Harvard's cross-country team returned from its three-week training camp with luxuriant beards and noticeable exuberance last weekend, but despite the clear prospect of another unbeaten season. Crimson coach Bill McCurdy seemed somewhat reserved.

"There's no doubt that we have topflight performers with top-flight potential." he admitted. "but the question remains whether we can get them all together, in shape, when we'll need them."

An Easy Week

Although the Crimson should not need them this week, when it meets unimpressive Northeastern Wednesday and weak ended Providence and Massachusetts squads Saturday. McCurdy may have some reason for his unusual caution.

The Crimson harriers enjoyed a tremendously successful training period at their Grotonwood. Mass., hideout, but they returned to Cambridge a little more disorganized than they have been in recent seasons.

McCurdy can count on at least eight excellent competitors, but a flock of injuries and minor hindrances prohibit him from formulating any sort of stable top five.

Out of Shape

Seniors Keith Colburn and Roy Shaw, junior Dave Pottetti and sophomore Bobby Seals were to have formed a tentative nucleus for Harvard's defending Heptagonal champions, but both Shaw and Pottetti reported to camp woefully out of shape. Colburn missed two weeks of practice with a virus and Seals was plagued with a sore knee.

Another top prospect, Jon Enscoe, has been sidelined by a cranky knee, and it is doubtful that he will return early enough to help the Crimson to any large extent.

Magic

Fortunately, McCurdy worked his traditional magic at Grotonwood, and things became a little brighter. Sophomore Mike Koerner emerged as the star of the camp, followed closely by senior John Heyburn and junior Tom Spengler.

And Erik Roth, a senior who has been gradually developing throughout his Harvard career, established himself as a dependable fourth entry.

"We should be able to win the first two meets just with those four. "McCurdy feels." and I'm sure that one of our walking wounded will come through for us as well."