After last season's disastrous 1-8 finish, the women's varsity swim team admittedly has no place to go but up. And according to all indications, its record should improve dramatically.

Last year's extremely sucessful recruitment drive lured a group of talented freshmen to the shores of Blodgett Pool and quickly transformed the squad into a real Ivy League championship threat.

Unlike many varsity squads that tend to rely on returning lettermen for talent and leadership, this season's swim team will have to depend on a strong core of newcomers plus a few returning veterans to fulfill Coach Stephanie Walsh's high hopes.

Walsh said this year's squad is probably four times as good as last year's, and yesterday predicted that the coming season would be a turning point for women's swimming at Harvard.

Impressive entries in freestyle, butterfly, and individual medley events provide depth that the team did not enjoy last year.

Maureen Gildea, a freshman from Long Beach, Calif., should pace the Crimson in distance freestyle events, while Walsh is depending on Janie Smith, also a yardling, to carry the team in freestyle sprints. Senior Co-captain Jane Fayer, returning this year after missing all of last season with a separated shoulder, should provide additional strength in the sprints.

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Walsh said her "short order lineup (for meets in which only 50 and 100 yard races are swum) will revolve around what Janie Smith swims." Fayer said "Smith is one of those swimmers who can swim anything."

In the butterfly events, newcomers Norma Barton and Kathleen McCloskey should head the Crimson charge. Kathy Davis and Terri Frick should give the squad needed depth in the individual medlies.

Several of the freshmen are Senior National AAU qualifiers, and Barton, Gildea, and McCloskey plan to use the season to prepare for June's Olympic Trials.

Those three already showed they're ready, to take on the best in the Northeast by setting New England records last week against Clark University.

The seemingly unstoppable lineup in the freestyle and fly events contrasts sharply with depth of talent in back- and breast-stroke events. Walsh said her swimmers for those contests are "adequate," but the team "doesn't have the real speedy person" necessary for a consistent winner.

Injuries to last year's standouts Adele Joel, a premier breaststroker, and Maura Costin, may also hurt the squad. Walsh said she hopes for Joel's return after Christmas, but Costin has left the team because of shoulder problems.

Gwen Knapp, another freshman, will lead what is left of the breaststrokers. The backstrokers are even more of a question mark with newcomer Caroline Marnock, recruited to reinforce their depleted ranks, unsure of whether she wants to swim this year.

The freshmen seem able to pick up whatever leadership slack left by the exodus of upperclassmen from the squad. Walsh noted that the "the freshmen are leaders; they're not waiting for upperclassmen to lead them."

Walsh added that "this is the first freshman class from high-powered programs." And, also that for the first time, most of the recruits have had previous experience with weight training, she said.