With four oarsmen returning from last year's unbeaten freshman boat, there is a strong chance that the light-weight crew will repeat as Eastern Sprint champion and row to its third straight undefeated season.

Stiff competition between these 11 and at least two other athletes for the eight first-boat positions has bolstered the confidence of coach Steve Gladstone.

"The close competition encourages harder work, and the harder work makes better oarsmen," Gladstone said yesterday.

Because of the number of rowers who are good enough to have chances for making the first boat, this year's light crew should be well balanced. It is unlikely that there will be any weak spots in the boat.

Performances on the ergometer, in the weights, and in stadium and distance running indicate that this year's crew possesses more endurance, but probably less strenght overall, than last year's team. Gladstone, however, rates the combined rowing capabilities of this year's oarsmen as at least as good as last year's.

"It is really hard to tell, however, how well the team is going to do until you see them in the first race," Gladstone said. "If eight great individual oarsmen don't complement each other well, the boat just isn't going to go fast."

The lights will open their season against Rutgers and Columbia on the Harlem River in New York on April 11. While Columbia should not challenge the Crimson seriously, Rutgers should give Harvard one of its toughest races this year. The Scarlet Knights, who only lost to Harvard by six seconds in last year's sprints, have seven of last year's eight back.

Besides Rutgers, Yale, Princeton, and M.I.T., should be the lights' biggest obstacles in their drive for another perfect season.

Juniors Dave Harman, Rod Peterson, Kim Kiley, and Dick Moore are the returnees from last year's varsity boat.

"I cannot say, however, that anyone has definitely nailed down a seat in the first boat," Gladstone said. "All I can say is that it is very close in a whole lot of positions. I would not be surprised if four or five sophomores ended up rowing in the first boat." he said.

Someone Nail Down The Seats

Gladstone said that by the end of the spring break, he will have an excellent idea of who will be in his first boat.

The members of the light crew are now seat racing and will continue to do so for the next week. By pitting the performance on the water of one oarsmen against another under almost identical conditions, seat racing gives an excellent indication of who the best oarsmen are.

The light crew will also concentrate on rowing technique in its double workouts over vacation. Because the first meet is so close, Gladstone has abandoned the land work-running, weight lifting, and exercises-in favor of working on the finer points of rowing, such as the recovery and the entry of the oar into the water.