Having hung up a record-breaking score in its last three meets, the rapidly improving rifle team will be a strong contender for the title at the New England Tournament, March 29 at New Haven, according to a statement yesterday by Captain James W. Cooper '41.

In the first meet of the year, which was lost to M.I.T., last year's team record of 1347 was bettered by 17 points. Although the team lost its next match to Yale by a close score, it also set up a new record with 1366.

The present mark of 1373 was made last Thursday in a victory over Brown. High men in this match were Richard H. Goldberg '40, and Lawrence Shaul '42, each with 279.

Recognized this year as a minor sport for the first time and anxious to make a good showing, the rifle team is now in third place in the Intercollegiate League.

Owing to the steady improvement of his sharpshooters, Captain Cooper intends to enter them in both the New England Rifle Tournament and the National Rifle Association Championships with strong possibilities of taking both titles.

With a very evenly balanced team, the Harvard marksmen have placed three men among the top seven in New England with an average of over 270 per match. These are Goldberg, 272; Cooper, 271; and Henry F. Dunbar, '42, 271.