Kady Monson (nee Hickman) was the conference No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles champion in both her sophomore and junior seasons. She was a member of four consecutive conference championship teams for coach Marilyn Skrivseth.
As a senior, she won the conference No. 2 singles crown and was also the No. 2 doubles runner-up as well as being selected the conference Scholar-Athlete for her sport. That year, she played with air cast splints on both legs due to periostitis in her shins.
For her career, the former Shoreview, Minnesota prep star produced a 59-16 singles record with all but seven matches in the No. 1 spot. She was 53-11 in doubles play, again with all but seven matches in the top position.
Alison Hover and Molly Cope were the only other Blugolds to win a conference No. 1 singles title more than once.
Monson was a two-time Blugold Super Six winner and also recipient of a UW-Eau Claire Outstanding Senior Award in 1997.
Monson graduated magna cum laude with a degree in math education and a coaching minor. She taught at Hudson High School in 1998-99, Stillwater, Minnesota High School in 1999-01, Eau Claire Memorial in 2002-03 and Eau Claire North in 2002-04. She has been in the Rochester Area School District since 2007 as a homebound mathematics teacher.
She has been a tennis teaching professional since 2001 and operated tennis camps in Eau Claire and other cities. She has coached JV and varsity boys and girls tennis at a number of high schools in Minnesota and Wisconsin and has served as a tennis clinic instructor at many camps. Currently she works as a Visiting Tennis Professional for the USTA Northern Section and as a National USTA Recreational Coach Trainer and Quickstart Trainer.
A mostly stay at home mom now, she and her husband Karl, a tennis pro at the Rochester Athletic Club, have five children: Faith, 6 ½; Asher, 5; Noah, 3 ½; and twins Bethany and Grace, 1 ½. She is also actively involved in her church.