Marion junior a threat on the court, track

Basketball players who dreaded facing Marion’s Julia Zeiner last winter should be equally uneasy about meeting her on the track.

Julia helped Marion win a state title in the 4x100 meters last year on a relay team of all sophomores. She also took second in the 300-meter hurdles and third in both the long jump and triple jump.

It appears she has picked up where she left off at the Class 3A state meet. The Marion girls won the Centre track meet Tuesday, April 7, and Julia played an important part in that victory. She won the long jump, triple jump and 100-meter dash.

Julia is no less formidable in the gym. Her basketball coach, Randy Savage, described her as “a track machine.”

“You can see it on the basketball court,” he said. “She’s very good at going full speed with the ball, changing directions, changing speeds.”

Julia averaged 16.8 points per game for Marion last season. She also averaged 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 2.1 assists per game. Her field-goal percentage was 51.6, and she shot 64.6 percent from the stripe. Julia went off in the last game before Christmas break, scoring 31 points Dec. 19 against Moundridge.

As explosive as she is on the hardwood, Julia has a reserved personality.

“She would be what you would call a quiet leader,” Randy said. “If you get her to say a sentence, you’ve done something.”

Julia, a junior, was an all-MCAA selection on the first team. Randy said she was working on her outside shot.

“She’s a slasher right now and a darn good one,” he explained. “She plays well on the front of a press, anticipates well if she’s playing on the back row of the press, runs the floor well.”

Julia certainly is an athlete to watch. Fortunately for the Warriors, they have more than a year left to enjoy her athletic talent – regardless of the season.