Julie Gross

Sports Hall of Fame Inductee

Our next inductee currently lives in the United States of America and went to the USA after winning a University scholarship to play basketball with the Louisiana State University.

However it all started when basketball was introduced to the Goulburn Valley in 1971.

Julie Gross grew up in Tatura and attended Shepparton High School where she took up playing basketball. She played for the very first Tatura women’s team in the new Shepparton Association when games were played in the Army Drill Hall before we had a basketball stadium. Her talent was obvious and she was soon selected to represent the Association, not long after the State selectors recruited her into the Victorian under 18 team where she performed with distinction, Julie played in championships in Tasmania and against a touring New Zealand team. The team then toured South Australia and competed in the All Australian championships with the Victorian Country Team.

 By 1974 she had been selected in the Victorian Basketball Team and moved to Melbourne to play for Dandenong when she completed High School.  In 1975 Julie toured the USA with the Victorian team and then played in the Australian Championships in Perth.  Her form was such that she was selected to represent her country as an Australian player in the World Championships in Columbia. 

Whilst competing in the world titles she came under notice of the American teams and she was awarded a scholarship to attend Louisiana State University. Julie was a sensation at Louisiana State and helped her team to be runners up in the National Championships. She performed brilliantly and over the next few years was selected in the Kodak All American team, Regional, State and Conference teams. She became her Universities first player to be selected in the “All American” team.

Julie was recognised back home with the Goulburn Valley Sportsman of the year award. She was also named in the Australian team for the Oceania games in New Zealand and the world championships in South Korea. To top it off she was named in the WBL All American team. She had a wonderful career with LSU and finished her career as the all- time leading rebounder in LSU history and was second on the all - time scoring list. Julie and her friend Maree Bennie were the first Australian females to win All – American honours whilst playing College Basketball in the United States.

Julie has been inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Louisiana State University. Julie married an American and is now Julie Staudenmaier living in Mississippi.

After all those International experiences Julie has said that the best times in her younger days were with Tatura and Shepparton teams when we used to camp out in real tents when we would go to tournaments. We all got on super well and that transferred onto the court.

Julie’s wonderful sporting exploits are now recognised by her home City as she is inducted as a member of the City of Greater Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame. Well done Julie Gross.