AKRON, Ohio – Sophomore Clark McWhorter will aim to be the third member of the Jacksonville State rifle program to be an NCAA Individual Champion as he competes on Friday in the 2023 NCAA Smallbore Championship.

The 2023 edition of the rifle championships will be hosted by the University of Akron inside James A. Rhodes Arena.

McWhorter was selected as one of three individuals to aim for the NCAA Smallbore Championship. McWhoter is joined by Marleigh Duncan Parker Haydin of Navy along with Ben Salas from North Carolina State.

McWhorter, from Springville, Alabama, bolstered his season resume' with a season-best 588 in the NCAA Qualifier match at the Gamecock Rifle Range inside Rowe Hall on February 18. Throughout the season, he averaged a 568 over 13 outings during the 2022-23 season.

Last season, Jax State's Mackenzie Van Patten earned a spot as an individual in air rifle. McWhorter is the third Gamecock to earn an individual bid, joining Van Patten and Brandon Muske, who was a participant in the 2015 NCAA Air Rifle Championship. McWhorter will try to become the second Gamecock to win an NCAA individual crown in air rifle and the third Gamecock to win the individual title. JSU's Michael Dickinson claimed the 2007 NCAA Air Rifle championship and Brian Carstensen took home the 2009 NCAA Smallbore Individual title.

Air Force, Alaska Fairbanks, Kentucky, Murray State, Nebraska, Ole Miss, TCU and West Virginia were the eight teams selected to compete in the 2023 NCAA Rifle Championships.

Links for all championship information and live video links will be available on JSUGamecockSports.com.