Summer has always been a time for Harvard students and administrators to get away from the academic environment of the University campus in Cambridge. But while many members of the Harvard athletic community were enjoying different experiences and fine-tuning their skills for the upcoming 1989-90 seasons, there was still plenty of news emanating from the Crimson teams.

When the end of the school year rolled around in May, members of the Harvard community were still flying high over the men's hockey team's NCAA title in April. But another national championship--one that has become all too common this decade--would soon belong to the Crimson.

The men's heavyweight crew, considered one of legendary Coach Harry Parker's best, pulled past Northeastern and Penn at the 1000-meter mark of the Herschede Cup in Cincinnati June 17 to win its third-straight national title and fifth in seven years. Harvard sprinted to a 2.43-second win over the University of Washington, which had also raced past the Huskies and Quakers to finish second. Northeastern finished third, Penn fourth, Wisconsin fifth and UCLA sixth.

Also in Cincinnati, a Harvard boat comprised of four members of the JV heavyweight boat--Donald Fawcett, George Henry, Elliott Smith, Chris Swan and cox Christine Cozadd--won the national four with coxswain title by outlasting a Wisconsin scull.

The excitement, however, was just beginning for the Crimson heavy weight crew of bow Curt Pieckenhagen, Captain Joe Harvey, Hugh Evans, Jon Bernstein, Peter Sharis, Jack Rusher, Phil Schuller, John Amory and coxswain Travis Metz.

Harvard advanced to the finals of the Ladies' Plate in Henley, England, before succumbing to Nottinghamshire County July 2 by two-thirds of a length. Nottinghamshire's time of 6:11 set a Ladies' Plate record, breaking the old record established the day before by the Crimson in its semifinal win over Penn.

Nottinghamshire had beaten Harvard earlier by five lengths in the first running of the final, but a controversial protest by Parker was upheld because a one foot-long piece of wood had jammed on a fin on the underside of the Crimson shell.

"I don't think I have seen anything quite like that before. It was unbelievable," Parker said.

Ron Needs, one of Britain's national coaches, was infuriated with the decision to replay the race.

"Physically and psychologically, we prepared our crew for one race," Needs said, "and by the time the incident Harvard complained of actually occurred, there was clear water between the boats. We had demonstrated our superiority."

Harvard's heavies also finished second in exhibition races in France in August. Returning for Parker next year will be Bernstein as captain, Sharis, Evans and Metz.

The Crimson men's lightweight crew didn't have as much success this summer. Harvard, which had swept Yale and Princeton twice during the regular season, fell to both squads at the national championships June 11 in Albany. The lights, missing sevenseat Ted Marple because of an arm problem, finished 2.2 seconds behind the Tigers.

The lights also set a Henley record, establishing a new standard for the Thames Cup in its second-round win, but they were upset by Williams College in the following round.

The Harvard women's crew program garnered its first national title June 4 when the novice heavyweights concluded their undefeated season with a six-second win over Wisconsin at the Women's Collegiate Nationals in Madison, Wis.

While the crew programs were busy racking up national championships, the men's ice hockey program continued to make news off the ice.