Ed Bailey, Mark Mullin, and Marty Beckwith will lead a flashy, if inconsistent Freshman track team into its first spring meet this Saturday at West Point. The Yardlings should defeat their Cadet rivals and with a little luck they could go on to whip their other four opponents.

After an excellent winter season in which he set an official national freshman record of 55 ft., 1 1/2 in in the 35-lb. weight, Bailey will turn his attentions to the hammer throw, where he again has record-breaking potential. He is already out-throwing everyone on the varsity with heaves around 170 ft., and he should improve with experience.

Mullin has been outstanding all year for the Freshmen, first as captain of the cross-country squad, and then as the work-horse of the indoor team. Particularly memorable was the Yale meet last February, when he and teammate Bob Knapp each ran three and one-half miles, with Mullin winning the mile and two-mile, and Knapp contributing a come-from-behind anchor leg in the two-mile relay.

The team's jack-of-all trades is Beckwith, who excels in the high jump, broad jump, and both hurdle races. Hampered by a muscle pull during most of the winter, he should return to form this spring.

Captain Harry Rich leads a strong group of runners who will back up Mullin and Beckwith. Rich and Don Kirkland will triple in the 440, 880 and mile relay, and Knapp will run in the relay, the 880, and the mile.

One big weakness is in the sprints. Newcomer Jack Shipman has done 9.8 in the 100, but behind him the picture is clouded. After Beckwith in the hurdles, the squad is embarrassingly thin.

Stan Greenspan in the discus, Tom Corbin in the hammer, javelin, and shot, and John Jeppson in the discus and shot will support Bailey in the weight events. Dean Alpine, a potential six-foot jumper, should add points in the high jump. The broad jump, behind Beckwith, and the pole vault are weak.

After Army, the Yardlings will face Princeton, Andover, Yale, and rugged Dartmouth. Barring misfortune, they could go all the way.