RENO, Nev. - After a Nevada career which included multiple Mountain West gold medals, all-conference honors and representing her home country of South Africa on the world stage, diver Bailey Heydra has been named Nevada Athletics' 2025-26 Ruth Russell Award recipient.

Heydra is the first member of the Nevada Swimming & Diving team to earn the honor since Andressa Cholodovskis was named the 2019-20 recipient.

Established in 1996 and named for former Nevada Director of Women's Athletics Ruth Russell (1948-69), the award is given out annually to Nevada's top female student athlete in their final year of eligibility and in good academic standing.

From 2021-26, Heydra etched her name onto the long and distinguished list of Nevada divers. Beginning with her 1-Meter Springboard Mountain West title as a freshman, Heydra went on to earn three conference gold medals, nine medals overall (three gold, four silver, two bronze) and earned 11 All-Mountain West honors out of the 12 diving events in which she competed at the Mountain West Swimming & Diving Championships.

She won a second Mountain West gold on 1-Meter Springboard in 2025, then added her third by capturing the 3-Meter Springboard event in 2026. In her final season, Heydra claimed a gold medal and two silvers and was named the 2026 Mountain West Championships Diver of the Meet.

Heydra qualified for the NCAA Zone E Diving Championships in each of her four seasons with Nevada and was named Mountain West Diver of the Week an incredible eight times.

A native of Johannesburg, South Africa, Heydra has also represented her home country on the national stage during her time with the Wolf Pack. Heydra redshirted the 2023-24 collegiate season to pursue an Olympic berth with South Africa, which included competing at the World Aquatic Diving Championships in 2024. She also represented South Africa at the 2025 World University Games in Germany.