HANOVER, N.H., March 12-A sixth in tonight's final event, the 400 meter relay, enabled Harvard swimmers to move from eighth to fifth place in point standings for one day of the Eastern Seaboard Championships here.

The Crimson's total of 36 points is far below Yale's 94, Princeton's 81, and Dartmouth's 76. Villanova (50) is fourth, and Lehigh (33) is sixth.

Disappointing

It was generally a disappointing day for Harvard, All three divers failed to reach the semifinals in one-meter competition, and defending Eastern champion Mike Cahalan had to settle for seventh (21.91) in the 50-free. Paul Horovitz was tenth.

In the 500-free Harvard entered Sieve Krause, Greg Huff. Dave Powlison-a strong group. But only Krause qualified, and in the final he finished sixth in 4:55,1. four seconds off his Harvard record. Yale's Mike Cadden won with a time of 4:46.8.

The Crimson got off to a fast start in the relay. Dave Kobick's 54.7 leg in the backstroke was slightly slower than Yalie Al Bettendon's, and Harvard was second behind Yale as Steve Baumgart dove in to swim the breast stroke.

Baumgart fell back quickly, however, and Harvard was sixth when he finished. John Munk and Cahalan were unable to improve that position during the last 200 yards.

Higher

Harvard's primary hopes for moving higher in the standings Friday depend upon Krause in the 400-yard individual medley, Kobick in the 100-yard backstroke, and on the 800-yard freestyle relay team of Al Ackerman, Toby Gerhart, Powlison, and Krause.

"The individual medley should be very interesting," Cahalan said after tonight's competition. "If Steve wants to win it, I think he can."

Munk and Huff will swim in the 200-fly, and Ackerman, Powlison, Gerhart will all enter the 200-free, a highly competitive event.

The Crimson's three breaststrokers-Baumgart, Dave Law, and Steve Mikhalevsky-plan to swim the 100-breast, but their chances to score well are slim.