Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Insider Podcast - Season 8 - Episode 21
2/16/2026 6:32:00 PM | Women's Track & Field, Men's Golf, General
From Fairways to Fast Ice, Eagles Chase Championships and Olympic Dreams
Click Here to Listen to the Podcast.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Leave it to Greg Steiner to open a sports podcast with a presidential trivia question.
"James K. Polk, James Buchanan, and James Garfield, what do they have in common?" Steiner asked to begin Episode 21 of Season 8 of the Eastern Insider Podcast Powered by DTE.
Elena Davis did not hesitate.
"Greg, I have no idea," she said. "Do you even know who they are?"
The exchange set the tone for a Presidents Day edition that blended humor, confusion, and a full slate of Eastern Michigan athletics.
"I just heard Garfield," Davis said. "Did you say Garfield?"
Steiner assured listeners he did. Davis fired back with a line that has become part of the show's charm.
"I never know how you're going to open this show up," she said. "It's exciting for me, just as it's exciting for everybody else."
Steiner revealed the answer. All three were among the nation's 47 presidents. Davis remained unconvinced.
"I've never heard of those people before, Greg," she said.
With that, the hosts shifted from history to hoops, sticks, and bats.
"It is President's Day," Steiner said. "It is not only a day to purchase your bedroom furniture, but it's also a day to listen to the podcast."
From there, the recap began with lacrosse. Eastern picked up wins over Butler and Lindenwood and now heads to upstate New York.
"They are back this week, trying to keep that winning streak going, as they will be outside in Buffalo as they take on Canisius," Steiner said.
Davis sought clarification.
"They're going to be at Buffalo, you said?" she asked.
"They're going to be at Canisius this weekend, outdoors in Buffalo," Steiner replied.
"How do you know it's outdoors?" Davis said.
"Because they don't have a dome," Steiner answered.
The conversation drifted briefly into cold-weather strategy before turning to baseball. Interim head coach Trevor Bierman earned his first win as Eastern opened its season.
"Congratulations to Trevor Beerman for his first win as the interim head coach," Steiner said.
The Eagles now travel to Nashville for midweek games against Vanderbilt, followed by a weekend series at Austin Peay.
Davis zeroed in on the Governors' branding.
"I love their mascot," she said. "One of my favorite mascots."
Steiner followed with a detail that drew laughs.
"Do you know what their website address is?" he asked before revealing it.
Men's basketball remains in search of momentum. The Eagles host Central Michigan before traveling to Toledo.
"It is EMU men's basketball looking to snap the losing streak," Steiner said.
Women's basketball, meanwhile, prepares for a key matchup with Buffalo during alumni weekend and the Play4K initiative supporting breast cancer awareness.
"It's one of my favorite days to just raise awareness to that cause, of course, and wear pink," Davis said.
The show also spotlights sports that often operate outside the basketball spotlight. Men's golf opens its spring campaign in Mobile, Alabama, under second-year coach Andy Walker.
"They had a tremendous fall and really, again, lots of reasons to be excited for this men's golf team," Steiner said.
Winter brings another milestone. For the first time, Eastern Michigan will have representation at the Winter Olympics. Former track standout Jasmine Jones will compete in bobsled.
"I did get the opportunity to talk to her," Davis said. "She is so down to earth. Talked about her just going from track to bobsledding. What? How does that happen?"
Steiner closed the segment by noting that Jones' training begins Tuesday, with heats scheduled for Feb. 20 and 21.
"So plenty on this show to be proud of Eastern Michigan-wise and plenty of reasons for you to stay tuned," he said.
From presidential trivia to Olympic ice, Episode 21 opened with laughs and moved quickly into a packed week for the Eagles.
Segment 1 - Andy Walker
Andy Walker does not hide from winter. He works through it.
"The good thing is that there are a lot of planes and DTW is close, so we hop on and get out as much as possible," the second-year Eastern Michigan men's golf coach said.
Between trips south, Walker leans on the GameAbove Performance Center. Indoor work, he says, sharpens skills players often overlook during tournament season.
