By Ray Hamill — McKinleyville senior Grace Pimentel has found the perfect landing spot for the next step in her playing and academic career, and the College of the Redwoods coaches have found a competitive team leader who they believe can help lead the local community college program to success.

On Monday, in front of a large crowd of family, friends, teammates and coaches, the Panthers standout signed her letter of intent to play for CR after graduation in 2026.

And for Pimentel, who has played soccer for McKinleyville and Sequoia FC, it was an easy decision once CR head coach Juan Perez reached out.

“I think it first started with just like me wanting to stay with my family for longer,” she said. “I’m someone who gets really homesick, so I wasn’t ready to leave my family yet.

“But once I met the coaches, and once they reached out, I think that’s what made me really want to stay because of how driven they are about their program and how they wanted to change it and make it a more competitive atmosphere. 

“It was really cool like how they like projected what they’re trying to make and I wanted to be a part of that.”

The good news for the CR program is the coaches are getting a player who has been an instrumental team leader during her time at McKinleyville High.

“She’s awesome and we’re excited about her being our first local recruit,” Perez said when Pimentel told him of her decision last month. “She’s a very composed midfielder and she’s definitely going to bring leadership qualities and will be very competitive.

“She’s one of those players who has a strong love of the game.”

Several of Pimentel’s coaches and teachers spoke highly of the senior midfielder to the gathering on Monday.

“Definitely a leader on the field,” said McKinleyville High Dean of Students Nic Collart, who added. “But most importantly, the best thing we can say is she’s just an amazing young lady in terms of just her character, the person she is, very positive, very giving, very warm, and so I think College of the Redwoods, you’re going to get a great person and a great soccer player.”

Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

Sequoia FC Director of Coaching Taylor McMillin-Bianucci echoed the sentiment.

“She’s an athlete, she works hard, she’s coachable, she’s positive, she’s a leader, she’s all things that our coaches at CR would love,” she said.

Pimentel also spoke to the gathering.

“This moment means so much to me, and I truly wouldn’t be here without the support of the people around me,” she said. “And I want to thank my mom and dad for always being there for me no matter what, and supporting me on my best days and my hardest ones.”

She also thanked her grandparents “for always showing up for my games,” as well as her sisters.

When asked what she will remember the most from her time playing at McKinleyville, Pimentel responded without hesitation.

“Playing with my sister,” she said, referring to freshman Abigail. “I’m going to miss those days. I really cherished playing with her.”

The senior standout also took some time to thank the seniors with the program when she first started playing for the Panthers as a freshman.

Submitted photo

“My freshman year, the team was really inviting and welcoming and all those seniors were really cool to me,” she said.

McMillin-Bianucci played a key role in convincing Pimentel she had what to takes to play at the next level.

“Coach Taylor, she was really the one who inspired me to continue on my life with competitive soccer and to look into colleges for soccer as well,” Pimentel said.

Pimentel, who has been playing soccer since she was four-years-old and was a Big 4 all-league selection as a senior, says she wants to major in kinesiology and would like to be a physical therapist.

She added that she is open to possibly playing at a four-year program after her time at CR.

“I’m still deciding, but if I progress that much in my level of play, maybe,” she said.

She will likely play midfield for her new team, but added she’ll be happy just to be a part of the program and is “open for anything.”