Tigers Rifle Fifth At Withrow Invitational

Saturday, January 21

Murray, Ky.

University of Memphis

Withrow Invitational

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Jan 23, 2017 | Rifle

Dempster, Ezell record personal-best aggregate scores.

MURRAY, Ky. – University of Memphis' Leighton Dempster and Amberlie Ezell recorded personal-bests in aggregate score, and the Tigers placed fifth in last weekend's Roger Withrow Invitational. The event had nine teams shooting over two days (Jan. 21-22).

Memphis, ranked No. 11 in the nation, had an aggregate score of 4642 and placed only 17 points out of third place. The Tigers tied for third in smallbore (2303) and were fifth in air rifle (2339). Host and No. 3 nationally-ranked Murray State swept both disciplines and had the event's top team aggregate score.

Dempster, a sophomore, tied her career-high aggregate score at 1166. She also posted a 1166 aggregate score at the 2015 NCAA Rehearsal Match in Akron, Ohio. Dempster's 577 smallbore result tied her season high and was one point shy of her career-high 578 at last season's NCAA Rehearsal Match. Her 589 air rifle score was her second-best mark of 2016-17 and only two points shy of her career-best. She shot a season-high 590 in a win over Army Oct. 10, and recorded a career-high 591 in a tri-match versus Kentucky and Murray State in 2015-16.

Dempster placed in the top-20 in both disciplines at last weekend's Withrow Invitational. She shot the squad's highest air rifle score (589) and placed 11^th. Her 577 smallbore mark was 20^th.

A week after setting her season-high air rifle mark, Ezell followed with season-bests in aggregate score (1159) and smallbore (577) at the Withrow Invitational. Her 577 smallbore score placed her 21^st in the discipline, and Ezell's aggregate score (1159) shattered her previous high of 1146 set at the Nov. 12 Buckeye Open.

Junior Makennon Doran tied a career-best with his 579 smallbore mark. He placed 18^th in smallbore this weekend. Doran tied his career-high 579 score, which he first set versus No. 1 West Virginia in the 2015-16 campaign.

Despite an injury, senior Amy Fister competed and was the squad's highest smallbore finisher. She placed seventh in smallbore with a 582. For the second-straight week, freshman Abby Votava shot a season-high in air rifle. Votava recorded a 582 in air rifle this weekend, surpassing her 579 from a week ago.

The Tigers return to action Saturday, Jan. 28 when they host No. 8 Nebraska and No. 14 Jacksonville State. The tri-match is the first to be held at the Tigers' new on-campus home, the Memphis Rifle Facility. The new range is located in South Hall.

Team/Ranking	Smallbore	Air Rifle	Aggregate
Murray State/#3	2337	2369	4706
Kentucky/#5	2318	2361	4679
N.C. State/#9	2303	2356	4659
Jacksonville State/#14	2301	2345	4646
Memphis/#11	2303	2339	4642
UT Martin/#19	2286	2306	4592
UT Martin (women only)	2273	2289	4562
North Georgia/#20	2241	2289	4530
UAB	DNS	2228	2228

Memphis Individuals	Smallbore	Air Rifle	Aggregate
Leighton Dempster%	577	589	1166
Amy Fister*	582	578	1160
Haylea Broughton*%	573	586	1159
Amberlie Ezell%	577	582	1159
Levi Clark*	569	586	1155
Eli Rischling	567	566	1133
Abby Votava%	549	582	1131
Makennon Doran*	579	DNS	579