MMT Victorious at Illinois State Invitational
MMT's B Team won first place with a record of 7-1 at the Twelfth Annual Illinois State Mock Trial Invitational this past weekend. It was a resounding victory for a B Team, that at least on paper, looks to be one of the strongest B teams in Miami's history.
At the same tournament, the All-American Redirects, one of MMT's two developmental teams, placed ninth out of 32 with a record of 5-3. Miami's second developmental team, Jamaican Justice, finished with a record of 1-6-1.
"We went into this weekend looking to make a statement and we did that," said B Team competitor Najeeb Ahmed.
After sweeping their first round versus Truman State University, the B Team split their second round versus Illinois State. Miami B would not lose another ballot over their next two rounds. It was the first competition of the year for the B Team and success coaches Lawrence Hilton and Melissa Schuett will look to build on as the team prepares for stiffer competition in California in a few weeks.
MMT's B Team after their 7-1 first place finish at Illinois State.
Left to right: Lawrence Hilton (coach), John Spear, Sam Hobbs, Najeeb Ahmed, Taylor Seay, Christina Romine, Monika Mudd, Ben Sandlin, Reeti Pal, Elias Demeropolis, Jazmine Kee, Matt Meeks
"We can't wait to compete in California. We've shown what we can do. Now we want to take out the tougher competition we know we're ready to hit," said B Team captain Monika Mudd.
B Team attorneys Matt Meeks and John Spear were awarded as outstanding attorneys. In a field where 32 teams competed, Mr. Meeks and Mr. Spear were two of only nine attorneys to be awarded.
For coaches Laura Tholke and Jaime Glinka, the All-American Redirects ninth place 5-3 finish was the result of hard work. Their defense side of the case went undefeated and the team looks to take first place in two weeks at Duke University's Tobacco Road Invitational even if they will be hitting tougher competition.
Jamaican Justice's 1-6-1 finish was a gut check for the all rookie squad. But their losses were never substantial, loosing by an average of only 4 points per ballot. Their spirits were hardly crushed and at practice on Monday the team was reinvigorated and ready to make a dent alongside the All-American Redirects at Duke. Enlisting the help of veteran MMT competitors Alex Block, Brandon Patterson and David Payne, Jamaican Justice coach Dan Herron appears to have made the strategic decisions necessary to propel his team to a winning record.
Summary
B Team:
Record: 7-1 | CS: 18 | OCS: Unavailable | PD: +72 | Team #: 1159
Coaches: Lawrence Hilton, Melissa Schuett
Competitors: Ben Sandlin, Christina Romine, Elias Demeropolis, Jazmine Kee, John Spear, Matthew Meeks, Monika Mudd, Najeeb Ahmed, Reeti Pal, Samantha Hobbs, Taylor Seay (did not compete)
The All-American Redirects:
Record: 5-3 | CS: 15 | OCS: Unavailable | PD: +32 | Team #: 1160
Coaches: Laura Tholke, Jaime Glinka
Competitors: Brooke Helton, Henry Leaman, Imokhai Okolo, Julia Luna, Kyle Denman, Lauren Coriell, Lisa Silshtut, Spencer Tacker
Jamaican Justice:
Record: 1-6-1 | CS: Unavailable | OCS: Unavailable | PD: -35 | Team #: 1161
Coaches: Dan Herron
Competitors: Adam Korn, Chelsea Appiah, Christine Ostrosky, Frances Djabatey, Katie O'Keeffe, Kayleigh Jackson, Oliver Zoellner, Richard Dent (did not compete), Ryan Rugani, Zachary Stevens
Outstanding Attorneys:
Matthew Meeks (∆ 19 Ranks)
John Spear (π 18 Ranks)