MMT Ties for Fourth; Vows to Improve
Two MMT teams competed in Louisville, KY this past weekend at the Kentucky Classic Invitational.
Miami's flagship squad, the A team, went 5-3 tying for fourth place and ultimately being awarded an honorable mention. It was the first time the team had competed all year. While Miami A did not lose a single round (they split the first three rounds and swept the fourth), the team failed to clearly differentiate themselves from their opponents.
"The biggest issue was that we didn't pop," said Brad Ouambo who performed at the tournament as both an attorney and witness. "This was our opportunity to go all out and we didn't do it."
Veterans from the A team offer words of encouragement to MMT rookies prior to the start of round 3.
The A team competed without All-American witness and team captain Claire Meikle and also experimented with different themes and different witnesses round to round. That uncertainty impacted the team's ability to win over more judges but ultimately provided the team with valuable insights.
"We've got the talent. It's a matter of committing ourselves," said attorney Allie Pickerill. "And that's something we're gonna do. Each of us will do it and we will be better."
Alex Block received an outstanding attorney award. He was one of five attorneys to be awarded at the competition.
The All-American Redirects, one of MMT's two developmental teams, finished 3-5. Coaches Laura Tholke and Jaime Glinka had the challenge of preparing a mostly rookie squad for what was a particularly challenging tournament. After going 0-4 through the first two rounds, The All-American Redirects responded with a sweep of the University of Cincinnati in Round 3 and a split with Furman A in their final round.
"It was a resilient bounce back," said captain Lauren Coriell. "We closed the tournament strong and we're gonna build on that momentum."
The tournament was co-hosted by Bellarmine University and Eastern Kentucky University.
MMT will return to the circuit next weekend when the B team, The All-American Redirects and Jamaican Justice compete at Illinois State. The A team will compete in Washington, DC at the Great American Mock Trial Invitational - one of the season's premier tournaments.
According to Brad Ouambo, "that's a tournament Miami intends to win."
Summary:
A Team:
Record: 5-3 | CS: 14 | OCS: Unavailable | PD: +40 | Team #: 1158
Coaches: Dan Haughey, Neal Schuett
Competitors: Alex Block, Allie Pickerill, Brad Ouambo, Brandon Patterson, Claire Meikle (did not compete), David Payne, Deb O'Neal, Dylan Grafe, Lauren Yates, Zowoi Malakpa
The All-American Redirects:
Record: 3-5 | CS: 16 | OCS: Unavailable | PD: +7 | Team #: 1159
Coaches: Laura Tholke, Jaime Glinka
Competitors: Adam Genn, Brooke Helton, Henry Leaman, Imokhai Okolo, Julia Luna, Kyle Denman, Lauren Coriell, Lisa Silshtut, Spencer Tacker
Outstanding Attorneys:
Alex Block (π 18 Ranks)