HANOVER, N.H.--Relying once again on the yeoman efforts of the members of the two-mile relay team, the Harvard men's track team, weakened by injuries and absences, limped by Dartmouth 71-65, here on Saturday afternoon.

Despite a lack of sleep due to late return from New York and the Millrose Games Friday night, the quarter of Adam Dixon, Thad McNulty, John Murphy and Eric Schuler combined for 28 points of the Crimson's total score.

The tracksters started slowly, falling behind in the field events. Only tri-captain Tom Lenz (second in the weight throw) and Bannet Midlo (third in the long jump) tallied for the Crimson in the first three events.

But McNulty and Schuler started off the running events in fine style, placing first and second, respectively, in the 1500-meter run(shorter than the mile) with a winning time of 3:55.3. Chuck Johnson added another first in the 55-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 7.7.

After a Harvard squad led by the Mare Chapis swept the 400, Dartmouth came right back in the 500 meters. The Big Green's Ray Blackwell qualified for the nationals, beating out Harvard's Dixon in 1:03.7 for a new school record.

Joe Salvo and McNulty contributed a couple of wins in the 55-meter dash and the 600 meters, but not until Dixon's victory in the 1000 did the Crimson go no top for good.

That left three events, and the Crimson needed to win two of them. Coach Ed Stoll inserted the ailing Murphy into the lineup, and his jerky pace totally confused the Dartmouth runners. The Crimson entrants, including Buck Logan--racing for the first time this year after recovering from an injured Achilles tendon--ran together for the last half mile. Murphy and Bruce Weber finished in a dead heat in 8:40.9.

The mile relay squad of Midlo, Scott Murrer, Brian McAndrews and Chapus was left to seal the victory. Murrer held off Dartmouth's ace Blackwell, and Chapus brought home the baton in 3:23.9.

"We won the meet in typical Harvard style," McNulty said after the meet. "We stated of slow, but finished strong."