University of Memphis Athletics
Tigers Rifle Announces Signees
Apr 23, 2015 | Rifle, Women's Rifle
Berhorst to transfer from Murray State; Czap, Dempster sign national letters of intent.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Jack Berhorst, Sierra Czap and Leighton Dempster all signed to attend the University of Memphis beginning in the fall of 2015, head coach Butch Woolbright announced Thursday.
Berhorst is transferring to Memphis from Murray State University and has two years of eligibility remaining. Czap and Dempster signed national letters of intent and will start their NCAA Division I careers in the fall.
"Jack is a transfer from Murray State, and he adds collegiate experience to our program," said Woolbright. "Leighton just started her shooting career, but she is a competitor, and I expect her to grow and improve during her time at Memphis. I look for Sierra to make some contributions early after her successful high school career.
"We welcome Jack, Sierra and Leighton to the Tigers rifle family."
The following are short biographical sketches on Berhorst, Czap and Dempster:
Jack Berhorst
Transferring to the University of Memphis from Murray State University ... Shot for the Racers in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons ... Competed in 13 career matches ... Saw action in nine matches as a freshman in 2013-14 ... Shot career highs in both smallbore (576) and air rifle (583) in his collegiate debut at the 2013 Ole Miss Invitational ... Fired a 582 air rifle score at the 2014 NCAA Qualifier ... As a freshman in 2013-14, posted averages of 567.6 in smallbore and 578.6 in air rifle ...
Shot in four matches as a sophomore in 2014-15 ... Posted season bests in both smallbore (575) and air rifle (576) against Ole Miss ... Had season averages of 566.3 in smallbore and 572.8 in air rifle ...
Prior to Murray State, competed at Lathrop High School ... Placed first at the Missouri state Junior Olympic Qualifier and sixth at the 2013 Junior Olympic Shooting Championships ... Junior Olympic state champion in both smallbore and air rifle ... Also played football at Lanthrop High School ... National Honor Society member ... Served on the school's student council ... Graduated with a 4.11 grade-point average.
Sierra Czap
Attends Franklin County High School in Rocky Mount, Va. ... A cadet in the school's Air Force JROTC program ... Member of the U.S. Air Force Junior Reserve JROTC marksmanship team ... Team completed its its fifth season in 2014-15 ... Squad won six national titles in its first five years ...
Helped lead Franklin County to the 2015 U.S. Air Force National Championship for the second-straight season ... Set an Air Force national record in the three-position air rifle competition with a 199 score at the Air Force Junior ROTC Service Championships in February of 2015 ...
Member of the school's Air Force Junior ROTC precision team, which began in 2013 ... Ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation in precision class ... In May of 2014, set two Air Force national records in the precision class ... Scored a 596 out of 600 in the 3-by-20 overall ... Hit 48 bulls-eyes ... Also set the standing record with a 197 out of 200 score ... One of three Franklin County High School students selected to shoot at the Olympic training range in the summer of 2014 ... Also attended the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) that summer ... Earned her Distinguished Shooting medal at the CMP regionals ...
Franklin County placed fourth at a 2013 national championship in Anniston, Ala. ... Placed fourth out of 28 teams ... Member of the Franklin County team that finished fifth out of 19 squads at the 2013 Civilian Marksmanship Program North Region Championship ... Also competed at a 2013 national tournament in Alabama, where she helped her Franklin County squad to top-two finishes in the all-club event (first), Junior Olympic competition (first) and NRA-sponsored event (second) ...
Received the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution bronze medal in 2013 ... Holds a green belt in Taekwondo.
Leighton Dempster
Accepted to the University of Memphis' Honors Program ...
A state shooting sports ambassador for Louisiana ... Competed in various NRA, CMP and USA Shooting events ... State champion and Junior Olympic Qualifier from 2012-15 ...
Member of the West Feliciana Shooting Clovers ... Invited to shoot at the USA Shooting Junior Olympics in Colorado Springs, Colo., in both smallbore and air rifle in 2015 ... Won the 2015 Louisiana women's state smallbore championship with a score of 552 ... Shot a 398.5 in air rifle at the 2015 Junior Olympic Qualifier to claim the Louisiana women's state air rifle crown ... Placed 81st (795.3) at the 2015 National Junior Olympic 10m Air Rifle Championships ...
Represented the Louisiana Juniors at the CMP 3-Position Air Rifle and National 3-Position Championships at Camp Perry, Ohio, in 2014 ... Also represented Louisiana at the ISSF USA Shooting Junior Olympics in Colorado Springs in the spring of 2014 ... Placed 63rd in air rifle (797.2) at the Women's Junior Olympics in the summer of 2014 ... Earned the 2014 Precision Air Rifle Region 6 title at the American Legion 24th Annual Junior Air Rifle Championships ... Helped lead the West Feliciana Shooting Clovers to the team crown at the American Legion 24th Annual Junior Air Rifle Championships ... Shot a 583 and placed third in air rifle at the 2014 Dixi Challenge ... In January of 2014, won the USA Shooting state and CMP state championships ... Also a member of the Louisiana state team champion ...
Competed for the Tangipahoa Parish 4-H/Tangi Top Shots for six years ... Posted a top-20 performance in air rifle at the 2012 National Invitational Shooting Sports ... At the 2013 National Shooting Sports Invitational, recorded five top-three finishes in smallbore rifle ... Member of the Louisiana 4-H team that won the National Championship Smallbore Rifle Team at the 2013 invitational ... Team medals included first place, High Overall National Smallbore Rifle Team; first place, Smallbore Rifle Civilian Marksmanship Team; second place, Smallbore Rifle Silhouette Team; and third place, Smallbore Rifle NRA 50 yard 3 Position Team. ... Won the Junior NRA smallbore title at the 2011 4-H Shooting Sports Louisiana state competition ...
Attends Loranger High School in Loranger, La. ... Will graduate in the top-10 of her class at Loranger ... Four-year member of the Wolves dance team ... Served as the dance squad's team captain her senior season in 2014-15 ... Named the 2014-15 Loranger High School Student of the Year ... First runner-up for the Tangipahoa Parish High School Student of the Year honor ... Member of the school's Beta Club, FCA and FFA ... Served as Loranger High School's and Tangipahoa Parish's 4-H president.
