East Helena High senior goalkeeper Austyn Fairbairn is the school’s first soccer player to earn a scholarship to play at the next level, committing in late February to Sterling College in Kansas.
Fairbairn played soccer all four years at East Helena High, earning academic honors each year as well. In her senior year she saved 207 out of 231 shots on goal and was named 2nd Team All-Conference in Montana’s Western/Central A Conference, the first girls Vigilante soccer player to earn that honor. Her on-field success resulted in an academic and sports scholarship that will cover most of her college tuition.
“It’s a huge accomplishment and I’m proud that I now hold this legacy at East Helena High,” she said. “At Sterling I hope to flourish as a player and achieve more great soccer memories.”
John Benevides, a 2nd-team All-Conference wide receiver and honorable mention defensive back as a senior, joined Fairbairn, his girlfriend, at the signing ceremony, agreeing to a partial scholarship at Kentucky’s Midway College. Holding an above 3.5 grade point average his sophomore, junior and senior years, Benevides also received academic all-state honors.
Xavier Nunn, the Vigilantes’ baseball team captain and EHHS 2026 valedictorian, signed last month with the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, NY.
Additionally, Vigilante third baseman and pitcher Xavier Nunn, who is also the baseball team captain and EHHS 2026 valedictorian, signed last month with the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, NY. Nunn becomes the first East Helena High student to receive a scholarship offer from and commit to one of the country’s five collegiate-level military academies.
His education, housing, and sports participation costs will be fully covered at West Point, and Nunn will in return serve at least five years as a U.S. Army officer.
