Although the official spring track season will not open for nearly two weeks. Coach Farrel has already begun to marshal his forces in preparation for the fast-approaching spring meets. Almost unknown to the University at large, he now has two squads of men,--pole-vaulters and weight throwers,--at work each day.

Nearly a dozen hammer throwers are now going through their preliminary drills each afternoon in the little-used corner of Soldiers Field behind the Stadium and the University baseball bleachers. And about as many pole-vaulters have been reporting for practice in the baseball cage on Tuesday and Thursday evenings to work from 7 until 8 o'clock by electric light.

Early practice in both these events has seemed essential to Coach Farrell owng to the marked shortage of experienced material available.

No Seniors or "H" Men

In the little group of hammer throwers which he was superintending yesterday afternoon behind the Stadium were three Juniors, five Sophomores, three Freshmen,--no Seniors and no "H" men. Despite this lack of seasoned material, Coach Farrell retained his customary optimism.

"They're green," he said, "But they're husky. We'll have some good hammer throwers before spring."

Of this squad, one of this most promising candidates is P. E. Berglund '26, who placed in both the Freshmen meets against Yale and Princeton last spring. Other hammer throwers on whom the University's hopes are pinned are W. M. Snow '25, A. D. Phillips '26, and R. P. MacFadden '26. Of the Freshmen, the two leading candidates are B. L. Kilgour and A. F. Lemmon, both members of the 1927 football squad.

Paulsen Unavailable

One Freshman who is conspicuously lacking is C. I. Paulsen, the outstanding track prospect in his class. Over six weeks ago, Paulsen left Cambridge for Spokane, Wash., to undergo an operation. He was expected back last week, but a letter recently received from him declares that he will be unable to return to college this spring because of his illness. His absence will be a serious loss to the Freshman track team, as he was an outstanding performer not only in the hammer throw, but also the pole vault and both high and low hurdles, in which events he is an interscholastic record holder.

The group of pole vaulters which drilled in the cage last night is fully as inexperienced as the weight throwers. The most promising prospects are men recruited from other events--R. L. Hyatt '24, a broad jumper; M. M. Atwater '26; and W. D. Mogey, a high jumper. L. O. Combs '26 who won his numerals against Yale last year is the only member of the squad who has held a vaulting pole in his hands before this year.