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Former Layton golfer David Liechty watches his tee shot during the first round of the 2025 Utah State Amateur golf tournament at Eagle Mountain golf course in Brigham City on Monday, July 7, 2025.

Jared Lloyd, Standard-Examiner

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Fremont High's Slade Parker smiles during a summer practice on July 17, 2025, in Plain City.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

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David Liechty’s college career is on the move, and he isn’t going far.

The Layton High graduate and 2025 U.S. Amateur qualifier signed with BYU’s men’s golf program on Wednesday, transferring after his college debut at Utah Tech.

While in St. George, Leichty became the first Trailblazer to punch his ticket for match play at the 2025 U.S. Amateur, held in San Francisco. Similarly, Liechty became the school’s first golfer to claim medalist honors at an in-season team tournament, winning the CSUN Bill Sullum Invitational in February.

Liechty won the second event of his freshman season, the Redhawk Invitational at Seattle University, in March, to finish the season with a 71.67 round average. He heads to Provo with six top-15 finishes as a freshman, and a prolific amateur career behind him with wins at Talons Cove and Copper Rock.

Locally, Liechty was the Utah State Amateur runner-up in 2023 in Salt Lake City, a semifinalist again in 2025 in Logan, and a medalist at the 2022 Southern Utah Open.

WSU track and field offers Fremont alum

Speed made Slade Parker a dependable wideout for Fremont High football, and it could soon be the graduate’s full-time gig at Weber State.

The Region 5 standout posted on social media that he has an offer to continue his academic and athletic endeavors as a track athlete for the Wildcats, following three top-10 finishes at the UHSAA state track and field championships last month. Parker is serving a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Singapore.

In 5A, Parker finished second in the 400-meter dash and the 4×400-meter relay. He helped Fremont’s 4×200-meter relay team finish sixth overall.

Last fall saw Parker leave his mark on the gridiron, too, as an All-Area Second Team honoree. Parker logged 55 catches for 744 yards (13.5 yards per catch) and 14 touchdowns in his final season of high school football. He added another 84 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just six carries.

St. Joseph coach earns Gold Star Award

Masen White of St. Joseph Catholic High School received the UHSAA Gold Star Coach Award for the 2025-26 girls basketball season, the school announced on Wednesday.

The school shared the following message on Instagram:

“Coach Masen exemplifies all the qualities they look for sportsmanship, integrity, positivity, and accountability. As a St. Joseph alumnus and former four-sport athlete himself, Coach Masen understands the lasting impact a coach can have on young athletes and leads with both empathy and high expectations. He also coached the girls to their first state tournament in the 2A classification in school history (last year), advancing to the quarterfinals. We continue to be so excited for what he has accomplished this early on in his coaching career- and look forward to the many more wonderful years ahead. Congratulations Coach Masen!”

Ireland’s U18 captain headed for LCA

A potential breakout star is headed for Layton Christian boys basketball.

Mark Burns of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, is making the jump to LCA from touted prep school Brewster Academy, according to a post shared by the newly introduced Eagles coach Brock Erickson on Monday. Erickson took the reins of the school’s national squad following Casey Stanley’s departure for the opening at Westminster University, Utah’s Division II school.

Burns is slated to compete with Ireland’s U18 national team this summer as a team captain, according to Brandon Goble of VerbalCommits.

As a junior, Burns averaged 3.6 points, 1.8 boards and 0.5 assists per game.

Connect with prep sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net, X @ctbecker and Instagram @standardexaminersports.