Leighton Dempster

Biography

Leighton Dempster was named the full-time Head Rifle Coach on Sept. 6, 2022 after previously holding the interim head coach title for several months. Dempster originally joined the Army West Point rifle coaching staff in June of 2019. In her first year with the program, Dempster was tabbed the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year. She helped mentor two NRA All-Americans in Clayton Hanson and Kaitlyn Kutz. The duo individually qualified for NCAA Championships with Kutz being the lone shooter in the nation to qualify for both smallbore and air rifle. Dempster was a four-year member of the varsity rifle team at the University of Memphis, where she served as a captain during her senior year. A three-time Second Team All-American in air rifle, smallbore and aggregate, she was also named First Team All-Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) in air rifle and aggregate her senior season. Additionally, Dempster was tabbed second team all-conference in smallbore her final season. She holds three individual program records at Memphis. In air rifle she shot 596, which occurred at Tronsrue Marksmanship Center at West Point. Dempster's 589 in smallbore and combined score of 1179 also hold as school records. Additionally, she helped contribute to Memphis' program record of 4689 points in a match with a 582 in smallbore and 595 in air rifle. Dempster competed at the 2018 NCAA Championships in air rifle as an individual. In qualifiers for the event, she placed secon