Harvard's lightweights can't boast of the same recent successes that their heavyweight counterparts can. But based on steady improvement over the course of the last two seasons, their preseason hopes are just as high.

Two years ago, the 155s finished fourth at the Eastern Sprints, approximately eight seconds behind the winning crew.

Last year's results in the Sprints were objectively no better; the Crimson again crossed the line behind three other boats. But after that race, Harvard Coach Charles Butt was quick to point to improvement--his eight had finished only three seconds behind the victorious Eli s.

Making Ground

Two weeks later, in the light-weight national chamionship race at Albany, his varsity made Butt look good, finishing second to Yale by only a second.

"We're definitely building on the last few races of last year," says the third-year coach. "We've got a lot of the same people back. They're stronger, and they have more good experience."

Butt adds that the veteran leadership of this year's crew has made a difference in the quality of preseason workouts. "The training has been a little more advanced," says the former Rutgers Coach.

The 155's will open the spring with a trip to the San Diego Crew Classic on April 1 and 2. Returning from the West, they will see action in Ithaca, N.Y. against Cornell and Penn on April 9.

In last year's matchup, Penn caught the Crimson off guard and pulled to a narrow victory. Don't expect it to happen again.

The Crimson crews travel to Hanover, N.H. on April 16 to take on Dartmouth and M.I.T. for the Biglin Bowl, which the lightweights have swept the last three years in succession.

Harvard then sees its only action on the Charles, dueling the Midshipmen of Navy on April 23. The Crimson varsity has taken the Haines Cup six years running, and in 19 of 21 attempts overall.

Then it's the all-important H-Y-P's on May 30 against Yale and Princeton, hosted this year by the Elis in New Haven. Harvard has failed to win the Goldthwait Cup, the symbol of victory among the traditional "Big Three" of light-weight rowing, since 1980.

The climactic Eastern Sprints will end the lightweight's regular season on May 15, when Harvard expects to improve on last year's fourth-place finish and claim its first crown since 1982. 1988 MEN'S LIGHTWEIGHT CREW SCHEDULE

March Thu. 31  at San Diego Classic

April Fri. 1  at San Diego Classic Sat. 2  (San Diego, Ca.) Sat. 9  at Cornell/Penn Sat. 16  at Dartmouth/MIT Sat. 23  NAVY Sat. 30  at Yale/Princeton

May Sun. 15  at EARC Sprints (Worcester)