At 2:30 o'clock Friday afternoon, seven of Jaakko Mikkola's harriers will board the bus for the trip to Nickerson Field, the site of their first competition of the season, with Boston University. The coach expects a good showing from his men, most of whom are on their way back into form. W. Penn Tuttle '40, will captain the team; others running will be: Richard Wing '40, E. Langdon Burwell '41, Lightbody '40, Malcolm Mackenzie '41, Eugene V. Clark '40, and Frank L. Porter Jr. '40.

Always cautious, Jaakko would give no indication of his hopes for a repetition of last year's undefeated season. "They are all doing fairly well" he reiterated. "Soon they will be in good form."

Early last Fall the coach was equally as non-committal; his letter carriers defeated Boston University 23-27, took the triangular with New Hampshire and Dartmouth 28-40-57, whipped Holy Cross 21-39, and felled Yale 20-36, Princeton 25-30 to capture the triangular on dual principles 30-40-52. If the boys looked fairly good at the beginning of the season, they were certainly putting up a pretty sight at the end.

Of the septet sallying against B. U. Friday, only three have run cross country for the Varsity or Freshmen before this year. Penn Tuttle, who is filling Ros Brayton's shoes more than adequately as captain this year, was right up front in the Yale plod. Gene Clark is short on training because he was delayed in returning from abroad, but Jaakko considered him enough of an old-timer to run Friday; he trailed the first Blue man in last quarter.

Jim Lightbody's forte is the 1-4 mile of course, but he also ran the half against Yale and toted the big letter for his Freshman cross country team. Lithe and long breathed, Jim should come through on the good side of the gamble Friday.

Porter has been running the half mile up to now, but has no Varsity experience. His cross country running was rather intermittent and irregular last year but Jaakko says he's doing fairly well, and that's all he's said for any of the follows.

Dick Wing was resting yesterday afternoon, but he should be pretty nearly in shape if he was spared from the daily jog. Mal Mackenzle and Don Burwell are both entirely new to cross country. Burwell never having done any running at all before. Jaakko likes the way both of them run.

The customary ten man team will probably be changed only for B. U. in accordance with their unexpected request to limit the harriers to seven for this meet. Jaakko likes to put everybody in the field when the terrain is travelled out here, but right now he is having difficulty convincing B. U. that they ought to put their second string harriers against the Crimson Freshman, in the absence of a B. U. '43 pack.

Jaakko, always deliberate and considerate, wants to use the meet to give the Freshman Harrlers a taste of competition, as well as giving the Varsity a limber up and appetizer. Though every Jaakko trained pack is out to win, there are explicit instructions not to strain for this meet, even if B. U. is far from being a pushover.