"There's times when we're back here for two or three days at a time where we can work on some of the technical stuff that you don't always get to do when you're just playing," Walker said. "We can work on process and mentality and breathing and things that you'll forget when you get out on Greengrass."
Simulators play a key role. Walker believes they build feel, especially on partial shots.
"When you have to feel to hit a shot, 50 yards, 150 yards, 192 yards, it helps us when we get out there," he said. "130 yards could look like 170 yards. When we're inside hitting in simulators, sometimes it helps with a lot of that."
He draws a firm line, though, on the future of indoor golf leagues at the college level.
"I hope not. Golf is an outdoor sport," Walker said. "I'm a purist. I'm a traditionalist in this game. We need to be out enjoying nature, feeling the wind, the sunshine."
In Year 2, Walker sees a roster built to win. Eastern has climbed to its highest ranking in the current system, a sign that the rebuild he was hired to lead is taking hold.
"The resources that we have, that's what sports is coming down to now," he said. "Luckily, Eastern Golf is one of the haves."
Still, he cautions patience.
"It's hard to stay present when we know how good we're going to be," Walker said. "You've got to get the ball in the hole quicker than everybody else."
Leading the charge is Charlie Box, a two-time Mid-American Conference Golfer of the Week who won the West Bay Collegiate in the fall.
"It's one thing to become good. The tough part is to sustain that great play," Walker said. "Charlie's a dog. Charlie's very humble, but Charlie, when he gets out there, he wants to tear your guts out."
Walker expects growth, not regression.
"I don't see anything but from Charlie is just not only continuing, but continuing to grow and get better and win more tournaments," he said.
Experience also matters. Tim Chan, who played for Walker at VCU, provides postseason perspective to a roster that has yet to reach an NCAA regional at the Division I level.
"It's really important when you have a player on your team that plays an important role, can share with the guys what it's like to get there," Walker said.
Health will shape the spring. Leo Mihaich, sidelined in the fall, is trending back.
"He's just a flat-out stud," Walker said.
Robbie Turnbull, a talented newcomer from New Zealand, has shown flashes.
"Robbie's one of the most talented players I've ever seen at any level," Walker said. "When Robbie is playing like that and Leo gets in the lineup with the game that he has, knowing that we have Charlie, I think it takes a lot of pressure off the other players."
Another addition, Rupert Toomey, arrived midyear from Australia.
"The good thing about golf is the hole is four and a quarter inches in Australia, in New Zealand, in South America, and in the United States," Walker said.
Eastern opens its spring in Alabama, a familiar site for the staff.
"We know we're looking to go down there and get a W," Walker said.
Beyond that lies the larger target.
"MAC determines postseason for us this year," he said. "We know if we win the MAC, we're going to get through there."
Winter, for Walker, is not a pause. It is preparation.
Segment 2 - Jasmine Jones
When Jasmine Jones looks back at her career at Eastern Michigan, even she pauses at the list.
"Oh my goodness. I almost forgot just how much I like putting down in Eastern when I was reading through everything," Jones said. "I'm like, man, I did that. I did do that."
A former EMU track standout from 2014-18, Jones won five Mid-American Conference titles and helped set a distance medley relay program record at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships. Now, with the 2026 Winter Olympics approaching, she is set to become the first Eastern Michigan athlete to compete in the Winter Games as a bobsledder.
"It's definitely created this foundation that I needed, and going into the Winter Games, I'm really excited to really go out there and represent," she said on the Eastern Insider Podcast Powered by DTE.
Her path to the ice began during her senior year in Ypsilanti. Then strength coach Ryan Short entered her sprint and weight room data into a national database.
"I was able to get some type of honors from that, and a lot of Max Taylor, the one who saw that and reached out to me via email," Jones said. "So I didn't know what to think of that, but I mean, I'll try it out. I don't know. It sounds cool, right?"
She now trains primarily at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, New York, with additional time in Park City, Utah.
The transition from track to bobsled required physical and mental adjustments, but Jones sees a clear overlap.
