MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Most days you can find Morehead State women's golf alum Lynn Grunkemeyer working with athletes at Centerville (Ohio) High School near her hometown of Dayton.

Grunkemeyer, who played for the Eagles from 2008-11, is a certified athletic trainer for Premier Health assigned to the school. But, since high school sports aren't taking place right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Grunkemeyer has found herself on the front lines screening patients and visitors at the hospital entrance.

"Typically I am an outreach athletic trainer, but effective March 16th I was reassigned and I am now stationed at the entrance to one of the hospitals in the health system screening patients, visitors, and employees prior to them entering the facility," she said. "All the screeners have been wearing PPE, and we require anyone entering the facility to use hand sanitizer before they can proceed into their appointment or area of work.  We also sanitize the entrance area and commonly touched surfaces regularly."

While it is not her typical day of helping people, that's exactly what Grunkemeyer knew she wanted in life when she came to Morehead State after transferring from the University of Kentucky for the 2008-09 season.

"When I started my college academic/athletic career I knew I wanted to do something in medicine in order to help people," she said. "I was involved in athletics for many years, and I wanted to be able to help others achieve their athletic goals. Sara Larson, the head women's athletic trainer at the time and now the associate director of retention and advising at MSU, suggested I pursue my masters degree in athletic training. The more I looked into it, the more I knew it would be the perfect fit for me."

Grunkemeyer played three seasons for head coach Stephanie Barker, with her senior year being the best. She helped the Eagles capture the 2011 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title as they went on to compete in the Notre Dame NCAA Regional that season.

She was the team captain for three years at Archbishop Alter High School where she was the Team MVP and a First-Team GGCL All-Star in 2005

She credits the team atmosphere with collegiate golf and especially the camaraderie at Morehead State for her success now.

"I think being part of a team at MSU has been a large part of my success. Typically I am not in the hospital but having been part of a team at MSU has helped me adapt easily and adjust to working with a different team of people and a different schedule," she said. "At Premier Health we are all important parts of the team fighting this pandemic and even the smallest things are huge to our success."

She also says her normal routine at the high school involves adapting just as much.

"My job at the high school is all about adapting as schedules change," she stated. "This experience has helped me grow as I have had interact with all kinds of different people, go with the flow, and of course I am extra thankful." 

Even though she is in Ohio, Grunkemeyer says there is still Eagle spirit in the Buckeye State. Her manager, Amy Bernard, is also an MSU alum.

Adapting and thriving, that is what makes Grunkemeyer another example of why #EaglesAlwaysSoar.