Powered by lightening-quick performance from freshmen Jenny Stricker and Kate Wiley, the Harvard women's cross country team yesterday ran circles around the outclassed University of New Hampshire and Brown squads at dreary Franklin Park, 20-44-73.

Lopping 45 seconds off last week's time of 17:59, stricker--the 1980 National Junior 1500 meter champion--sped out in a fast 5:25 first mile, then ran side by side with teammate wiley to the finish line, outleaning her to win by a second in 17:14.

"We were coming in together in the last 50 yards when Kate had to go way off to the left around a ditch, which slowed her down a lot." Stricker said after the race.

"I'm very pleased with my time, though. The race felt really good, and I wasn't expecting to go that fast this early in the season," she added.

Harvard's next three finishers-who completed the scoring for the Crimson-were Darlene Beckford in fourth place with a 17:26, team captain Kristen Linsley in fifth with a 17:31, and freshman Kathy Goode in eighth with a 17:40.

Harvard's top five times all dropped from last week's meet against the University of Massachusetts-the biggest being Goode's 32-second improvement. "It is unprecedented to have our top five runners all finish under 17:40," said an ebullient John Babington, the team's coach.

"I believe that today's meet was the strongest performance ever by the women's cross country team-it was quite stunning, in fact," he added.

THE NOTEBOOK: Mary Herlihy, who has been dogged by injuries and running frustrations for three years, ran her first varsity meet as a senior, finishing 18th in 18:34.