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The Eastern Echo Monday, June 29, 2026 | Print Archive
The Eastern Echo

Sports

Mens Baseball 3/24/23

Eagles claim first MAC series victory of 2026 with weekend surge against Akron

By Ruby Brannon · Monday, March 23, 2026

The Eastern Michigan University baseball team captured its first Mid-American Conference series victory of the 2026 season with a 2-1 weekend showing against the University of Akron at Oestrike Stadium. Following a disappointing series opener, the Eagles rallied for a dramatic 10-inning walk-off win and a commanding Sunday finale to mark a significant milestone in the Interim Head Coach Trevor Beerman era.

Golf.

Eagles Fly High in Florida: Women’s Golf Secures historic runner-up finish at Florida State University match Up

By Ruby Brannon · Monday, March 23, 2026

The Eastern Michigan University women’s golf team continued their season of excellence by taking second place at the Florida State Match Up, finishing ahead of several nationally-ranked programs. Led by a third-place individual effort from Jasmine Leovao, the Eagles posted the fourth-lowest team score in program history to cement their status as a rising national contender.

EMU golf player leans to the side while hitting a golf ball with a golf club outdoors on a cloudy day.

Eastern Michigan claims second place at All-American Intercollegiate

By Darrell Justice · Sunday, March 22, 2026

Eastern Michigan men’s golf delivered a strong, consistent performance to claim second place at the All-American Intercollegiate in Humble, Texas, finishing behind nationally ranked Arkansas in a competitive 16-team field. Led by top-10 finishes from Leo Mihaich and Robby Turnbull, the Eagles showcased depth and improvement across all three rounds, continuing their momentum heading into their next tournament in Napa, California.

Two women's tennis players bump elbows on the court.

Women's tennis: Eastern Michigan falls to Bowling Green

By Darrell Justice · Sunday, March 22, 2026

The Eastern Michigan University women's tennis team fell in a tightly contested 4-3 match to the Bowling Green State University Falcons on March 20, 2026, in Perrysburg, Ohio, dropping their record to 9-8 after a back-and-forth battle that came down to the final singles match. Despite strong singles performances from Sabrina Tolstova and Matilde Parreira, the Falcons secured the decisive point to snap Eastern Michigan’s four-match winning streak in the series.

Women's lacrosse of opposing teams faceoff in the middle of the field before a play.

Women's lacrosse: Record-breaking night in Detroit

By Ruby Brannon · Saturday, March 21, 2026

The Eastern Michigan University lacrosse team secured a record-breaking 17-4 victory over Detroit Mercy on March 19, 2026, marking the best start in the program's history. The Eagles set multiple milestones, including a 14-goal scoring streak and the first single-half shutout in program history, to improve to 2-0 in Mid-American Conference play.

Player number 48 stands with back facing camera in the background. Player number 47 squats with his hands on his knees in the foreground of the baseball diamond.

Eagles fall to Ball State in three-game series

By Ruby Brannon · Monday, March 16, 2026

The Eastern Michigan University baseball team was swept in a three-game series by the Ball State Cardinals between March 13–15, 2026, despite recording high hit totals and multiple home runs throughout the weekend,. While the Eagles were unable to secure a victory, the series was highlighted by career milestones for Nick Weaver, who recorded his first multi-home-run game, and Devan Zirwas, who surpassed 100 career hits.

EMU swim and dive 10

CSCAA Championships: Eagles close season with program records in Florida

By Ruby Brannon · Monday, March 16, 2026

The Eastern Michigan University swim team concluded their 2025-26 season with a 27th-place finish at the CSCAA National Invitational Championships in Ocala, Florida. Highlighted by Nehir Oz’s program top-10 performance and several personal bests, the Eagles showcased their depth against a competitive national field.

Women's lacrosse players of different teams run on the field near while one tries to knock the ball out of the other's stick.

Historic MAC home opener victory over Kent State

By Ruby Brannon · Monday, March 16, 2026

The Eastern Michigan University lacrosse team kicked off Mid-American Conference play with a dominant 12-6 victory over Kent State University at Scicluna Field. Behind record-breaking performances from Mackenzie Blackwell and Maddy Porter, the Eagles secured their first-ever home conference-opening win while snapping a two-game losing streak.

Gymnast Kyrie Lowe poses on the balance beam. Her team watches her in the background.

