Rifle To Shoot In Withrow Invitational Saturday

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – After a 50-day layoff from competition, the University of Memphis rifle team returns to action Saturday, Jan. 20 at the annual Withrow Invitational. The Tigers begin their portion of the match at 9 a.m. (CT) Saturday.

The three-day event, hosted by Murray State at the Pat Spurgin Rifle Range, runs from Jan. 19-21. Memphis joins Jacksonville State, Kentucky, Murray State, North Georgia, UAB and UT Martin in the invitational.

Tigers Tidbits

Memphis placed fifth in last year's Withrow Invitational. Leighton Dempster shot a season-high aggregate of 1166, and Amberlie Ezell posted a career-high 1159 aggregate.
The Withrow Invitational is the first match of the 2018 portion of the schedule. Saturday's match is Memphis' first since Nov. 19 at the Jacksonville State Gamecock Invitational.
Memphis enters the spring semester of the NCAA rifle season ranked No. 16 in the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) poll.
The freshmen paced the Tigers' effort in the team's last outing at the Nov. 19 Gamecock Invitational, with Matt Dorey posting the team's top smallbore (576; 8^th) and aggregate (1162; 9^th) scores and Adriana Hickerson the squad's best air rifle (591; 4^th).
Dorey's 576 smallbore and 1162 aggregate scores were season-bests. Hickerson's 591 air rifle score was the sixth time she shot a 590 or higher in nine fall matches.
Hickerson recorded a personal-best 593 air rifle score vs. Nebraska in late October.
After the fall semester portion of the schedule (nine matches), junior Leighton Dempster has the team's highest aggregate average at 1156.7. Sophomore Levi Clark is second at 1156.1.
Clark has the Tigers' best smallbore average at 577.1. He shot 575 or higher in seven of the nine fall matches.
Dempster is tops on the team with a 588.9 air rifle average. She shot 590 or better in five matches.
Dempster set her career-high in air rifle three times in the fall. She tied her career-high with a 591 at the season-opening Tiger Open. Dempster then re-set her career-high with a 592 vs. NC State and then a 593 vs. TCU.

Up Next
The Tigers continue their spring semester schedule next Saturday, Jan. 27 with a dual match at Kentucky.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Levi Clark

Leighton Dempster

Amberlie Ezell

University of Memphis Athletics