Three teams showed up Friday for the first day of Kansas University’s swim meet, but only KU and Harvard truly will compete today to finish up the meet at Robinson Natatorium.

The third team, Houston, hardly made a ripple. The Day One scores saw Harvard over Houston, 149-34, and the Jayhawks over the Cougars, 138-45.

The Crimson lead the Jayhawks, 96-89, with half the events remaining today at the simultaneous dual meet, where each team is scored against each other.

KU coach Clark Campbell said he was pleased by his team’s performance because he feared a letdown after the Thanksgiving break and the Nike Cup a week before.

“The first meet back from a big meet like the Nike Cup, you roll the dice and you never know exactly where people are going to be,” Campbell said. “But for our first day of competition, I’m very excited.”

Amy Gruber, the Big 12 Conference’s Swimmer of the Month for November, looked as though she could extend the honor into December with a convincing victory in the 50-yard freestyle. She never was contested from the moment she left the starting block, winning easily in 23.36 seconds.

Gruber also led off KU’s 400 freestyle relay, the day’s final event, by giving her team a comfortable lead. Harvard whittled away at KU during the next two legs, but freshman Terri Schramka blew the field away to win by more than three seconds.

The Jayhawks dominated the other relay, setting a pool record in the 200 medley relay. KU’s squad of Lindsey Urbatchka, Jenny Short, Hannah Bakke and Schramka kept Harvard just a few inches behind, winning in 1:45.07.

Kansas University swimmer Lia Pogioli rises for air during the 1,650-meter race. Pogioli placed third in 17:24.54 at a dual meet with Harvard and Houston on Friday at Robinson Natatorium.

One of KU’s most impressive performances came from sophomore Lia Pogioli and freshman Lindsay Herre in the 66-lap 1,650 freestyle. Each swimmer came off an grueling performance in the same event at the Nike Cup. Pogioli finished in 17:24.54, and Herre in 17:25.83.

“They swam a good one less than two weeks ago, and then they had to come back and do it again, and that’s tough,” Campbell said.

The Jayhawks also scored an individual victory from junior Gina Gnatzig’s 200 freestyle, won in 1:51.73. She trailed Harvard’s Molly Ward by a headlength for about 150 yards, but Gnatzig surged ahead down the stretch.

“I didn’t expect to do that well,” Gnatzig said. “I think of you work hard and don’t think too hard, you’ll be OK.”

Competition resumes today at noon.