up and come watch," she said. "It's going to be a good meet. I can feel it."
Segment 2 - Ryan Kucera
Spring brings a shift for Eastern Michigan women's tennis. Fall invitationals fade. Team tennis takes over. Third-year head coach Ryan Kucera sees the change every January.
"It's always an interesting time for me because I love going home to see my family," Kucera said. "I love that my student-athletes get to go home and see their families, but also, there's that building excitement. And it's just so fun to be back, starting practice, spending every day with the team, and building something great."
Fall events focus on individual results. Spring asks for shared responsibility. Six singles courts. Three doubles matches. Every point affects the group.
"Most of these young women, their whole lives have been competing just for themselves," Kucera said. "And so when you start playing side by side with your teammates, six young women in a row battling together against an opponent, the little things of competition start to matter a lot more."
Body language matters. Effort matters. Support matters.
"Can you keep good body language even when you're losing," Kucera said. "Because that's going to affect the person next to you."
Eastern enters the spring with a young roster. Buy-in arrived early. Kucera saw signs during fall tournaments.
"Some of our fall invitational tournaments felt like that with the way the young women were engaged with each other," Kucera said. "Supporting each other when they played, giving each other feedback."
Development extends beyond match play. A partnership with the Kovacs Institute through GameAbove added structure to training and recovery.
"The biggest thing we learned was on the physical side, the recovery aspect," Kucera said. "Periodizing our training so that we're able to continue to grow even throughout playing a ton of matches."
The work helped manage injuries and sustain form over extended periods.
"That was really helpful to help us manage the team and manage some injuries," Kucera said.
Support also shows up at the Chippewa Club, home of EMU tennis. Facility upgrades and daily backing from staff built a strong home environment.
"They know our team. They're big fans of our girls," Kucera said. "Our girls are big fans of them. And it really makes it feel like home for us."
Eastern posted strong home results during the past two seasons. Kucera credits atmosphere as much as tactics.
Preseason expectations placed Eastern eighth in the Mid-American Conference. Kucera shrugs.
"Nobody's ever won or lost a championship in a preseason poll," Kucera said. "The goal every year is to win the championship."
Roster turnover contributed to outside projections. Four or five starters departed. Belief stayed.
"I will ride with this group over any group because of the commitment, the enthusiasm, how much we've improved over the fall," Kucera said.
Eight players bring eight nationalities. Culture forms through intention.
"They want to be teammates. They want to get to know each other," Kucera said. "We try to be a team that is open and curious."
The season opens Jan. 17 at home against Cleveland State. Admission costs nothing. Kucera offers one request.
"Get here for the doubles point," Kucera said. "See college doubles. It is so fun. It is so energetic. It is so fast-paced."
Fans will see speed, pressure, and emotion up close. Spring tennis has arrived.
Players Mentioned
AA
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