First Capitol News High School Athlete of the Week
Julie Maurer, junior
St. Charles West High School
By: Mike McMurran
Sports Editor
Anyone who doesn’t think genetics plays an important role in the athletic development of youngsters and adolescents need only to become a regular reader of this column to see the light. Our inaugural athlete of the week, Jeff Coffey, spoke of how his brother, who also played at West, was not only his role model in basketball, but in life. Just two short weeks ago the story of Duchesne sophomore Zach Plackemeier was told, which includes the chasing of the school’s scoring record, held by none other than his father. And now the FCN Athlete of the Week may have found the most athletic basketball family in the City, the Maurers’.
Sophomore guard Julie Maurer is presently averaging 15 points per game while leading the Lady Warriors to a 3-1 Gateway Athletic Conference North division record and 15-6 over all. Julie is the third member of the Maurer family to play at West. Before her there was Brett, who presently is a senior at Kentucky, Kevin, who is a freshman at Mizzou, and her younger brother Brian who shares his playing time with the varsity and j.v. at West.
“I have been playing basketball pretty much since I have been able to walk,” shared the 5’7” shooting guard, “Me and some of my girlfriends played at the YMCA. We had to play in the boys’ league because there were not enough girls to form our own league.” She has never looked back.
Her all-time favorite basketball moment was during her freshman year, when she was named to the All Tournament Team at the Rockwood Summit Tournament. “Being named All Tournament was nice, but winning it was even better,” she shared. This year she was named to the All Tournament Team at the prestigious Visitation Holiday Tournament. “The highlight had to be scoring 20 against Parkway South and beating them in double over time.”
Julie’s dad, Jim Maurer, is the family athletic coordinator, “He has all four of us playing in the back yard all summer long,” shared the blue-eyed Julie. “It is a nice, comfortable environment, but believe me, sometimes it can get very intense.”
Maurer knows this might just be the Lady Warriors best shot at a District title, “Winning District would be so cool, but High and Duchesne are right there waiting for us to mess up, believe me,” she shares.
West coach, Ellen Parker, offers, “Jules is just a great kid, she has started here since her freshman year. Her freshman year we had a great group of seniors and Julie kind of laid back a little bit, but from the beginning it was clear she was going to make some noise.” Parker continues, “Julie is definitely our floor leader, without a doubt. You can tell when she steps up and decides she has had enough and takes control of a game. She has that kind of ability.”
Julie has a special ritual she goes through before every game. Her mom, Liz Maurer died almost three years ago, while Julie was in 8th grade. “I pray to her before every game, telling her this game is for you, That motivates me to play harder than I did the game before. I know she sees all my games,” says Maurer proudly.
Julie has the distinction of being the first FCN athlete of the week to know what the last question of the interview would be. “I would travel to some fancy Italian Restaurant in New York City and order Chicken Alfredo.”
