Helmstetter's journey back helped Eagles break through

MONROEVILLE — Looking back, the moment itself wasn't when Veanna Helmstetter knew. After she fell to the floor in pain during a Monroeville girls basketball home against Mapleton on Jan. 14, 2023, the then-sophomore knew it wasn't good. But once in the trainer's room after being helped off the floor, Veanna had her fears confirmed. "I kind of knew it was bad, but then when I went to the training room, you could see it on my dad's face," she said. "His face was pretty red, and I was like, 'yep, it's over.'" Veanna had torn her ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament), the most common — and dreaded — knee ligament injury. It didn't take long for reality to set in. It usually takes 6-to-9 months to recover from a torn ACL. That meant Veanna was going to miss her sophomore season as a pitcher for the Monroeville softball team, where her father, Abe, is now in his 13th year as the head coach. The Eagles have been a steady, consistent winner in the Firelands Conference for more than a decade. Veanna is also the youngest of four sisters to play for their father, following Haven, Rylee and Carley. As a freshman in 2022, Veanna was 6-0 with a 1.75 earned run average in 16 appearances in the circle. At the plate, she batted .355 with 19 RBIs for a team that won 20 games and FC and sectional championships. But after enduring a year away from competition, it was only fitting where Veanna found herself on May 24. She was in the circle for the Eagles, and fielded the ball for the final out in the program's first-ever regional championship victory. The Eagles (23-6) face state-ranked No. 8 Vienna Mathews (23-7) at 12:30 p.m. Thursday at Firestone Stadium in Akron. A win puts them in the state championship game at 10 a.m. Saturday. "I was a little nervous when I fielded the ball," Veanna said. "I told myself, 'OK, throw to first. Make it good.' But we got it done. "It was great. The best moment of my career. Really happy, but also really proud of the whole team. We worked for it." Dark days Coach Helmstetter acknowledges there were "a lot of tough moments" after he saw his youngest daughter drop to the floor in the basketball game. "Walking out on the court and carrying her off, that was tough," Abe said. "But then you watch her go through two knee surgeries and start going through rehab … it was just hard." He also noted how important Fisher-Titus Medical Center trainer Monica Nickoli was throughout the process. "She was just tremendous, both physically and mentally in helping V," he said. "That was so important, and we're so fortunate to have her help do that." Though the process was grueling, Veanna said the hardest part was listening to how long it was going to take to recover. "That whole offseason I was working toward my sophomore year of softball," she said. "I felt like it was going to be another very good year, so to get told that news, it was very hard to hear. "I felt like I worked as much as I could during the injury to get better, but I just kept telling myself it was OK. I'll find a way to get back." Abe said he was blown away by how hard Veanna worked to put herself in a position to return. "She was at every practice and sat through every game last year, watching them have another great season," he said. "But it wasn't just here, she also did that with her travel team. "It showed how much she loves the sport and wanted to be part of something." Full circle When Veanna was in grade school, she remembers watching Carley pitch in a regional championship game against Hillsdale at Firestone Stadium. "That was probably one of the most memorable experiences, watching her play and him (Abe) coach," she said. "It's very cool to see that come full circle back at Firestone Stadium." Veanna (12-3, 1.18) struck out 10 and walked three while allowing an earned run on three hits in a complete-game effort over Montpelier in the regional semifinal on May 22. "The biggest thing is her competitiveness," Coach Helmstetter said of Veanna. "I don't know how noticed it is on the field, but she is just a sheer competitor. That kind of spreads across the team." In the championship game vs. Carey on May 24, she came on in relief of starter Emily Scheid with two outs in the fifth inning. She pitched the final 2 1/3 scoreless innings and allowed just two hits as the Eagles rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the 6-5 win. "V was in the circle and doing so well," senior shortstop Abbi Poths said. "After the game, you could tell she was a little emotional, because it's just so hard. "But when the ball got hit back to her, I knew we'd won and were going to state." Abe Helmstetter said he's still replaying the final out of the Carey win. And that will continue for a long time. He shared an embrace with Veanna and wife, Jesse, following the game after the trophy presentation. "You're there, but you're not watching it in that context," he said. "I'll watch it a few more times. It was really awesome for our family." When the game starts on Thursday, Veanna said she won't take it for granted. Not just the rarity of the game, but everything she has been through while being coached by her father. "He definitely pushes us," she said. "He's a great coach, and I'm not speaking as a daughter, but as a player. He definitely pushes us to be our best every day. "We don't get any breaks, but I think it works for us. This is definitely a big deal and very special to the whole community. I'm very grateful to be a part of it."