Julianne McMillen Green was a premier athlete during the first three years of the new millennium. She was an all-around athlete who excelled in volleyball, basketball, softball, and track. The Class of 2003 voted Julianne the Most Athletic Girl in the senior class.
As a volleyball player, Julianne was a hitter, who helped guide the team to a 29-4 record her senior year. They won both the South Central Conference, Regional Tournament, and lost in the Sectional Championship game. Julianne won the following team awards: Most Aces, Most Kills, Most Blocks, Most Digs, Highest Serve Receive Percentage, Most Improved Varsity Player, and Coaches Plus Award. She was also named to the SCC First Team, Decatur Herald-Review Second Team, and State Journal-Register Second Team.
On the basketball court, Julianne was a force to be reckoned with. She finished her career with 1,553 points – the most of any female at that time. In addition to the Most Rebounds and Highest Free Throw Percentage, Julianne led her team to a Runner-Up finish in the IHSA Class “A” Girls State Tournament. The Lady Panthers finished the season with a 32-3 record, winning the South Central Conference as well. Julianne was a First Team All-Stater, First-Team All-Conference, and the Sports Boosters Most Valuable Player. She also set some IHSA records that still stand today: Individual Highest Free Throw Percentage Tournament/Career - .933 (28/30); Individual Highest Free Throw Percentage Game – 1.000 (11/11); Individual Highest Free Throw Percentage Title Game – .917 (11/12).
Julianne participated in track & field in grades nine and ten, and softball in grades eleven and twelve. She was a discus thrower on the track team, qualifying for the state tournament and earning a place in the TOP 5 book, as well as being named the Most Improved Field Event person in 2001. As a softball player, Julianne was a First Team All-Conference selection, and the Sports Boosters MVP.
After graduating high school Julianne received a full ride scholarship to SIUE where she was a 4-year starter. At the time, she finished 11th overall in scoring with over 1100 points and was in the Top Ten in rebounding. Julianne holds the freshman single game scoring record with 31 points against Kentucky Wesleyan. She was voted GLVC All-Conference Team three out of the four years and served as team captain junior and senior years. Since graduating college with Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology and teaching degree, she has spent the last 15 years coaching high school basketball and teaching Physical Education at every level in K-12.
Directly after college, Julianne spent two years coaching at Edwardsville High School and teaching Physical Education at Lincoln Middle School in Edwardsville. She then moved on to teach PE at Civic Memorial High School in Bethalto, IL and spent 9 years as the JV coach and the assistant varsity coach for the girls’ basketball program. Julianne also spent three years teaching K-8 PE and Computer Technology at St. Boniface Catholic school in Edwardsville while still coaching at Civic Memorial. She has since returned to Edwardsville High School teaching PE and has been the Associate Head Varsity Coach for the past two seasons. After 15 years of coaching high school basketball, she recently resigned from her coaching position at Edwardsville to spend more time with her two children, Conner (15) and Logynn (10), and to focus more on her AAU program.
In 2015 Julianne, along with a fellow coach and friend, became co-owner and co-director of the Southern Illinois Hawks AAU basketball program and skills training program. It has become a premier basketball program in the metro east area that is based out of Belleville, IL. They have teams from 6th grade through 17U. They continue to grow and have so far sent over 30 players to college on athletic scholarships from every level, Division 1 to Juco.
