The Harvard Cross Country team passed its first test yesterday by handily defeating Northeastern at Franklin Field. The final score was Harvard 20. Northeastern 36.

As expected Ric Rojas took first place in the race, beating the Huskies' number one man. Bill Rowe, with case. Rojas finished in 24:12.5. Roe in 24:48.

In a surprise, Harvard's Andy Campbell came off a one-year lay-off due to injury and took third place, with a time of 24:57.

Harvard captain John Quirk took fourth place in 25:06, and sophomore Jimmy Keele -- a man to watch this year -- took fifth in 25:10.

Marsh Jones rounded out the Crimson scoring in seventh place at 25:39, behind Northeastern's Ken Flanders, who finished sixth.

Northeastern dominated in the first rule of the race. Rojas got off to a slow start, and Jones and Jim Hughes were the only Harvard runners giving the Huskies any competition.

At the mile point, Quirk and Rojas started up a strong move sad went into the lead. For Rojas, the rest of the race was only a matter of further widening the distance between himself and the rest of the pock.

Keefe also started to come after the mile marker, but Campbell remained for back. At the three mile marker, Quirk began to fade and Northeastern's Rowe and Flanders pulled up in front of him. Then Campbell, who had unobtrusively begun to move up, passed Flanders and moved into third.

Keefe's comeback, which began at one mile, strengthened after the second and third markers, and he finished just behind Quirk, who had passed all the Huskie competition except for Rowe.

"We came away knowing we have areas to work on, but we came away optimistic," said coach Bill McCurdy.

He added that the team would be able to tell its strength better after the Providence-U. Mass race on Tuesday, since the Friars are expected to provide tougher competition than Northeastern.

The Harvard freshmen beat the Huskie's JV squad in a runaway, 17-47. Bill Durrette led Pappy Hunt's Yardlings, finishing first overall.