Signing day at Grace Community School in Tyler

TYLER, Texas ( KETK ) — The Grace Community School had eight student-athletes sign on to play at the college level on Wednesday.

Avery Baber will play baseball at Benedictine College, where he will major in marketing. He has been a starter on the varsity baseball team for the last three years and team captain his senior year. Baber received First Team All-District honors in his sophomore and junior years and All-State Honorable Mention honors in his junior year.

Aden Hecht will be running track at Ouachita Baptist University, where he will be majoring in business management. He participated in the Regional Meet his sophomore year and pulled his hamstring. Then, in his junior year, he was undefeated the entire year in the 300 hurdles. Hecht also runs in the 110 hurdle races. He was the 300 Hurdle State Champion in 2023.

Blake Harmon will be playing football at Navarro College, where he will be majoring in business. He was a starter on the varsity football team for three years and team captain for two years. While playing varsity football, Harmon received multiple awards. In his sophomore year, he was awarded. In his sophomore year, he was Honorable Mention All-District Kicker and Punter and 3rd Place at the TAPPS punting competition. His junior year, 1 ^st Place at TAPPS punting competition, First Team All-District Punter, Second Team All-District Linebacker, Honorable Mention All-District Kicker, Honorable Mention All-State Punter, First Team East Texas Player of the Year Kicker and Punter. Also, in track during his junior year, he received Second Place at state in the 4x200m and set the school record in the 4x200m relay. His senior year, he was First Team All-District Kicker and Linebacker, Second Team District Punter, Honorable Mention All-District Running Back, Honorable Mention All-State Kicker and Linebacker, TAPPS D2 Special Teams Player of the Year, First Team East Texas Player of the Year Kicker and Punter.

Maddie Keeling will be pole vaulting for the University of Incarnate Word, where she will be majoring in Studio Art. She has been on the Varsity Track and Cross Country Teams for four years and was team captain her senior year. Keeling was the 5A TAPPS Women’s Pole Vault State Champion in 2021 and 2022, and was the State Runner Up in 2023. She currently has a personal best of 12 Feet 1 Inch in Pole Vault. She was also on the TAPPS 5A Women’s State Runner-Up 4×400 relay in 2023, and her 4×400 relay team finished in the top three in 2022 and top eight in 2021. Maddie also ran on the Women’s 5A TAPPS 4×200 State Runner-Up team in 2023, and the 4×200 team finished in the top six in 2022. She also ran on the 5A TAPPS State 4×100 team in 2022 with a top-eight finish. Additionally, Keeling ran on the 5A Women’s TAPPS Cross Country Team, which finished in the top 3 in 2020, 2021, and 2023.

Claire Stoermer will be playing soccer at Oklahoma Baptist University, where she will major in biochemistry. She has been the starting goalkeeper on the women’s varsity soccer team for the past four years. Stoermer has served as team captain in her junior and senior years. She was voted First Team All-District and First Team All-State Goalkeeper during her four years in the program. During her junior and senior years, she also received Academic All-State and was a part of the National Honor Society. Stoermer has been chosen three times as the Rose City Goalkeeper of the Year, Christus Athlete of the Week, Tyler Best Preps, and Texas Ford Dealers Private School Athlete of the month in February.

Dylan Taylor will play football at Hardin Simmons, where he will major in business management. He has been a starter on the Varsity Football team for three years and team captain for two years. Taylor has received numerous awards, including First Team All-District Linebacker, Second Team All-District Linebacker, and Second Team All-State Linebacker. He was also an Academic All-State.

Kennedy Tilley will play soccer for Tyler Junior College, where she will major in Engineer Technology Design. She has been on the Varsity Soccer Team for two years and has received Honorable Mention All-State Goalkeeper for the past two years.

Grant Turner will be playing football at Midwestern State University, where he will major in business management. He has been a starter on the Varsity Football team for three years and team captain for two years. While playing varsity football and track, Turner received multiple awards. He was Second Team All-District Running Back his sophomore year and Honorable Mention All-State Track & Field. In his junior year, Grant was awarded Athlete of the Year TAPPS 5A DII 2022 and First Team All-District. During his senior year, he was First Team All-State Running Back, First Team All-East Texas Running Back, Second Team All-State Padilla Poll, Offensive Player of the Year for TAPPS 5A DII, and First Team All-District Running Back.

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