The Alaska daily empire., 1923-04-11
RIFLE SHOOTING AS SPORT IS MAKING MUCH HEADWAY;
 GIRL TEAMS BEING FORMED
By PETER p. CARNEY Editor National Sports Syndicate


 When you see pages in the photo gravure sections of the Metropolitan newspapers devoted to girls rifle team it is only natural that you should arrive at the conclusion that rifle shooting as a sport will soon take it's place, and rightfully too, with baseball, trap-shooting, golf and kindred pastimes.
 There was time when the rifle could be found in almost every American home, and in those days nearly every one could shoot, and with some degree of accuracy, but as the cities built up and became con gested rifle shooting went into the discard in many places and became more CT less of a lost art with our people We found this out only too well when we entered the fuss that Germany began, discovering that less than 10 per cent of our sboys could shoot and of this number not 5 per cent could shoot with any de gree of accuracy.
 Since then we have been told by many agencies that we should learn to shoot rifle because it is our duty that we owe it to ourselves and our country, and this thought has been vigorously prosecuted, but rifle shoot ing wild take firmer hold on the population when the people are shown what wonderful sport it is It Is as sport that rifle shooting excels, and this thought is being h,, Na4 sociation, and the Winchester Junior Rifle Corps and the Intercollegiate Rifle Association. These associa- tions have their own respective fields and they are getting results; the N. R. A. with the adult clubs and in dividuals; the w. J. R. c. with the school boys and girls. and the Inter- collegiate association with the col legians
 Many Girls Rifle Teams
 Possibly you are not aware of 1t but it is fact nevertheless that in mo less than 30 colleges there are girls rifle teams, and in no less than 60 colleges are there varsity rifle teams Some of the colleges where girls have formed rifle teams are Drexel Institute, Philadelphia; Ohio State; Michigan Aggies, Michigan; University of Maine, Iregon Aggies, Illinois, Kentucky, Depauk, Ripon, Oakland A. and NJ; Vermont, Louis jana State, Delaware College, Syra cuse, Tennessee, South Dakota, Miss cuse, Northwestern. Maryland, Geor- gia, Washington and Texas.
 Of this number Drexel has pos sibly the best team These girls have shot IS matches in three years and won every match. They averaged 496 out of a possible 800 in the six matches of 1922 and this past season averaged a shade better than 491 for six matches, scoring 2,9S4 points out of a possible 5000. Perfect scores of 500 were registered in the last two. matches against Vermont and the Michigan Aggies, 495 in another match with Vermont 496 against Ok lahoma, 495 with Ripon and 49s agains. Depauw To become mem Der of the Drexel team it is necas- sary for girl to average 9S or be- ter in practice. When you look over the scores of the Drexel girls yca will admit that they can shoot just about as well as the men, Tor no matter how good they come it is im- possible to shoot better than a per feet score.
 Captain J. P Lyons coaches the Drexel teams and is more than any one else responsible for the success achieved This is what the coach has to say:
 NRifle shooting is primarily sport adaptable to both men and women' boys and girls. It develops the con testants 1 physically and mentally, brings coordination of the eye, mind and muscle, promotes health and vigor. It is fine training