"I would say definitely relying on the speed aspect, especially being a sprinter," she said. "Having that foundation of the basic sprints and explosiveness that you need for like 60 meters, 200 all the way to like 400, and also having the foundation of just pure strength."
Mentally, she compares the start of a bobsled run to the blocks before a sprint final.
"It's almost like it can be comparable to when you're in the blocks, and you know that gun's getting ready to go off," she said. "You're feeling the adrenaline from multiple people that's on the sides of the ramp and everything, and you kind of get that same feeling."
Her Olympic selection came after a strong World Cup season. Athletes were called into a meeting room and informed in front of their teammates.
"I definitely was sitting on pins and needles," Jones said. "When I heard my name called, I was like, it was a bunch of people in a room, and someone was just saying names."
She will compete alongside a pilot she has raced with on the World Cup circuit. The pairing recently earned silver and gold medals, including a Jan. 11 victory in St. Moritz.
"Oh my gosh, I think that that was my very first win ever," Jones said. "Just having that confidence building into going into these games just kind of proves back to myself that I know what I can do."
Her journey has included setbacks. Jones returned to elite training after giving birth to her daughter in 2021.
"That process of coming back and proving as well as women's health, women's bodies, what they can do," she said. "It took me a couple of times."
Financial strain also tested her commitment. Joining the Air Force World Class Athlete Program helped stabilize her training.
"I need a financial way," she said. "And just being able to have a solid layout of just like, I'll be able to really train and focus on this sport."
Through it all, she kept Eastern close.
"I feel like I can finally contribute back to Eastern of everything that they gave me," Jones said. "I'm like, I want me a banner. I'm trying to kind of get like them."
As she prepares for Italy, Jones looks forward to the stage.
"I really thrive on environment," she said. "I'm really excited to just take in that environment, take in every single thing that's going on."
Her advice to younger athletes searching for direction reflects her own path.
"It's like that sometimes," Jones said. "As long as you believe it and you can strive to do it, then go do it."
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Leave it to Greg Steiner to open a sports podcast with a presidential trivia question.
"James K. Polk, James Buchanan, and James Garfield, what do they have in common?" Steiner asked to begin Episode 21 of Season 8 of the Eastern Insider Podcast Powered by DTE.
Elena Davis did not hesitate.
"Greg, I have no idea," she said. "Do you even know who they are?"
The exchange set the tone for a Presidents Day edition that blended humor, confusion, and a full slate of Eastern Michigan athletics.
"I just heard Garfield," Davis said. "Did you say Garfield?"
Steiner assured listeners he did. Davis fired back with a line that has become part of the show's charm.
"I never know how you're going to open this show up," she said. "It's exciting for me, just as it's exciting for everybody else."
Steiner revealed the answer. All three were among the nation's 47 presidents. Davis remained unconvinced.
"I've never heard of those people before, Greg," she said.
With that, the hosts shifted from history to hoops, sticks, and bats.
"It is President's Day," Steiner said. "It is not only a day to purchase your bedroom furniture, but it's also a day to listen to the podcast."
From there, the recap began with lacrosse. Eastern picked up wins over Butler and Lindenwood and now heads to upstate New York.
"They are back this week, trying to keep that winning streak going, as they will be outside in Buffalo as they take on Canisius," Steiner said.
Davis sought clarification.
"They're going to be at Buffalo, you said?" she asked.
"They're going to be at Canisius this weekend, outdoors in Buffalo," Steiner replied.
"How do you know it's outdoors?" Davis said.
"Because they don't have a dome," Steiner answered.
The conversation drifted briefly into cold-weather strategy before turning to baseball. Interim head coach Trevor Bierman earned his first win as Eastern opened its season.
"Congratulations to Trevor Beerman for his first win as the interim head coach," Steiner said.
The Eagles now travel to Nashville for midweek games against Vanderbilt, followed by a weekend series at Austin Peay.
Davis zeroed in on the Governors' branding.
"I love their mascot," she said. "One of my favorite mascots."
Steiner followed with a detail that drew laughs.
