Holy Cross Mock Trial Program to Send Two Teams to National Competition

Two Holy Cross Mock Trial teams placed in fourth and fifth place out of 20 college and university teams in the Mock Trial Regional Tournament held last month. After defeating long-standing rivals, such as Yale University, Holy Cross received two bids for the National Competition. Only the top six placed teams hold this honor, and the Northeastern Region is considered to be the most competitive in the nation. The College will send two teams to the tournament, which will be held in St. Paul, Minn., from March 15-17.

The fifth-placed team is comprised of Chris Hirl '03, Meghan McNamara '02, Noah McPike '05, John O'Donnell (Captain) '04, Matt Pieraldi '04, John Steffy '04 and Adam Zybluweski '05.

The second team includes Liz Crowley '02, Ruth Demeter '05, Amanda DeVuono '05, Erin Hickey '03, Cecilia Kelly (Captain) '04, Rian Romeo '05, Heather Stanga '04 and Erin Tierney '03. To the delight of everyone, this young team unexpectedly took home fourth place and a bid for the tournament.

According to Advisor Scott Sandstrom, associate professor of accounting and pre-law advisor, "Mock Trial tournaments force students to plan, analyze, work as a team and prepare strategies ... precisely the skills that students learn from top liberal arts colleges like Holy Cross."

Erin Tierney, who one day hopes to go to law school, adds "Mock Trial is a good opportunity for students that want to explore the field of law."

The Mock Trial Team started in the fall of 1997 at Holy Cross. Teams consist of six to eight students who take on roles of attorneys and witnesses in a simulated court case. Participants gain experience in areas such as the stages of trial, how to argue objections, and how to direct and cross-examine a witness. The Holy Cross Mock Trial team finished sixth out of 393 teams at the National Mock Trial Tournament last spring, and was honored with "The Spirit of Mock Trial," a major award given to the team that embodies civility and fair play in its practice of law.

Meghan McNamara, senior Mock Trial member, is looking forward to the upcoming trip to Minnesota, "Regardless of how we finish at Nationals, it is an honor to compete against the best collegiate schools in the nation."

February 28, 2002|nm