Harvard's flu-ridden women's track team yesterday lost a nip-and-tuck battle with the Tufts runners, 47 1/2 to 45 1/2, but managed to set three records and beat Boston University.

Harvard, now 3-1, beat Tufts in the Greater Boston Championship only two weeks earlier, when the Tufts runners were weakened by the flu, Sarah Robinson, Crimson co-captain, said yesterday.

Harvard sophomore sprinter Pat Gopaul finished off a record performance by the 880-yard relay team, which logged a time of 1:51.1 seconds. Crimson co-captain Sarah Linsley ran a gutsy race in the mile, establishing a Harvard record of 5:13.

In the final race of the meet, the mile relay, a race Harvard had to win and Tufts had to finish last for Harvard to move into an overall tie in the meet, Mary Howard brought the baton home in a record time of 4:11.9, but a superior Tufts relay team easily outdistanced the Terriers to insure the Jumbo victory.