Mikkola's Chargers Enter Stadium in Final Drive for Early Season Opener

Barring a change of bad weather, Jaakko Mikkola's trackmen will break into the Stadium today for the first time this year. Only recently cleaned of its football regalia, the Colosseum has been undergoing a stiff currying in preparation for another spring of Saturday afternoons. Jaakko and his assistant Bill Neufeld some weeks ago gave up the Cage to baseball and spring football. Since being evicted Crimson runners have been following the river to Watertown and back, pacing the crews alongside. Now that the Stadium is ready Jaakko and his charges are prancing for the final pre-season drive.

Early Yale Meet

The Yale meet is very early this year. Held in Cambridge on May 15 it comes scarcely a month after the end of Spring vacation. On April 16 the annual University Handicap Meet gives the Varsity and Freshmen a competition opener. On April 30 the second New England Relays will be held, followed by the Dartmouth Meet at Hanover a week later. On May 21 a select group goes to Princeton for the Heptagonals, and the I.C.A.A.A.A. in New York winds up the season on June 3 and 4.

Great Sophomores

After the Yale Freshman Meet last May, in which the Crimson first-year men ran away with an 86 to 48 score, Jaakko declared that this was "the greatest Freshman track team Harvard ever had." As Sophomores the Class of 1940 have lived up to predictions, and this year's Varsity may before the end of the spring season be known as a Sophomore team. Of the nine Harvard places in the Quadrangular Meet this winter four were gained by Sophomores.

Perhaps the most outstanding of these newcomers to the Varsity is James Lightbody, winner of the B. A. A. Hallahan Trophy. Only once since he has been to Harvard has he been beaten in a race; last July he was second to Godfrey Brown of Cambridge in the Oxford-Cambridge Meet. In the Quadrangular Meet a month ago he easily defeated Foster of Dartmouth and Nevius of Cornell in the 600 later to run anchor on the mile relay. Some expect him to go unbeaten the rest of his college career. Jaako hopes he will break 48 seconds in the quarter this spring.

Strong Shot Putters

Two Sophomores dominate the shot put. Burly George Downing, Varsity football player, grunted and puffed his way to first place in the Quadrangular. At Exeter and as a Freshman here he put down all challengers. Throwing the 16 lb. in the Yale Meet last spring he reached 45 ft. 6 1/2 in., a foot better than did the Varsity. In the Quadrangular this winter he surpassed 46 feet by 1/2 an inch. His teammate Howard Mendel was second in the Quad Meet, with a heave 6 inches short. Mendel, with his quick snappy put, has been putting the shot out further and further all winter. He may excel Downing before summer comes.

Shallow Improves

Bill Shallow has steadily improved since his Freshman year. This winter he showed prospects of contributing at least three points in the Quad Meet by placing in the weight throw. He was decidedly off form in the Quad Meet however and did not place. The following week, however, in the I.C.A.A.A.A. he captured second place by throwing the 35 lbs. 51 ft. 10 3/4 in. He is now throwing the hammer every afternoon behind the Stadium in preparation for the spring season.

Two More Newcomers

Other Sophomores threaten to rise to the level their classmates have attained. Mason Fernald, winner of the 110-yard high hurdles in the Oxford-Cambridge Meet, has not had the same success on the winter boards. Shields and Day, Yale Sophomores, have succeeded in dethroning Donovan and Watson of Dartmouth while Fernald has not fulfilled expectations by graduating to that rank. A slow starter, he may come into his own over the longer distance outdoors. Fred MacIsaac is another Sophomore who should strengthen Crimson track. In the B.A.A. Games he cleared 13 feet.