Helyer headed to Mt. Hood

“A lot of it has to do with her strong desire to play in college. She has always looked forward to the opportunity,” said Grace’s father, Lynn. “She started out with Cherry City Crush and then she had a chance to play for an Aloha Breeze team, out of Portland. She went to Oklahoma City and played in California, and we put in miles to get her some exposure. We feel really fortunate that she is going to a team in Mount Hood that she has been to clinics with and spent time with. It is going to be a unique experience and we are just excited for her.”

This past summer, while playing for the Aloha Breeze, a competitive softball team, Helyer posted four home runs, with 10 RBIs and a .444 batting average. She had a .611 slugging percentage and was perfect in the field from her catching position.

At MHCCC, Grace said the plan is for her to play right away at catcher, third base and designated hitter.

She joins a Mount Hood team that won the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges championship in 2014 and finished second last year.

“It has been amazing,” Grace Helyer said. “I am super excited to play at the collegiate level. I am really excited because from the early years to get to where I am now, shows that everything I have done so far has paid off.”

So far, McWhorter has signed eight players, has 10 returning and added three walk-ons.

Lending on the knowledge of The Dalles resident Mike Guischer, McWhorter connected with Grace.

Having players from Hood River, Pendleton and The Dalles, McWhorter said those athletes have a high softball IQ and a level of grittiness she likes to field a roster.

There are plenty of other skills that make Helyer stand out.

“She is an extremely hard worker. Any time she had a chance to come to a camp or practice, she has come out and shown up with a great attitude,” McWhorter said. “We look forward to having her as a major contributor for us next year. There will plenty of opportunities to catch a lot of games behind the dish, and she has tremendous power, which we are really excited to continue to mold. We feel that she can be a very good hitter in our lineup, so we are excited to have her aboard.”

While the impending move is bittersweet for Lynn, he knows it is time for his kids to leave the nest and prepare themselves for adulthood.

There are a few apprehensions, but overall, he knows Grace, a National Honor Society member and a student with a 3.72 grade point average, should acclimate herself well to the balance between higher education and athletics.

“She is very organized and she is an outstanding student, No. 1,” Lynn said. “That is something her mom and I have pushed a lot in our girls. She is a student first and then she is an athlete No. 2. I think she will juggle the responsibilities of that just like she has all the way to this point. She works, plays athletics and does really well in school, I think as far as balance goes, she will not have a problem on the work ethic side of things. “

In the same breath of family relationships and building bonds, Grace credits her father Lynn and mother Kella for giving her the guidance and support over the years.

She has an older sister, Katie, in college now and a younger sister, Sarah, still in high school playing multiple sports.

That commonality has kept everyone closely-knit.

At Mount Hood, she has put herself in a position to get a lot of playing time and a lot of developmental time.

“Family is huge. We have all done sports together,” Grace said. I have been on the same team with my older sister and younger sister. It is pretty rewarding to be in the same house and team with them. We can all talk about practice and what’s going on, counseling and how to handle everything. It also helps with athletics like getting advice from your older sister and giving advice to your younger sister to help us get better in our game.

“My parents have been a big support. They have sacrificed so much for me to accomplish my goals. I am so thankful for them,” he added.