The Creighton Mock Trial team looks to receive a bid to the American Mock Trial Association National Championship. The team has been writing, editing, practicing and competing all season, hoping to get a bid to the championship.
Creighton has enough participation in the mock trial program to have two full teams organized by identification numbers assigned by the AMTA.
The squad, which is led by Business junior Chris Tooker, participated in regional competition the first weekend in February at Washburn University in Topeka, Kan. Only the top eight teams at regionals earned bids to the Opening Round of Championships.
Both Creighton teams placed high enough to move on to the ORCs, so the entire squad will travel to Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn., at the end of March.
Team 1272, comprising Tooker, Business senior Mara Jones, Arts & Sciences freshman Lana Zholudeva, Arts & Sciences senior Elly Gosar, Business freshman Megan Cotter and Business junior Wade Anderson, placed third at regionals at Washburn.
Team 1273, comprising Arts & Sciences junior Alison Prater, University College junior Steph Waters, Arts & Sciences junior Adam Hester, Arts & Sciences freshman Cameron Kelly, Business freshman Joe Garnett, Business junior Chase Brown and University College junior Ben Haag, placed seventh at regionals.
“If we do really well at ORC, we get to go to Nationals, which is at Drake in April, but we are going against a lot of very talented teams we have not seen before,” Prater said.
Faculty advisor Dr. George McNary founded the mock trial team 22 years ago.
“We always build a developing team and an experienced team, but this year the developing team has been an amazing surprise,” he said.
Capturing the essence of the case is key, according to McNary. If the team can come together and fit their roles well, then a successful season will be in store.
This year’s team has had the most success in eight years, and Tooker said he is very proud.
“We have sacrificed a ton of time and dealt with countless setbacks this year, including several participants quitting the week of our first competition this spring,” Tooker said. “I commend everyone who is left for pushing through and staying dedicated to the team.”
Garnett said that after members quit, he didn’t think that the team could make it.
“I never expected that we’d get this far,” Garnett said. “But we’re so excited — we’ve been meeting with Creighton Law students to go over our work and prepare us for ORCs.”
“It is the integral combination of thinking on your feet and professionalism in your presentation,” McNary said. “These two skills are transferable to after college. Understanding what it means to be a professional is what makes the real difference.”
The team is working long hours to prepare for the ORCs, and as Prater said, “[they] couldn’t be more excited.”