"Do you know what their website address is?" he asked before revealing it.
Men's basketball remains in search of momentum. The Eagles host Central Michigan before traveling to Toledo.
"It is EMU men's basketball looking to snap the losing streak," Steiner said.
Women's basketball, meanwhile, prepares for a key matchup with Buffalo during alumni weekend and the Play4K initiative supporting breast cancer awareness.
"It's one of my favorite days to just raise awareness to that cause, of course, and wear pink," Davis said.
The show also spotlights sports that often operate outside the basketball spotlight. Men's golf opens its spring campaign in Mobile, Alabama, under second-year coach Andy Walker.
"They had a tremendous fall and really, again, lots of reasons to be excited for this men's golf team," Steiner said.
Winter brings another milestone. For the first time, Eastern Michigan will have representation at the Winter Olympics. Former track standout Jasmine Jones will compete in bobsled.
"I did get the opportunity to talk to her," Davis said. "She is so down to earth. Talked about her just going from track to bobsledding. What? How does that happen?"
Steiner closed the segment by noting that Jones' training begins Tuesday, with heats scheduled for Feb. 20 and 21.
"So plenty on this show to be proud of Eastern Michigan-wise and plenty of reasons for you to stay tuned," he said.
From presidential trivia to Olympic ice, Episode 21 opened with laughs and moved quickly into a packed week for the Eagles.
Segment 1 - Andy Walker
Andy Walker does not hide from winter. He works through it.
"The good thing is that there are a lot of planes and DTW is close, so we hop on and get out as much as possible," the second-year Eastern Michigan men's golf coach said.
Between trips south, Walker leans on the GameAbove Performance Center. Indoor work, he says, sharpens skills players often overlook during tournament season.
"There's times when we're back here for two or three days at a time where we can work on some of the technical stuff that you don't always get to do when you're just playing," Walker said. "We can work on process and mentality and breathing and things that you'll forget when you get out on Greengrass."
Simulators play a key role. Walker believes they build feel, especially on partial shots.
"When you have to feel to hit a shot, 50 yards, 150 yards, 192 yards, it helps us when we get out there," he said. "130 yards could look like 170 yards. When we're inside hitting in simulators, sometimes it helps with a lot of that."
He draws a firm line, though, on the future of indoor golf leagues at the college level.
"I hope not. Golf is an outdoor sport," Walker said. "I'm a purist. I'm a traditionalist in this game. We need to be out enjoying nature, feeling the wind, the sunshine."
In Year 2, Walker sees a roster built to win. Eastern has climbed to its highest ranking in the current system, a sign that the rebuild he was hired to lead is taking hold.
"The resources that we have, that's what sports is coming down to now," he said. "Luckily, Eastern Golf is one of the haves."
Still, he cautions patience.
"It's hard to stay present when we know how good we're going to be," Walker said. "You've got to get the ball in the hole quicker than everybody else."
Leading the charge is Charlie Box, a two-time Mid-American Conference Golfer of the Week who won the West Bay Collegiate in the fall.
"It's one thing to become good. The tough part is to sustain that great play," Walker said. "Charlie's a dog. Charlie's very humble, but Charlie, when he gets out there, he wants to tear your guts out."
Walker expects growth, not regression.
"I don't see anything but from Charlie is just not only continuing, but continuing to grow and get better and win more tournaments," he said.
Experience also matters. Tim Chan, who played for Walker at VCU, provides postseason perspective to a roster that has yet to reach an NCAA regional at the Division I level.
"It's really important when you have a player on your team that plays an important role, can share with the guys what it's like to get there," Walker said.
Health will shape the spring. Leo Mihaich, sidelined in the fall, is trending back.
"He's just a flat-out stud," Walker said.
Robbie Turnbull, a talented newcomer from New Zealand, has shown flashes.
"Robbie's one of the most talented players I've ever seen at any level," Walker said. "When Robbie is playing like that and Leo gets in the lineup with the game that he has, knowing that we have Charlie, I think it takes a lot of pressure off the other players."
Another addition, Rupert Toomey, arrived midyear from Australia.
