Facing fierce competition from across the United States and Canada, Harvard's College Bowl team overcame long odds and won its first tournament of the year last weekend.

The team--Matthew L. Bruce '96, Cyrus C. Mody '97, and J.J. Todor '95, and physics graduate student Jordan Katine--beat two nationally-ranked opponents in taking the new, Washington D.C.-based tournament.

The competition was sponsored by World Affairs Television, a Canadian Public Affairs Television Company.

Harvard, which was previously ranked seventh in a national poll of college bowl teams, beat third-ranked University of Virginia in the semifinals and destroyed fifth-ranked George Washington in the final round by a score of 270 to 185.

"[The team is] proud of winning and hopes to keep building its status," said Todor, who is the team captain.

"It felt good to beat two top nationally ranked teams," he said.

The invitation-only tournament featured such top universities as Yale, Duke and Canadian powerhouses McGill and Queens.

It consisted of four single elimination rounds featuring quick recall questions on world politics, current events, and U.S. and Canadian history and politics.

According to Todor, Harvard competed in the General Electric College Bowl in the 1950s and 60s, but spent decades without a team until Katine started one three years ago.

The present Academic Quiz team has between 15 and 20 members, but "is always looking for new players," Todor said.