The Abington Heights mock trial team is currently state champions. CLARKS SUMMIT — After months of creating case studies since October 2023, the Abington Heights mock trial team, which is currently state champions, will be soon competing in the nationals.
This will be the Abington Heights’ third time competing in the national competition in four years but will be its first time challenging this level non-virtually. The students will this time be facing off other schools in person at the Wilmington Courthouse in Delaware starting on May 2.
The mock trial team’s journey began with districts at the Lackawanna County Courthouse in Scranton. There, the team played two rounds of playoffs. The next match was regionals at the Monroe County Courthouse in Stroudsburg. The team got to play in both offensive and defensive sides.
“When they (students) go to trial, you dont know what the other team is going to present,” said the team’s teaching coach Jennifer Tarr. “You only know what you’re going to present. So, they’re kind of constantly thinking on their feet deciding what they’re going to say on trial.”
The topic of debate was a conspiracy to commit murder in a fictional town of central Pennsylvania. One restaurant owner of Onomato Pizza allegedly hired a local hitman to kill her known rival of a restuarant called The Hole in the Wall. Another restaurant called Sam’s Old Town Tavern was a representative of defense working to make the owner of Onomato Pizza look like the guilty party.
The mock trial students carried this same case through the states, in which they recently became champions at the Dauphin County Courthouse in Harrisburg. They will take on a different case scenario in the national competition. They will compete in four rounds against any state. The students have been preparing for nationals a couple hours every day, including weekends.
Other than Tarr, the students credit their success to teaching coach Amy Kelly as well as attorney advisers Dan and Anne Cummins and Jody Healey.
“Even if we win or lose, it doesn’t matter,” said student Dane Huggler. “As long as we’re kind, humble and hard-working.”
“The main thing that pushed us through is the bond and trust that we have for each other,” student Serena Mokhtari added.
The state champions are looking forward to competing in Nationals.
“We are ready to show them how we do things here in the Keystone State!,” exclaimed student Zachary Riggall.
The remaining mock trial students that will compete in Nationals include Nolan Moore, Ananya Phadke, Anishi Amit, Will Newton, J.T. Healey, Tom Russini, Aidan Lam, team captain Maddie Herold, Ava Whalen, Ava Shedlauskas, Henry Mahoney, and Chris Cummins.
Most Popular
Comments / 0