Eagles prove resilience with season-high marks against nation’s best in Ann Arbor

By Ruby Brannon · Sunday, March 15, 2026

Facing the formidable challenge of competing against the nation’s top-ranked programs on less than 24 hours' notice, the Eastern Michigan University gymnastics team delivered one of their most impressive performances of the year. Led by a career-defining all-around score from Kyrie Lowe, the Eagles secured their third-highest team total of the season while battling No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 9 Michigan.

EMU swim and dive 6

Eagles host the best of the region: A recap of the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships

By Ruby Brannon · Sunday, March 15, 2026

Eastern Michigan University recently served as the epicenter for elite collegiate diving, hosting the three-day NCAA Zone C Championships at the Jones Natatorium from March 9–11, 2026. Featured Eagles Rose Kendrick and Meg Lupa delivered competitive performances against a deep field of athletes representing premier programs from across the Midwest.

Eastern Michigan vs Buffalo Women's Tennis

Eagles narrowly defeated by Huskies in hard-fought MAC opener

By Ruby Brannon · Saturday, March 14, 2026

Eastern Michigan University’s tennis team dropped a narrow 4-3 decision to Northern Illinois University in their first conference match of the season on March 13, 2026. While the Eagles saw impressive victories from their freshman class and veteran players, the Huskies managed to clinch the decisive points in singles play to secure the win.

Oestrike Stadium Renovations.JPG

Spartans spoil debut of renovated Oestrike Stadium with 13-5 victory over Eagles

By Ruby Brannon · Thursday, March 12, 2026

The Eastern Michigan University baseball team debuted its all-new field at Oestrike Stadium on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 but fell 13-5 to Michigan State University after an early seven-run deficit. Despite a team-leading sixth home run from Devan Zirwas and a brief mid-game rally, the Eagles were unable to overcome the Spartans' consistent offensive pressure in their earliest home opener on record.

Latest Podcast

Eastern Michigan University’s “Enlighten U” has been ranked the top mental health podcast in Michigan by FeedSpot, a platform that compiles blogs, podcasts, YouTube channels, newsletters and other sites in one location.

“Enlighten U” is a podcast geared toward students who are experiencing mental health challenges. Melissa Thrasher, EMU's executive director of media relations and social media, and Lolita Cummings, an EMU public relations professor, serve as the co-hosts. Each episode is released around the 15th of every month and features a student or alum and a subject-matter professional.

Lolita Cummings in an interview with The Echo said that this is not the first time the No. 1 mental health podcast in Michigan has been awarded to "Enlighten U."

"We've been the No. 1 mental health podcast in Michigan from the very beginning," Cummings said. "I think it's an indicator of the fact that what we are trying to do, we are doing well, and that is important."

At the start of each "Enlighten U" episode, Cummings and Thrasher state that the "Enlighten U" podcast is an award-winning show.

"A couple of years ago, I won the best in PR for good campaign from Public Relations Society of America for the marketing and promotions program, because it's important that we get this, the word, out to everyone and about the podcast," Cummings said.

Thrasher and Cummings are both extremely proud of their podcast, but these awards and recognitions are not why they continue with it.

It is important to Cummings that she serves all of her students' needs. She noticed that before the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health of many of her students was declining. When the students came back after the pandemic, Cummings noticed that her students' mental health was even worse. Due to this, she began brainstorming with one of her students about how she could help.

"She [the student] said to me, 'We watched a lot of podcasts while we were off.' So I said, 'Okay, I don't know anything about podcasts, but I will meet you all where you are.' So that's where the idea came from," Cummings said. "I am able to not just serve their academic needs, but I'm also able to serve their mental health needs. And to get the feedback from them, that is really helping, and is everything to me because the students are the ones who tell us what issues are impacting the most. Those are the issues that we bring to the table at 'Enlighten U.'"

Cummings encourages students to not only watch and listen to "Enlighten U" but to also spread the word about the podcast.

"One of the things we want to do is get the word out about this podcast to as many people as possible, across the nation, across the world," she said. "The need is not limited to our campus — the need is universal; it is worldwide. My goal at this point is obviously to continue to produce quality shows that reflect the mental health challenges that students are facing, but also get it out to wider audiences so we can help more people."

For those who are interested in engaging with "Enlighten U," the podcast can be found on YouTube and Spotify.

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