There was more than a touch of Indian Summer magic in the air yesterday as the women harriers battled 80-degree heat and the University of Massachusetts to win their season opener 23-38.

The rocky, 3.1-mile course through Franklin Park, resplendent in fall afternoon colors, was a harsh proving ground for Harvard's new, inexperienced runners but a familiar romp for the vets.

Following coach Pappy Hunt's strategy, harrier stars Kristen Linsley and Darlene Beckford jumped out to an early lead, spent the remainder of the race widening it, and showed up alone at the finish line, 100 yards ahead of their nearest competitor. Linsley won the meet in 17:22, an outstanding early-season time and the second-fastest course time ever recorded for a college woman. Beckford followed at 17:41 despite strained back muscles, an inspiring performance from this gutsy sophomore.

Pleasant

According to Hunt, Harvard's real strength lay in its "second echelon," a half dozen consistently strong harriers who reinforced the performances of Beckford and Linsley with a string of high place finishes.

Crimson jersies swarmed in to the finish en masse, grabbing the fifth, seventh, and eighth through fourteenth places to route a stunned UMass. squad.

The minutewomen's duo of Betsy McCrove and Ellen Moores, who last year led UMass to the New England championship, finished third and fourth.

Shrewd running by Minutewoman Kathy Patrick nearly edged out Harvard's Ellen Galagher for fifth place, but some good natured bellowing from men's coach Bill McCurdy kept the harrier sophomore out in front.

Guess Who

"Coach McCurdy was the unsung hero in this meet," exclaimed Galagher, though many spectators argue they did hear McCurdy singing, and some were unkind enough to doubt whether it was heroic.

Galagher, who sat out last fall because of illness, ran a fine inaugural race and should be a great asset to the harriers this fall. Coming in at seventh, eighth, and ninth spots was the trio of freshman Linda Yeager, sophomore Wiley McCarthy, and junior Martha Clabby, striving to maintain some sense of class order as they finished.

In her first college race, Yeager established herself as another potent force for the Crimson, and Clabby set a new personal best. The petite pony-tailed McCarthy cruised along effortlessly, never appearing to break a sweat.

It was a good day for the harriers; a well-needed boost of confidence to allay fears of inexperience and to prepare them for an even tougher contest against U.R.I. next week.

"It was a good team victory," concluded a pleased coach Hunt. "They did exactly what I told them to do."