For the second time in the last week, the injury-riddled Harvard men's track team came up with an outstanding effort, only to fall just short of victory.

The thinclads took second in a tri-meet Saturday in Hanover, N.H., with 65 points, four behind Dartmouth and seven ahead of Brown.

But the order of finish doesn't mean the tracksters did not register an impressive performance. Gary Quantock set a personal record in the shot put (53 feet, 8 inches) but finished second behind the Big Green's Ken Jansson.

Mike Stewart recorded a personal best in the javelin (222 feet) but was runner up behind Dartmouth's Tom Turnbull. Tom Lenz threw the hammer 185 feet but did not even place.

And Joe Pellegrini, who set a Soldiers Field record in the discus Tuesday against Northeastern, finished second in Saturday's competition as Dartmouth's Ed Kania established a New England and Ivy League mark with a Feurbach-like heave of 192 feet.

Despite the frustration in the throwing events, the Crimson still might have carried the meet with heavy scoring in the running events.

In the 800-meter race, Adam Dixon blazed home in 1:50.7. a personal best. However, Brown's Osman Lake broke the tape in 1:50.6. In the 400-meter hurdles, thinclad Lance Miller came to the wire in a personal best of 53.5 seconds, but he finished (you guessed it) second behind Julian Schmoke of Dartmouth.

The injury list compounded the wounds caused by a barrage of second-place personal bests. The Crimson had to do without triple jumpers Sola Mahoney and Louis Edozien, high jumper Mike Young and Sprinters Ralph Polillio and Joe Salyo. John Murphy is still feeling the effects of a bothersome knee injury.

Although the narrow loss was an excusemaker's dream. Harvard coach Bill McCurdy offered none yesterday.

"These things happen. It's just part of competing," he said, adding that "the law of averages is gonna be with us now."

There was, at least, some consolation as the Crimson dominated the distance events. Eddie Sheehan won the 5000 in 14:22.4 with cohort Pete Fitzsimmons grabbing the second slot. The thinclads swept the 1500 meters, as Thad McNulty blistered home ahead of Guy McCroskey and Noel Scidmore.

The 400-meter relay squad, which has been a patched-up group all season because of Polillio's injury, had to adapt once more as Salvo sustained a groin pull in practice Friday. Ryan Lampaa. Al Harrington, Marc Chapus and John Jakenfelds managed to maintain an undefeated slate for the Crimson in 42.2.

Captain Geoff Stiles, who captured top honors in the pole vault and second in the high jump said yesterday. "I hope we turn it around next weekend in the Greater Bostons and the Penn Relays.

By the law of averages, they should.