Dempster, Clark Earn All-America Accolades

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – With the end of a season comes recognition, and the University of Memphis rifle squad brought home some national honors after the conclusion of the campaign at the 2019 NCAA Championships.

Senior Leighton Dempster and junior Levi Clark earned National Rifle Association (NRA) All-America accolades. Dempster was named NRA All-America second team in both smallbore and air rifle, and Clark an NRA All-America second team in smallbore. Dempster also received All-America recognition from the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA), earning second team honors in aggregate.

Earlier this season, Dempster and Clark were honored by the Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) at the league's championships. Dempster was named All-GARC in aggregate (first team), air rifle (first team) and smallbore (second team). Clark received All-GARC honorable mention recognition in both disciplines and aggregate.

Dempster had a tremendous senior campaign in 2018-19. The Tigers' team captain led the squad with a 1172.7 aggregate average and a 591.5 air rifle average. She was second on the team with a 581.2 smallbore average.

The Loranger, La., native shot a career-high 1179 aggregate in a win over NC State in late October. Included in that score was a school-record tying 596 air rifle effort. She also shot a 596 in the discipline two weeks earlier in October versus Army.

Dempster posted a 1170 aggregate or higher nine times this season, including eight-straight matches from Oct. 27 through Feb. 16. Dempster also holds the program's smallbore record, firing a 589 on her "Senior Day" Feb. 9.

Clark, a Clackamas, Ore., native, earned a spot to compete in the smallbore discipline at the NCAA Championships for the second year in a row. He finished sixth in the competition for a second-straight season.

Clark led the Tigers in smallbore with a 581.4 average and shot a career-high 588 at the NCAA Sectional Qualifier. He recorded 1170 aggregates or higher four times in 2018-19, including a career-best 1179 in a home win over Nebraska Feb. 3. Clark finished the campaign with a 1169.1 aggregate average.

The tandem helped lead Memphis to one of its best seasons under second-year head coach Dan Hermsmeier. The Tigers set team school records in smallbore (2332) and aggregate (4689) in winning Jacksonville State's Gamecock Invitational in late November. Memphis also posted its highest team aggregate at the GARC Championships since 2012.

University of Memphis Athletics

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Levi Clark

Leighton Dempster

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