Joakko Mikkola's cross-country team will have its first test at 4 p.m. this afternoon in the University handicaps. On the basis of today's race, Mikkola will pick twelve men each for his varsity and freshman teams for next week's initial Holy Cross-Rhode Island meet. The race will be from the main Soldiers Field gate to the Police Station--between two and three miles.

"The squad is shaping up pretty well," Mikkola said last night, "but there is no depth in the varsity." One of the reasons is that only a few of last year's freshman team have come out for the varsity this year. Paul Judy, '53's captain, John Kimball, and Goodie Cooke are the outstanding siphomores who have been out since practice began September 25.

Captain John Pankey will lead the varsity. Dave Cairns, Dave Gregory, John White, Alan Master, Jim Downey, Jim Little, Ronnie Berman, Ted Scudder, Clark Coggeshall, and Judy, Kimball, and Cooke are the others who have shown up well in early runs. For the last ten days Mikkola's harriers have been working hard over the hills in Belmont, but as yet there have been no races, and times are not available.

It is still hard to tell about the freshmen, but Mikkola said that, although there seemed to be very little reserve strength, the '54 team looked a little stronger than the '53 squad.

In the first two official meets--including next Saturday's three-way contest--the Crimson will be allowed to put in extra runners for time-trial purposes because Harvard has no satisfactory home course, but must travel to Belmont or Franklin Park for its races.