Kansas University’s swimming and diving team played host to No. 22 Texas A&M on Saturday, its last tuneup before the stretch run starts after the new year.

Despite losing to 169-129 to a strong Aggie squad, KU’s swimmers felt optimistic and ready to prepare for the spring season.

“I think every meet this season, we’ve really made progress in some shape or form,” senior Gwen Haley said. “I think it shows our potential. It’s really encouraging.”

The Jayhawks grabbed first-place finishes in just five of the 17 events. Haley won first place in the 200-yard butterfly at a personal best 2:03.24 – two seconds better than A&M’s Katy Lietzau.

“That’s exciting to do this early in the season,” Haley said. “To know that the best is yet to come.”

Haley also finished second in the 200-yard individual medley, losing to A&M’s Ashley Roark by less than a second. Roark finished the day with four first-place finishes.

The reigning Big 12 Conference swimmer of the month, KU’s Amy Gruber, also had an impressive showing. The sophomore finished first in the 100-yard freestyle and was the second leg of the winning 400-yard freestyle relay team.

Overall, though, Texas A&M’s 12 first-place finishes all but clinched the victory. Texas A&M is one of just three Big 12 teams ranked in the Top 25 with Texas and Missouri.

Gruber, though, said personal strides made up for the loss.

“The fact that we haven’t rested, we haven’t shaved, and we still have fast times,” Gruber said, “it’s really encouraging.”

The divers grabbed 24 team points for KU. Kristi Misejka’s score of 271.43 was good enough for first in the three-meter competition, and Patti Stringham took second in both the one- and three-meter events.

Texas A&M brought only one diver, Rosie Whitnig, to Lawrence. She finished first in the one-meter and third in the three-meter.

“In any competition like today, with a pretty strong international-caliber diver from Texas A&M, there’s a lot of pressure for our girls to step up and dive well,” KU diving coach Brad Szurgot said. “I’m very happy that the girls stayed focused.”

The dual marked the last competition KU will see until it travels to Nebraska on Jan. 18 to face the Huskers and Louisville.

Not that life won’t be busy until then. Final exams start in a week for the swimmers, and in early January the team will travel to Acapulco, Mexico, for a training trip.

“We’re going to get back to work,” KU coach Clark Campbell said. “This is a critical time, specifically to get ready for the Big 12 championships.”