Nevada Boxing Hosts Western Regional Championship, Local Athletes Shine

Nevada boxing is set to host the Western Regional Championship, beginning tonight at the Eldorado Casino convention room. The three-day event will showcase the talent of Nevada’s club boxing team, consistently ranked among the nation’s best. Meanwhile, local athletes are achieving success in other sports, with Reno High quarterback Braylon Wilson signing with Drake University and Nevada diver Bailey Heydra concluding her collegiate career.

Western Regional Championship Underway

The Nevada boxing club team will kick off the Western Regional Championship tonight at 5 p.m. Tickets are available for $15, with free admission for students. Several Wolf Pack boxers will be competing, including Murphy Rhea (165-pound class), Graham Lemmons (175), Julian Spaulding (139), Walter Crawford (147) and Nate Nichols (156). Nate Nichols, the defending champion, received a bye into Friday’s semifinals after winning the title at Air Force last year. The remaining Nevada competitors will commence their journey in tonight’s quarterfinals.

The National Collegiate Boxing Association 50th anniversary championships will be held April 9-11 in Charlotte, N.C.

Reno High Quarterback Signs with Drake

Braylon Wilson, the reigning Northern 4A offensive player of the year, has signed a letter of intent to play football at Drake University, an FCS program. During his high school career at Reno High, Wilson set program records with 4,780 career passing yards and 44 career passing touchdowns. Last season, he completed 57.8 percent of his passes for 2,427 yards with 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions, adding 756 rushing yards and 13 scores in 11 games.

Drake finished last season with an 8-4 record, winning the Pioneer Football League with a 7-1 mark before a first-round loss in the FCS playoffs. The Bulldogs are currently searching for a new head coach after Joe Woodley resigned to take a position at Rutgers.

Nevada Diver Concludes Career

Bailey Heydra, a senior diver from South Africa, concluded her Wolf Pack career at the NCAA Zone E Diving Championships, falling short of an NCAA Championship berth. She finished 34th in the 1-meter, scratched in the 3-meter, and placed 19th in the platform. Despite not advancing to the NCAA Championships, Heydra leaves Nevada as one of the most decorated divers in school history, having earned nine Mountain West medals.

Nevada also qualified two swimmers, Scarlett Ferris and Moji Pholjamjumrus, for the national championships.

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