Albrecht & Umstead Sisters Powering Jenison's Championship Pursuit

By Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com

October 19, 2022

JENISON – A majority of high school relay teams feature four swimmers with different last names.

West MichiganAt Jenison, two pairs of talented sisters have been making two last names stand out.

The Albrecht sisters, Grace and Emma, and the Umstead sisters, Sophia and Layla, have combined this season to lead the Wildcats’ swimming & diving team with record-breaking performances.

The quartet recently set a school record in the 200-yard medley relay. They blazed a winning time of 1 minute, 44.34 seconds at the MISCA Meet, held at Calvin College. 

“Our fastest relay has been with those girls together, so it’s been two pairs of sisters just swimming fast,” Jenison swim coach Kyle Stumpf said. “It’s been cool watching these two sister groups kind of work with each other and support each other.

“They all have different personalities, so it’s fun to see that play out at practice.”

Grace Albrecht, a junior, is the oldest of the talented group and has experienced the most success by winning a pair of MHSAA Finals championships.

She won a Lower Peninsula Division 2 title in the 50 freestyle as a freshman and then repeated last season by tying Ann Arbor Skyline’s Claire Kozma. Both girls swam identical times of 23.94.

Albrecht has been even better this season, and posted a personal-best time of 23.37 at the MISCA Meet.

“For me, it’s more about having fun and enjoying the process,” she said. “Working hard and getting better every day, that’s my goal.” 

She also has enjoyed swimming with her younger sister for the first time in high school.

Emma Albrecht is only a freshman, but has posted several fast times as well.

“We’ve been swimming together since we were young girls, and we’ve gotten to know each other so well with every car ride to school and to and from meets and practices,” Grace Albrecht said. “We are like best friends now, and we just motivate and encourage each other every day. It’s been a good experience.”

Grace Albrecht, middle, begins her launch from the starting blocks during last season’s LPD2 50 freestyle final. Sophia Umstead, a sophomore, is swimming in high school for the first time after being a part of a club team.

She’s also embraced the opportunity to swim alongside her freshman sibling.

“It’s really fun swimming with Layla, and I enjoy it because in club we don’t always swim together,” said Sophia Umstead, who set a pool record and school record at the MISCA Meet in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:00.52, while also establishing a school record in the 100 breaststroke (1:02.17).

“All of us sisters get along well, and I love them all. Our personalities are different, but when it comes to swimming we are all very similar with our goals and how we want to be successful in the sport.”

The sisters became well acquainted while competing in club at a young age.

“We’ve known each other since we were little girls, and we’re all great friends,” Grace Albrecht said. “It’s definitely been a cool experience.”

Stumpf said the sisters’ bond and dedication have helped produce success.

“They have been performing at a high level for a number of years, and they have high expectations,” he said. “They train together and are always pushing each other. They all have different strengths, and it’s been a pleasure to be on the deck coaching them.”

Stumpf has been coaching Grace Albrecht since before high school and has marveled at her vast improvement.

“It’s been quite remarkable to watch how far she has come,” he said. “She is one who has high standards for herself and her teammates, and she leads by example. She pushes herself every single practice, and the results speak for themselves.”

Jenison had its best Finals team finish two years ago when it finished fifth in LPD2, and this team has the potential to achieve similar results.

“It’s definitely a group that is learning as we go, and we’ve gotten better as the season has progressed in terms of supporting each other, lifting each other up and pushing each other,” Stumpf said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing what our team can do at the conference meet in three weeks and then at the state meet. I think we are going to perform well.”

Sophia Umstead also is looking forward to the postseason.

“It's been a different experience than club, but I really like this team and it’s been a very fun experience so far,” she said. “I think we can swim very well at the conference meet as a team, and I think we could get top three in the state. I’m excited to see how it’s going to go.”

Dean Holzwarth has covered primarily high school sports for Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV for five years after serving at the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years along with shorter stints at the Ionia Sentinel and WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties. 

PHOTOS (Top) Jenison’s Albrecht and Umstead sisters have their team back among the state’s elite this season. (Middle) Grace Albrecht, middle, begins her launch from the starting blocks during last season’s LPD2 50 freestyle final. (Top photo courtesy of the Jenison girls swimming & diving program; middle photo by High School Sports Scene.)

Flashback 100: Future Olympian Piper Leads Grosse Pointe North to Historic Height

December 20, 2024

Grosse Pointe North High School has won one girls swimming & diving team Finals championship—an impressive feat achieved in Class A in 1999.

The key to the Norsemen’s success that year was junior Carly Piper.

After a standout sophomore season during which Piper claimed the 200-yard freestyle title and GPN finished third overall, she delivered a dominant performance at the 1999 Finals. Piper secured first place in both the 200 and 500 freestyle events and contributed to victories in both the 200 and 400 free relays. Her outstanding individual and relay performances propelled Grosse Pointe North to the top of the team standings, as it edged Farmington Hills Mercy for the title.

Total for her high school career, Piper won three individual MHSAA Finals titles and was part of three champion relay teams.

Piper’s success continued on the world stage when, at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, she won a gold medal as part of the 800 freestyle relay team. Alongside teammates Natalie Coughlin, Kaitlin Sandeno, and Dana Vollmer, the U.S. set a world record that stood for two years.

In recognition of her Olympic achievement, the city of Grosse Pointe Woods declared December 20, 2004, as "Carly Piper Day."

A standout athlete at the University of Wisconsin, Carly earned 18 All-American honors and twice won the Big Ten "Swimmer of the Year" award. Today, she and her husband Shane Ryan run the Madison Aquatic Club.

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PHOTOS Clockwise from top left: (1) Cassy Miller, Kristen Shelden, Melissa Jamerino and Carly Piper make up the 200 freestyle relay state team. (2) The 1999 team celebrates its championship. (3) The 1999 team photo from the MHSAA Book of Champions. (4) Piper wears her gold medal in a photo displayed at the school. (Celebration photo courtesy of Ashley Piper. Relay photo courtesy of Grosse Pointe North High School.)