The Question: Basketball or Track?

Jaakke Mikkela's versity track team got a shot in the arm last week when hurdler Pat McCormick (Shown above in action last spring) exchanged his basketball shoes for a pair or spikes. The former Ohio state interscholastic hurdling champion had been working out will Bill Barclay's basketball team but has now decided he can make more progress down in Briggs Cage.

"Naturally, Pat will help us a lot," Mikkola explains. "He's our best hurdler, and he also may be able to do some running for us this winter." McCormick hopes Mikkola is right on the latter count. This afternoon at the Cage, hell compete in a special time trial against quarter milers Chuck Harwood and Dave Gilbert, with the two top men landing places on the varsity mile relay quartet.

Captain Dave Hamblett and Harvey Thayer established themselves as the number one and two men on this group Saturday by breezing through fast 440's. They combine with the two winners of today's trials when the Crimson hooks up with Rhode Island State here Thursday.

There'll be more Crimson teams operating in Cambridge this week than you can shake a cliche at the winter sports squads get going in earnest. The varsity squash team starts things off this afternoon when it meet the Harvard Club of Boston, and tomorrow night, the varsity and freshman basketball teams both open their home seasons against Northeastern at the Block-house, and the hockey team goes after Brown bear at the Arena.

Thursday, Jaakke Mikkola's mile and two mile relay teams (Varsity and freshman) dual Rhode Island State at Briggs Cage, and the freshman squash unit crosses the river for a match with the Busy School. Friday, both squash teams head west for competition against Amherst, and the freshman sextet takes on Newton light School at the Arena.

Saturday is the big day. The varsity and freshman wrestling teams open their seasons at MIT, the track team plays host to Northeastern and B.U., the swimming team opens here against the Alumni, and Bill Barclay's quintet plays at Navy.