The Jayhawks started the year by sandwiching home meets with Big 12 Conference behemoths Texas and Texas A&M around the conference relays in mid-October.

Friday night, Kansas welcomed the defending four-time defending national champions of Div. II-A, Truman State, to Robinson Natatorium. And although the Bulldogs had showed knack for defeating Division I-A foes, Kansas proved to be the better team on its home water with a 117-103 victory.

Next up for the Jayhawks is a trip to Springfield, Mo., Friday to take on Drury, the team that finished second behind Truman State in last year’s national championships.

Before the meet, Kansas coach Clark Campbell was wary of Truman State, a team that most recently defeated Missouri — the same Tiger team his Jayhawks lost to on Oct. 30.

“We have a ton of respect for Truman State and Drury. They’d be in the top 50 teams if they were Division One,” Campbell said. “We had a ton of respect, but I tell you what, we were scared.”

After being — in the words of Campbell — “absolutely pummeled” at a road dual against Nebraska on Saturday — a 180-120 setback — the Jayhawks came back strong at home.

“He really likes to challenge us, and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” KU junior Lindsey Urbatchka, winner of the 100-yard butterfly, said about her coach.

KU won the first four events and 11 of the 14 swimming events. Kansas took both diving events as well when Truman State’s diving team didn’t make the trip.

“It’s kind of scary when you look at their times from last week,” KU senior Miranda Isaac said. “We knew we were just as good and stepped up as well. We were kind of more worried about how we were doing.”

Isaac managed to beat one of the Bulldogs’ top swimmers — Michaela Osborn — in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:22.36. Osborn registered a time of 2:23.02, but to her credit, she beat Isaac in the 100-yard breaststroke.

Isaac also was a member of KU’s winning 400-yard medley relay team.

Fellow senior captain Amy Gruber continued sizzle, winning the 200 freestyle, 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle.

Freshman Terri Schramka had a busy night as well, winning the 100 breaststroke and the 500 freestyle. She was also a part of the winning medley and freestyle relay teams.

Before taking on Nebraska, the Jayhawks had spent 10 days in Bahamas for extensive training at the beginning of the month to prepare for the final stretch of the season.

Junior Lindsey Urbatchka said her team’s days consisted of lifting weights and swimming 11,000 meters a day, although afternoon breaks allowed for some fun in the sun.

Oddly enough, some of the Jayhawks might get chills thinking about their time in Nassau after swimming in a pool with a broken water heater for five days.

“Clark likes to give us sayings like, ‘Tough conditions make tough athletes,'” Urbatchka said. “We learned that.”