In a meet designed to test depth, injuries are almost a sure-fire guarantee of failure.

At least that's what the Harvard men's track team found out this weekend at the Greater Boston Championships at B.U., when the Crimson thinclads competed without nine of its top runners and amassed only 72 points to take third place behind B.U. with 109 1/2 and Northeastern, 79 1/2. This was the first time in three years that the Crimson did not win the meet.

One of the most costly injuries occurred at the Penn relays of Friday, when a Harvard team of Bennet Midlo, Brad Bunney. Steve Ezeji-Okoye and Dwayne Jones took second in the Heps Mile Relay behind the squad from Penn. While running the third leg. Ezeji-Okoye--the star freshman hurdler and middle-distance man--pulled his hamstring, putting him out of commission for the weekend.

Ezeji-Okoye joined distance runners Peter Jelley and Andy Gerken, middle distances Jim Herberich, Robert Higgins and Scott Murrer, and javelin hurler Joe Bowen among the ranks of the walking wounded.

Despite the large numbers of injuries, the runners who were able to compete had quite a good weekend. For instance, after running the anchor of the relay team. Jones returned to Boston Saturday and had the finest day of his career.

Paired against Terrier Trevor Garrick in the 400. Garrick and Jones shared the lead throughout the race until Garrick spurted into the lead in the last turn and finished with a new meet record of 46.79. Jones took a chose second, establishing a new University mark of 47.10.

Garrick once again edged out Jones in the 200, when he finished less than a 10th of a second ahead of Jones to take second place. But neither of them could touch victorious Jeff Smith of B.U. who tied the New England second with a 20.8 finish.

The Crimson also had a good day in the 1500, with freshman Cliff Sheehan taking first, followed by Eric Schuler. Injured All-American Adam Dixon jogged over to the meet and offered Sheehan his advice before the race, and whatever Dixon told him worked: Sheehan not only won the race, but he tied Dixon's meet record in the process.

One of the areas where the Harvard thinclads remained relatively healthy was in the field events, and their finishes reflected this well-being. In the long jump, Harvard took first and fourth with Gus Udo outleaping long-time Harvard nemesis Russ Hartman from Northeastern by half an inch. The Crimson pulled another first and fourth in the triple jump and took first, third, and fifth in the javelin.

Despite these strong showings, the injuries proved too much for the Crimson to overcome and the squad's lack of depth was apparent in the hurdles, the 500, and the middle distances.

Boston University 109 1/2, Northeastern 79 1/2, Harvard 72, Boston College 37, MIT 14, Brandeis 5.

Discus-1, McDermott (BU) 178 ft. 3 in: 2. White (NU) 169-6: 3. Dawson (NU) 165-11. Short put--1. McDermott (BU) 60 ft. 11 in:2. Dawson (NU) 59-11 1/4: 3 Zaidman (BU) 55-3. 10,000 meters--1. LaRocha (BU) 30:34:2. Richer (NU) 31:01:3. Wober (H) 31:07. Triple Jump--1. Henry (H) 50 ft. 3 in: 2. Munoz-Bennet (BC) 45-9:3. Hartman (NU) 45-7.

4 x 100 relay--1. Harvard (Hudson, Jones, Midlo, Henry) 41.4: 2. BU 42.2: 3. NU 42.9. 3000-meter steeplechase--1. Fowler (NU) 9:167; 2. Weber (H) 9.25.1: 3. Renshan (BC) 9:25.5. 1500 meters--1. Sheehan (H) 3:46.0: 2. Schuler (H) 3:47.1: 3. Billings (BU) 3:47.2. 110 high hurdles--1. Denville (BU) 14.2; 2. Ward (BU) 14.3;3. Quitzau (NU) 14.5.

400 meters--1. Garrick (BU) 46.79:2. Jones (H) 47.10; 3. Graca (BC) 48.84. 100 meters--1. Smith (BU) 10.5:2. James (BU) 10.9;3. Simons (BU) 11.0. High jump--1. Sounders (BU) 7 ft. 2 1/4 in.:2. Hoyle (BU) 6-8;2. Jullan (NU) 6-8 (tie). Javelin--1. Andrade (H) 209 ft. 8 in: 2. Beran (NU) 200-1: 3. Mullen (H) 196-10. Hammer--1. Hegarty (BU) 202 R.O in.:2. Karanikolas (NU) 185-4:3. Monochan (BC) 183-10.

400-meter hurdles--1. Danville (BU) 50.6:2. Ward (BU) 51.5:3. Kirk (BC) 53.3. 800 meters--1. Neves (MIT) 1:50.8:2. Bunny (H) 1:51.4:3. Sergeant (NU) 1:52.2. 200 meters--1. Smith (BU) 20.8.2.8: 2. Garrick (BU) 21.2;3. Jones (H) 21.2. Polevault--1. Heyburn (NU) 16 ft. 0 in.: 2. Hutchinson (NU) 14-6:3. Yates (NU) 14-6. 5000 meters--1. Vona (BU) 14:50.3;2. Flynn (NU) 14:51.0;3. Conner (B) 15:02. 4 x 400-meterrelay--1. BU (Birigwa, Witcner, Ward. Danville) 3:15.3; 3. BC 3:17.1.3. MIT 3:19.3.