Fresh off of a breakout junior season on the hardwood, Winston Academy’s Julia Gregory is being mentioned among the best in the state.
The Mississippi Association of Independent Schools released their All-State teams this week with Gregory landing on the Class 4A team. Gregory was one of just seven players in the entire class that made the list and only six schools were represented.
It’s an honor that Gregory’s coach hasn’t found surprising. Time spent in the gym has been the difference.
“She put in the hours and has a great work ethic. There is nobody that works harder than her,” coach Gary Beals said. “She’s the definition of a gym rat and I’m glad she got recognized for the hours that she put in. Her work this year was a large reason why we had the season that we had.”
Gregory led a WA team that was on the verge of some very big things in 2023-24. The Lady Patriots finished the year 18-12 but won the regular season district championship before falling in the title game of the district tournament. WA would then make it all the way to the semifinal of the North State championship where they lost to the eventual champs and host school Kirk Academy by one point.
The season ended in the State Tournament against another champion in Central Hinds Academy. The team was challenged by the toughest in the state during the year and Gregory led the charge with her 14 points per game.
Gregory finished the season with first-team, All-District honors, was a member of the All-Tournament team in the District Tournament and now has been named first-team All-State.
It makes for an exciting year ahead as Gregory is back for one final year along with several other returning stars. Beals is looking for even more growth in her game due to how much time she puts into becoming a better player.
“She’s always been able to shoot, but now she’s learning to combine the whole thing,” Beals said of Gregory’s game. “She’s bringing the whole package. She has adjusted her game to read picks, knowing the game and when she needs to shoot. I’m excited to see her game grow even more this year.”
