1969 Rifle Team

20 - 0 Undefeated Season

New England Prep-School Rifle League Champions

Southeastern High School Rifle League Champions

NRA Sectional Champions at Littleton, NH

Norwich University Dalrymple Trophy

Competitive shooting is different from most sports in that individuals compete
against each other to earn a spot on the six to eight person team that will shoot at a given match. The athletes must have the mental acuity to be able to keep their body completely still, breathe correctly and squeeze off 10 bullets from a small bore .22 caliber rifle at targets 50 feet away in each of three positions: prone, kneeling and standing. Coach Harlow had the 1969 Rifle team practice on Olympic targets where the center of the individual bullseye was the size of a pinhead. As a result, the team became excellent sharpshooters and were committed to improving their scores. Nonetheless, the "esprit de corps" of these boys demonstrated their desire to win as a team, not just as individuals. They practiced in the basement of the old school building, which was small with a very low ceiling, making it completely unsuitable to host matches. Therefore, most matches were away, further bonding this out-standing team, which went on to become the New England Prep-School Rifle League Champions. The team's remarkable and steadfast loyalty was underscored during post-season spring vacation. The team traveled to Norwich University where they won the Dalrymple Trophy, followed by the NRA Sectional Championships in New Hampshire where they won individual trophies as well as winning the overall sectional championship. These victories were the end to a magnificent season.

Team Roster

DeGraff Berkey'71; Frederick Cunningham '70; Raul Falcon '71; James M.
Franzen '70; Bruce L. Hendricks '69; Washington Irving III '70; James P. King '71; Stewart R. Kluss '72; Michael T. Luchini '69; John Kent McCusker '69, Captain; Scott L. Meehan '72; Jeffrey C. Mills '71; Jay W. Morehouse '69; Chalmers I. Morse '70; Peter G. Sloan Jr. '69; John T. Weaver '69

Coach: Richard Harlow