"They didn't do it with slide rules," quipped one Crimson-clad cross country runner yesterday afternoon after M.I.T. had ambushed the Varsity and Holy Cross, 15 to 61 to 66 at Franklin Park.

Running as if they had just been let out of the antelope pens near the course, seven Engineers negotiated the hilly, 4 1/4 mile grind before John Cogan, the first Harvard man, hit the finish line. A Holy Cross runner was sandwiched in between the sixth and seventh Tech finishers.

Actually, nobody was surprised at the outcome. Four of the Techmen who helped rout the Crimson yesterday had beaten Harvard's first man last year. What puzzled Coach Mikkola was the inability of the Varsity to split up the sixman M.I.T. block which ran more or less together all the way.

In the Freshman race preceding the main event, Northeastern outran the Yardlings 24 to 31, despite the efforts of J. H. Pankey. Pankey's second-place time of 17 minutes, 43 seconds for the 3 1/4 mile course was better than any Freshman time recorded last year.

With B.U. and Rhode Island State (where cross country is a major sport) on the schedule for next Friday, Coach Mikkola will put his men through special hill workouts today and Monday at Medford.

Leading Varsity runners yesterday: Cogan (9), Moriarty (11), Worth (12), Rosenfeld, captain (14), Baker (15), Albee (16), Wilbur (18).