When Michigan senior Andrew Albright was a freshman in high school, he didn't make his school's varsity swimming team. But the following year, he won the Indiana state championship title in the 100-yard breaststroke.

"I really got motivated after my first year swimming competitively," Albright said. "But, it also didn't hurt that I grew six inches and gained 40 pounds."

Growing up in Carmel, Ind., Albright began swimming when he was an 8-year-old on summer league teams. But it wasn't until he was 15 years old that he got serious with the sport.

Albright credits his coaches from his club team as being very influential in his pursuit to become a better and more competitive swimmer.

"They knew how to push me in and out of the pool," Albright said. "Since they placed a lot of their former swimmers into good college programs, I thought they could make me a better swimmer and help me pursue the opportunity to swim in college. They made me a much stronger swimmer."

Upon the spring of his senior year of high school, Albright had already signed with Michigan. Part of his decision to compete in Ann Arbor was to work with legendary coach Jon Urbanchek, who coached Albright for two years before turning the program over to Bob Bowman in 2004.

In Albright's first year at Michigan, the team won the Big Ten Championships in Bloomington, and he knew he had come to the right place.

"That meet set the tone for my experience here," Albright said. "It made me excited about swimming, and I wanted to improve."

Bowman describes Albright as a quiet and contentious swimmer who is a positive leader on the team.

"Andrew is a great team person," Bowman said. "He doesn't have to be at the forefront of the team to lead. I rely on him to get a feel for where we are with some of the other swimmers on the team because he works so well with his teammates."

Bowman also pointed to Albright as one of the most technically driven swimmers he's coached.

"Andrew is very smart about swimming," Bowman said. "He is a student of the sport. He's tuned into the bigger picture of swimming and understands the global issues like who's doing what and how teams operate."

Albright credits this mindset to his drive to always improve when he gets into the pool.

"I'm always in it," Albright said. "I think about times, I know other swimmers' abilities, and I'm always trying to figure out ways to get better. Sometimes, I think about it too much."

As one of the few swimmers that competes in breaststroke, Albright plays a pivotal role on the team.

"We count on him in every meet," Bowman said. "He plays his role very well, and I have a lot of faith in his abilities."

Albright plans on graduating this spring and possibly pursing a career in law. Though on the verge of the "real" world, Albright isn't quite ready to think about leaving the pool and his team.

"I don't know if I'm ready to leave this place," Albright said. "It seems like just yesterday I was a freshman thinking, 'Wow, the seniors are so old.' Swimming for Michigan has been a great opportunity, and it'll stay with me until I'm old and gray."