Harvard's swimming team opened its season with an adequate, though not in spining, performance last night in the IAB to down Springfield. 73-40, for the 27th time without a loss.

With the exception of the two relays, the individual medley, and the breast-stroke, the meet was not very exciting, as the Chiefs could win only three events. "We've got a lot of work to do yet," said Harvard coach Bill Brooks, "but some of the times weren't bad."

In the first relay. Springfield's Gary Spracklin opened up a three-yard lead, which his team preserved through the first 200 yards. But on the third leg, Crimson butterflyer Johnny Munk began to make up ground on his Springfield opponent, closing the lead to a foot with only the freestyle leg left. Toby Gerhart quickly evened the race and passed Steve O'Mearn in the final 35 yards to win by less than a second in 3:49.8.

This come-from-behind victory seemed to take the wind out of the sails of a spirited Springfield squad, and Harvard further discouraged the Chiefs by winning the next three events for a 27-7 advantage.

Steve Krause, the Crimson's top point-getter last winter, lapped both of Springfield's men twice on his way to an easy triumph in the 1000-free, and sophomore Andy Huff was second.

Last year's freshman captain. Al Ackerman, followed with a narrow victory in the 200-free over the Chiefs' Tom Purcell. Ackerman picked first in the lottery Monday night, was only a half-stroke ahead until a spurt in the final 50 yards gave him a winning time of 1:53.8. a second better than Purcell.

After captain Mike Cabalan won the first of his two freestyle events. Springfield finally got a first in the individual medley when Doug Moulton won a see-saw battle with Harvard's Dave Powlison. Moulton was out front early, but Powlison moved ahead at the turn of the backstroke leg before Moulton moved up to first again on his specialty, the breaststroke, and refused to yield during the freestyle.

To those who are accustomed to watching Bill Murphy dive at the LAB, last night's performances, particularly in the one-meter, were a letdown. Springfield's Fred Laing barely beat Dick Eisenberg in the one-meter, and there was almost a bad mishap when the Chiefs' Mark Donnelly failed to get out far enough and came down just to the right of the board.

Sophomore Dave Silver, third in that event, did quite well on his final four attempts in the three-meter dive to win with 292 points. Teammate Tom Wallace was second.

Backstrok, Butterfly

Dan Kobick, another Crimson sophomore, had no trouble in his varsity debut as a backstroker, and Munk continued the success he has had in the butterfly with a convincing six-second triumph over his Springfield opponent. Powlison coasted to the victory in the 500-free.

Moulton was a double winner for Springfield. Pete Mikhalevsky, a Harvard sophomore, took an early lead in the breaststroke before Moulton moved ahead, and then a three-way race for second developed among Mikhalevsky, Steve Banmgart, and Springfield's Al Kleitz. Kleitz outlasted the Crimson swimmers to give the visitors their only sweep of the night.

In the freestyle relay. Tim Meyer, the NCAA college division 50-free champion. almost got by Toby Gerhart in the final leg after Harvard had led by a yard most of the race, but he was touched out by Gerhart.