"The good thing about golf is the hole is four and a quarter inches in Australia, in New Zealand, in South America, and in the United States," Walker said.
Eastern opens its spring in Alabama, a familiar site for the staff.
"We know we're looking to go down there and get a W," Walker said.
Beyond that lies the larger target.
"MAC determines postseason for us this year," he said. "We know if we win the MAC, we're going to get through there."
Winter, for Walker, is not a pause. It is preparation.
Segment 2 - Jasmine Jones
When Jasmine Jones looks back at her career at Eastern Michigan, even she pauses at the list.
"Oh my goodness. I almost forgot just how much I like putting down in Eastern when I was reading through everything," Jones said. "I'm like, man, I did that. I did do that."
A former EMU track standout from 2014-18, Jones won five Mid-American Conference titles and helped set a distance medley relay program record at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships. Now, with the 2026 Winter Olympics approaching, she is set to become the first Eastern Michigan athlete to compete in the Winter Games as a bobsledder.
"It's definitely created this foundation that I needed, and going into the Winter Games, I'm really excited to really go out there and represent," she said on the Eastern Insider Podcast Powered by DTE.
Her path to the ice began during her senior year in Ypsilanti. Then strength coach Ryan Short entered her sprint and weight room data into a national database.
"I was able to get some type of honors from that, and a lot of Max Taylor, the one who saw that and reached out to me via email," Jones said. "So I didn't know what to think of that, but I mean, I'll try it out. I don't know. It sounds cool, right?"
She now trains primarily at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, New York, with additional time in Park City, Utah.
The transition from track to bobsled required physical and mental adjustments, but Jones sees a clear overlap.
"I would say definitely relying on the speed aspect, especially being a sprinter," she said. "Having that foundation of the basic sprints and explosiveness that you need for like 60 meters, 200 all the way to like 400, and also having the foundation of just pure strength."
Mentally, she compares the start of a bobsled run to the blocks before a sprint final.
"It's almost like it can be comparable to when you're in the blocks, and you know that gun's getting ready to go off," she said. "You're feeling the adrenaline from multiple people that's on the sides of the ramp and everything, and you kind of get that same feeling."
Her Olympic selection came after a strong World Cup season. Athletes were called into a meeting room and informed in front of their teammates.
"I definitely was sitting on pins and needles," Jones said. "When I heard my name called, I was like, it was a bunch of people in a room, and someone was just saying names."
She will compete alongside a pilot she has raced with on the World Cup circuit. The pairing recently earned silver and gold medals, including a Jan. 11 victory in St. Moritz.
"Oh my gosh, I think that that was my very first win ever," Jones said. "Just having that confidence building into going into these games just kind of proves back to myself that I know what I can do."
Her journey has included setbacks. Jones returned to elite training after giving birth to her daughter in 2021.
"That process of coming back and proving as well as women's health, women's bodies, what they can do," she said. "It took me a couple of times."
Financial strain also tested her commitment. Joining the Air Force World Class Athlete Program helped stabilize her training.
"I need a financial way," she said. "And just being able to have a solid layout of just like, I'll be able to really train and focus on this sport."
Through it all, she kept Eastern close.
"I feel like I can finally contribute back to Eastern of everything that they gave me," Jones said. "I'm like, I want me a banner. I'm trying to kind of get like them."
As she prepares for Italy, Jones looks forward to the stage.
"I really thrive on environment," she said. "I'm really excited to just take in that environment, take in every single thing that's going on."
Her advice to younger athletes searching for direction reflects her own path.
"It's like that sometimes," Jones said. "As long as you believe it and you can strive to do it, then go do it."
Players Mentioned
Season 8 – Episode 21: From Fairways to Fast Ice, Eagles Chase Championships and Olympic Dreams
Monday, February 16
EMU Baseball: What's in the Box?
Monday, February 16
Lacrosse Posts Come-From-Behind Win over Xavier
Saturday, February 14
Addison Patterson Alley-Oop vs. WMU, 2026
Saturday, February 14