ORIGINALLY APPEARED ON PHILADELPHIASPORTSDIGEST.COM ON APRIL 21, 2025 | BY MARC NARDUCCI

PHILADELPHIA -- It’s been quite a comeback season for Germantown Academy senior Sydney Wanner, who missed all of last season while rehabbing a torn ACL. Now she has become the true leader of a young Germantown Academy program that has 24 freshmen.

Despite facing tight defenses every game, Wanner has been the leader of the Patriots’ attack.

More than anything, she has come back strong after missing last season. The encouragement she received a year ago provided a major boost.

“It’s been difficult, but I think the girls around me just really propelled me to another level, like feeling I was included (last year),” she said after a recent game with Penn Charter. “I was part of the team, plus they always were just encouraging me to keep me focused and working.”

The injury even had an impact on her future academic plans.

“I always wanted to work as a doctor since I was young, so that was a dream of mine,” she said. “Last year with the injury, having worked closely with my surgeon, I think I’m just so drawn to orthopedics and my surgery and all that good stuff, so I’m just following that path.”

Wanner says she will not decide on major right away.

‘I am going in undecided, but I am definitely looking something biochemistry, pre-med, anything in that range.”

First-year Germantown Academy coach Colleen Dawson says that Wanner’s presence has been invaluable for such a young team. Wanner has played both attack and midfield for the Patriots.

“She is an awesome player,” Dawson said. “Sydney is helping lead on both ends of the field, she is somebody who has such a great lax IQ and she helps in every area with the young kids.”

Dawson says that Wanner has set a positive tone.

“She is super confident in herself, she is confident in her teammates, and she has been doing a great job,” Dawson said.

Wanner has become a key mentor to the many young players on the team.

“I would like to say I try to be a good role mode for them,” she said. “I definitely base a lot of my decisions on the field and off the field at school around how I want the girls to grow and become good players and athletes.”

Wanner will continue her education and lacrosse career at Georgetown.

“I went to camp (at Georgetown)  my sophomore year and immediately fell in love with it,” she said. “And then I just kept talking to them through the beginning of my junior year.”

When she took her visit to the campus, it made a major impression.

“I took a visit down there and I just fell in love with the people,” she said. “I like the style they pay, the culture and then obviously Georgetown is a high academic school, so it was the perfect balance for me.”

Even though the wins have been difficult to come by this year, Wanner is one of the players helping to set the tone for the future, one she feels will be bright for the Patriots.

“I think our younger girls especially will definitely get a lot out of it this year, a lot of learning, how to work together,” she said. “They will work together for four years, and it will be incredible.”