Under the vast skylight of Briggs cage every afternoon these days, Coach Jaakko Mikkola is busy whipping his 150 man track tam into shape for short but strenuous indoor track program which begins January 15 with the Knights of Columbus in Boston.

For a year that offered much promise in the form of many returning former Varsity and Freshmen cindermen, the present outlook is not as bright as might have been expected--as the age level of, and pressure on veterans seems to have weakened the prospects. Coach Mikkola is a vigorous opponent of the mandatory service credit system which he claims is forcing some of his hottest entries to graduate in February.

In spite of this loss of several "sure thing" runners and jumpers from previous Crimson squads, the team is bolstered by large numbers of Freshman veterans and other newcomers whose potentialities are as yet untested.

In the sprint department a good deal of the team's success depends on the now doubtful participation of Doug Pirnie, a returned veteran who holds the University record in the 220 of 21.3 seconds set in 1941, who, under pressure of extra responsibilities may not turn out. Lacking Pirnie, Bob Cameron will probably lead the field, though a newcomer Harry Thayer is showing promise.

Hurdles, which are 45 and 60 yard highs and 60 yard lows in indoor tact, have several returnees from last spring's squad in the persons of Henry Kendall and Dave Reed. West Flint, of the 1942 Yardling team, is expected to furnish the backbone in the hurdling department.

In the middle distance running, former Varsity man, Cliff Wharton, is the leading runner in the 440 while Arnold Edelman and Ted Withington, captain of the Freshman team in 1942, are high ranking in the half mile. This fall's cross country squad is furnishing the staying power in the mile and two mile with Frank Gurloy, John Cogan, Huna Rosenfold, T. H. Walnut, and Hal May moving into the cage after two month's of steady training in the barriers' circuit.

Gene Harrigan and Pete Garland who top the bar in the neighborhood of six feet are close contenders for the first position in the high jump, while Pete Harwood, who has done 13 feet, is way out in front in the pole vault. The team seems to be potentially strongest in the weights where half a dozen husky contenders are all Varsity material.

Tomorrow will see the first concrete results from this year's turnout as the Yardling squad treks to Andover for a practice meet, and the Varsity middle distance men run some fast heats at home in order to pick mile and two-mile really teams for the meet with the Rhode Island Rams next Thursday.

The full scale meet with Tufts the following Saturday will fill out the picture and give some indication of the tack performance that can be expected this winter and next spring.