In the scoresheet for the 2017 Division I swimming and diving championships, Highland is listed 21st in the team results with 29 points.

The sheet very well could have read: Ashley Mennenga at No. 21.

The junior single-handedly put Highland on the map with her two finals appearances at Canton’s C.T. Branin Natatorium, including a narrow second-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke in which she finished behind only Brunswick’s Cassandra Pasadyn. Mennenga also finished seventh in the 100 butterfly.

The backstroke matchup of Mennenga and Pasadyn was one of the more hotly anticipated moments of the meet; after all, the two have been competing in the event for several years. Plus, with the graduation of 2016 champion Hannah Whiteley, the championship was for the taking.

Swimming in Lane 5, Mennenga kept pace with Pasadyn, in lane four, for the first 25 yards but began to lose ground over the next length of the pool; after 50 seconds, she was a full second behind. But her longtime rival was not Mennenga’s only worry; swimming on the other side of Pasadyn, Rocky River Magnificat’s Taryn Zwissler had moved into second place by almost half a body length.

Heading into the final turn, Mennenga looked destined for a disappointing third-place finish, but a furious rally saw her chase down and out-touch Zwissler by two-tenths of a second. Unluckily, Pasadyn and her submarining streamlining move after each turn proved to be too much as the Brunswick senior finished first with a time of 54.49 to Mennenga’s 54.71.

According to Mennenga, who posted the quickest split for the last 50 yards by almost eight-tenths of a second, the way the race played out was a familiar scenario.

“I’m always trying to keep up with her my first half, and then my back half I’m trying to make up ground,” she said.

Although Mennenga did not capture the title, a natural order of sorts had been restored with her second-place finish. After all, stretching back to the 2015 Akron North Sectional meet, Mennenga and Pasadyn have finished 1-2 six times in the 100 backstroke – and that total only includes tournament swimming.

Including the state preliminary rounds over the past three years, the two swimmers have faced off against one another in this event 12 times. This season, Mennenga won at the Lakewood Sectional. At the Bowling Green District, Pasadyn returned the favor, winning by 0.17. The state prelim round witnessed more of the same as Pasadyn touched out Mennenga by a quarter of a second. Every round, each swimmer improved on her time.

The final tally in tournament swimming between the two, now that Pasadyn is done with her scholastic career: 6-6.

While it may be reasonable to assume that the two swimmers are the fiercest of rivals, Mennenga thoroughly enjoys Pasadyn’s success.

“Swimming with her these past (three) years has been amazing and I’m so happy for her,” Mennenga said. “I’m really excited because we’ve grown together as swimmers. Swimming with her has been so special.”

Pasadyn, who won state following a season as runner-up, foresees the same arc for Mennenga come 2018, while Mennenga remains coy about the subject, only saying, “Fingers crossed.”

“I can’t wait to see where she’ll be next year,” Pasadyn said. “She will win. I believe it.”

Earlier in the meet, Mennenga qualified for another final, the 100 butterfly. As a sophomore, she advanced to state but was not able to advance past the preliminary round. This year, however, Mennenga entered the finals after a sixth-place finish in the prelims.

Unlike the backstroke, where she fell behind early, Mennenga jumped out to the third-quickest split before losing ground. Cincinnati Ursuline Academy’s Megan Glass tied the meet record, winning in 53.34. Mennenga’s time of 55.68, nearly a quarter of second quicker than her showing in the first round, was good for seventh place.