The Harvard swim team almost got caught looking past Cornell to this week's crucial confrontation with mighty Princeton, but recovered in time to snare the last two events and slosh by the Big Red, 53-42. Saturday at the IA-B.

Trailing by three points going into the next to last event--the 200-yard breaststroke -- the Crimson surged into the lead as Buzz Cummins and Bob Corris scored a sweep.

Then stalwart Pete Adams topped off a fine afternoon by anchoring Bill Shrout, Dick Saxe and captain Jim Seubold to an easy win in the final freestyle relay. Adams had one of his best days -- he preceded the relay blue ribbon with victories in the 100 and 200-yard freestyles.

Neither Corris nor Shrout -- both are Harvard record-holders -- had been expected to swim; Corris is still recovering from an attack of mono and Shrout reported to the meet with an infected ear. But with an upset defeat looming larger and larger. Coach Bill Brooks was forced to call on them.

Actually Corris swam in the opening medley relay win, but that 100-yard breaststroke stint was supposed to be the first easy step towards his gradual recuperation.

But when the Crimson dropped the 50-free and the individual medley; when Pete Alter and usually consistent Bill Murphy settled for second and third in the dive -- in short when defeat seemed imminent, Corris and Shrout jumped to salvage Harvard's sixth victory in eight meets.

The freshman swim team was bombed by Deerfield Saturday, 76-19. The only Harvard bright spot was a fly sweep by Glenn Yngve and Dick Barrett.