What promises to be a long, hard spring will begin for the varsity track team this afternoon when they meet powerful Army at West Point.

Although the Crimson won their indoor meeting against the Cadets, 61 to 48, Army rebounded with a strong finish in the Heps, in which the Crimson placed a distant third.

Unfortunately for the varsity, its injury list alone would win a majority of Ivy meets. Among those definitely out are two-miler Dyke Benjamin and miler Ed Martin, while captain Pete Reider, winner of both the mile and two-mile indoors, and Sandy Dodge, the varsity's premier dash man are both doubtful.

Joel Landau who is expected to win both hurdles, leads the small corps of healthy, which includes Art Cahn, in the 880, and John Du Moulin and Jim Doty in the hammer. However, Cahn will be pressed by Jerry Lewis, and the latter duo by Al Bagdonas and Al Dorras.

With this untimely paucity of first-line troops, the Crimson will be forced to rely reavily on maximum efforts from border-line cases such as Lee Barnes in the dash; Dave Rosenthal, in the low hurdles; Al Gordon and Ben Kaltreiter in the quarter; and Bill Thompson and Jim Schlaeppi in the distances.

Coach Bill McCurdy will be watching with interest the showing of his field men, especially Neil Muncaster in the discus and Skip Pescosolido in the javelin, but he will need outstanding performances from both as well as a miraculous renascense of the rapidly-fading high jumpers and broad jumpers to make a fight of it. This is too much to ask, especially against a team of Army's calibre.