Preston DeFriend, Leyton Hiebert tie for 2nd at West Texas Amateur

Area golfers Preston DeFriend and Leyton Hiebert were part of a three-way tie for second place Sunday in the men's West Texas Amateur championship in San Angelo, finishing two strokes behind winner Carson Gallaher.

DeFriend, Hiebert and Braden Smith, a Texas-El Paso golfer from Lago Vista, finished the 54-hole event at Quicksand Golf Course at 12-under-par 204. DeFriend fired a 7-under 65 in the final round, Hiebert a 69 and Smith a 70.

DeFriend, a Coronado graduate, plays at Abilene Christian. Hiebert, a Frenship graduate, started his college career at Dallas Baptist and now plays for Lubbock Christian University.

Gallaher closed with a course-record 63 to finish at 14-under. He's a New Braunfels graduate who played two years at UT-San Antonio and the past school year at Tarleton State.

Lubbock-Cooper graduate Aston Castillo tied for sixth at 9-under after shooting 70-69-68. He played for Midland College and Wichita State.

Hunter Welch and Logan Vargas were in a group at even par that tied for 22nd. Welch was the Region I-6A individual medalist three months ago for Frenship. Vargas is a Frenship graduate who recently signed with UTSA after one year at Houston and the past two at Odessa College, where he helped the Wranglers to a runner-up finish at this year's NJCAA championships.

Levelland's Max Vergara (75-69-75) tied for 30th at 3-over.