The Harvard women's cross country team should capture today's Heptagonal Championships in New York, but the men's team faces an uphill battle.

The meet--which will be run at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx--matches the eight Ivy League schools, Army and Navy.

Coming off a pair of victories last week over Yale and Princeton, the Crimson women are the favorites to claim their fifth consecutive Heps title.

Harvard is led by senior Jenny Stricker, who has finished no worse than second in any competition this year. Stricker is in peak form to capture the individual title.

The rest of the squad--seniors Leslie Cooper and Lois Brommer, sophomore Kristin Perini, and freshmen Jody Dushay and Katie Toner--and have run extremely well in recent meets and should be close behind Stricker.

The women's toughest competition should come from Yale and Dartmouth.

Dartmouth was the top-rated team in the Ivy League before Harvard upended the Big Green two weeks ago at Franklin Park.

Yale was highly regarded before last week's H-Y-P meet in which the Eli women faltered badly and dropped dual meets to both Harvard and Princeton. Yale is a good bet for second place, though.

On the men's side, the Crimson will have to run its best meet of the year in order to finish in the top four.

Dartmouth--which breezed through the dual meet season--should win the team title for the second year in a row, and Navy will likely finish a close second.

In past weeks, the Cantabs have improved their grouping, and, if they can stay in a tight pack today, they may be able to best Yale and Brown--who both beat the Crimson in dual meets this year--for third.

Harvard senior Paul Kent is running his best ever and has a good chance to claim the individual title.

Bill Pate--running in the number two spot--is also in top form and is likely to finish well.