May it Please the Court...
Opening to 2014-2015 Year
This weekend all four of Miami University's Mock Trial Teams will be in competition - the C and Developmental Teams (1077 and 1078) go to OSU to compete in the Scarlet and Gray Invitational and the A and B Teams (1075 and 1076) will be in New York competing at Columbia University's Big Apple Invitational Tournament (CUBAIT).
In Ohio...
Hannah Shepard prepares from scrimmage (front to back: Hannah, Christine Ostrosky, Ryan Rugani, Allie Cin)
At OSU, Miami’s C Team, coached by Laura Powell and MMT alum Zowoi Malakpa, looks forward to going against big competition. “For most of us, the Scarlet and Gray was our very first mock trial tournament,” says C Team Captain Christine Ostrosky. “We look forward to going back and bringing home some hardware.” The C Team is also looking to see how their Baby teammates perform - almost half of their team is made up of first year mockers. “We’re excited,” says first year Julia Pair, “the vets on our team have put a lot of trust in us and we are ready to perform.”
The C Team will be accompanied by Team 1078, Miami’s Developmental Team coached by Dan Herron and MMT double All-American alum Alex Block. Team 1078 has already been baptized by fire having gone 3-5 at Michigan State’s Tournament two weeks ago. “We know what we’re doing now,” said team captain Sydney Scribner. “We’ve adjusted our material and we’re ready to take on the competition." Alex Block has high hopes for his baby team. “They’re talented and they’re dedicated – and now they’re hungry for a win.”
And in the Big Apple...
During an in-house scrimmage, John Spear articulates his objections, while MIami A members Ben Sandlin, Matt Meeks, and Najeeb Ahmed, watch intently.
While Miami’s C and D teams are in Columbus, Ohio, the A and B teams will be at Columbia University in New York City. “CUBAIT is one of the first big tournaments of the season,” states A Team Captain Matt Meeks. “It’s a great opportunity to test your theories and presentation against some really great competition right out of the gate.” Miami A looks to capitalize on their success last year as one of Miami’s most successful B teams and take home a top finish. They return with all ten of their National Competitors, and are looking to start the invitational season off with a bang. Miami has not competed at CUBAIT in several years, but hopes to ride on the momentum from their top ten finish in Orlando, including two All-Americans in Monika Mudd and Elias Demeropolis.
For Miami’s sophomoric B Team CUBAIT, the field will be tougher, but in no way more daunting. Miami B returns four national competitors, along with numerous competitors who have hit powerhouses like University of Georgia, Patrick Henry, and Harvard. “We’re not intimidated though,” responds B Team Captain Katie O'Keeffe “We're willing to meet them at their level. It's not our first time fighting for Love and Honor"
(left to right) Julia Luna, Imokhai Okolo, Dani Kunkel, and Adam Korn make appearances for the court in a scrimmage against Miami A
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