"Just the fact that Harvard is taking us more seriously has made us more serious. We practice at Soldiers Field now. When I was a freshman, we practiced in the Radcliffe Quad," she continued.

"The quality of coaching has gone up and the amount of the men's interest in Radcliffe sports has gone up."

Carrie Minot, the laxwomen's hottest scorer, has had her season shortened by tearing the soft tissue in her ankles.

"I don't know why there are so many injuries this year," Minot said. "Last year I rowed before I started playing. This year I was in worse shape."

"I think it's really bad luck," Minot continued. "It's pretty depressing going out every day and finding one more person gone."

The common thread running through all of the explanations for the injuries is that Radcliffe women are beginning to take their sports more seriously.

Right now, the Radcliffe lacrosse program is experiencing growing pains which have manifested themselves in injuries. It's difficult to jump right to the top of a sport without having the experience, unless you're the first one ever to do it.

Thus, the Radcliffe heavyweight crew is the best in the country because it was one of the first in the country. Crew members do extensive conditioning to insure that they stay on top.

But other Radcliffe teams are just maturing now. They are developing a core of players who are serious about their sport and who will give their teams the experience they need to be competitive on the collegiate level.

The number of injuries should decrease in the future because Radcliffe atheletes will prepare themselves better mentally and physically as they realize that sports are important. and not just a way to kill an afternoon.