Sydney Monaco uses revenge tour to win singles championship.

Last fall, top-ranked singles player, Sydney Monaco ’24, capped off a season to remember. Monaco finished the regular season 9-2, culminating in a third overall seed in the IAAM B Conference Tennis Tournament and a first-round bye. The good news: the bye left her just two matches away from a championship. The bad news: those two matches would mean she had to face the only two players in the conference to hand her a loss. Let the revenge tour begin.

In the semi-final round, Sydney took on second seed Anna Keefer of Friends School, and recovered from a tough 1-6 first set loss. And recover she did. Monaco fought back to take the second set 6-4, forcing a third-set tiebreaker. After battling back and forth in what ultimately turned into a two hour and 15-minute match, Monaco took the third set 7-5 and punched her ticket into the finals.

One loss avenged, one more remained. The conference finals proved to be the battle of the Sydneys as Monaco took on the top-seeded Sydney Kuner of Park School. Once again, Monaco dropped the first set 3-6. But, this was familiar territority for the junior player. Monaco dug deep to come back to win the second set 6-3. Not looking for another marathon match, she then made quick work of the third set, winning 6-2.

In completing her revenge tour, Monaco became the 2022 IAAM B Conference singles champion.

Darryl Smith, Monaco’s coach, was proud of her grit and determination. “Throughout the regular season and tournament, Sydney brought to the court aspects that can’t be coached or taught,” explains Smith, “a never give up attitude despite the odds.”

An annual auction has been part of our school’s event calendar for many years. Organized by the Parents & Friends Association (P&FA), the event has been virtual for the past few years and benefited the P&FA’s events and programs, such as Family Day and Faculty and Staff Appreciation Week.

This year, we’re turning the auction into an in-person gala event on Saturday, April 29—a prom just for grown-up Dragons! We hope the DragonProm will become an annual signature event for our community. We’re leaning into the “prom-ishness” and holding the event in the Upper School gym, and the Dragon community voted on this year’s “prom theme” from a list of perennial prom favorites. The winner was “Masquerade”! We invite everyone to come out and dance, drink, eat, bid on various amazing auction items, and enjoy the company of your fellow Dragon families and friends. And with no high-school awkwardness! Tickets are now available at glenelg.org/dragonprom. Even if you can’t attend, you can register to bid in our silent auction!

A huge thank you to the many families, alums, faculty and staff, grandparents, and friends who have supported the Annual Fund this school year. And a special thanks to those who took advantage of the $40,000 funds match offered by grandparents James and Elizabeth Rushe and Yolanda and Frank Bruno. We are thrilled to report that the Dragon community helped raise over $111,000 in November and December 2022. Best of all, every dollar directly supports our students and teachers this school year!

The 2022–2023 school year isn’t over, and the Annual Fund continues through June 30. There is still plenty of time to support Glenelg Country School by giving back. You can always make a gift at glenelg.org/donate. And remember, giving feels good! Thank you!

DragonProm is made possible by the efforts of volunteers and the contributions of local businesses and organizations. We welcome sponsors and have a variety of sponsorship options and levels, including advertising in our printed event program. We also accept donations of auction items from local businesses and organizations. The DragonProm will be a great advertising opportunity for a large audience, and the sponsorships include some fantastic perks! Visit glenelg.org/dragonprom to learn more.