Adding Two More Bids, MMT Caps Off Historic Regional Performance
Can lightening really strike twice? The jury has reached a verdict.
The A Team after their 8-0 first place finish at the Washington, PA regional.
A mere seven days after the A Team and Jamaican Justice finished 8-0 and 6-2 at the Washington, PA regional, the B Team and the All-American Redirects did just the same at their regional in Cincinnati, OH. Placing first and fourth respectively, and earning the program another two bids to the next round of competition, the two teams' performances capped off one of the most successful regional runs in MMT history. Finishing with a program wide record of 27-3-2, MMT earned four out of a possible four bids to the semi-finals, garnered two regional championships, took home a third and fourth place trophy, fielded three perfectly ranked attorneys and seized an astounding 15 individual awards.
The B Team after going 8-0 and taking home first place at the Cincinnati, OH regional this past weekend.
(Pictured left to right: Missi Schuett (coach), Monika Mudd, Matt Meeks, Reeti Pal, Najeeb Ahmed, Sam Hobbs, Elias Demeropolis, Christina Romine, John Spear, Lawrence Hilton (coach), Ben Sandlin)
In Cincinnati, MMT's B Team, coached by Lawrence Hilton and Melissa Schuett, won their second consecutive tournament sweeping every ballot in every round against Bellarmine University, Ohio Northern University, Ohio State, and the University of Kentucky. Twenty-two squads were in competition for the top seven spots and the B Team took home the gold, winning each round, on average, by more than 27 points.
Monika Mudd was named an outstanding witness and John Spear and Matt Meeks received perfect ranks on their way to winning outstanding attorney awards. It was Mr. Spear's third award of the season.
"This was just one more example of our dominance," said B Team captain Matt Meeks. "We've got our eyes set on a national championship and we've got a record that speaks for itself."
Out of a possible 36 ballots, the B Team has only lost four this season making this year's B team one of the most successful in the history of MMT. The B Team will now advance to the semi-finals in Hamilton, OH. 2012 marked the last year both Miami's A and B teams qualified out of regionals.
Laura Tholke and Jaime Glinka's All-American Redirects, one of MMT's two developmental teams, finished in Cincinnati with a 5-1-2 record (equivalent to 6-2) tying for third place and ultimately losing a tie breaker to finish fourth. Taking a win and a tie from the University of Richmond, sweeping Kentucky, dropping a one point ballot and tying Cincinnati's A team (the tie was Cincinnati’s only blemish in a 7-0-1 record) and sweeping Ohio Northern, the Redirects once again established the depth of Miami's program.
Cincinnati marked the final tournament for both of MMT's developmental teams who, together, finished the season 36-31.
MMT's individual award winners from the Cincinnati, OH regional. Attorneys: Matt Meek (left), John Spear (second to left), Henry Leaman (right). Witnesses: Monika Mudd, Imokhai Okolo.
"When our freshman are keeping pace with a senior-laddened Cincinnati A team, one of the powerhouses in the region, you know MMT is a force to be reckoned regardless of which team is stepping into the courtroom" said freshman attorney Spencer Tackett.
The All-American Redirects added two individual awards to their ranks. Winning their third awards of the season, Imokhai Okolo was named an outstanding witness and Henry Leaman an outstanding attorney. Both are first-years.
While each of MMT's four teams garnered bids to the semi-finals, known in the mock circuit as the Opening Round Championship Series or ORCS, a team is only permitted to send a maximum of two teams beyond regionals. The A and B squads will continue on in competition March 14-16 by competing with 22 other teams in the Hamilton, OH ORCS tournament hosted by Miami University. The top six teams will join the other top six squads from seven other ORCS to form the final 48-team field for the National Championship tournament held in Orlando FL, hosted by the University of Central Florida in mid-April.
SUMMARY
B Team:
Record: 8-0 | CS: 14.5 | OCS: 70.5 | PD: +109 | Team #: 1159
Coaches: Lawrence Hilton, Missi Schuett
Competitors: Ben Sandlin, Christina Romine, Elias Demeropolis, Jazmine Kee, John Spear, Matthew Meeks, Monika Mudd, Najeeb Ahmed, Reeti Pal, Samantha Hobbs
The All-American Redirects:
Record: 5-1-2 | CS: 17.5 | OCS: 63.5 | PD: 67 | Team #: 1160
Coaches: Laura Tholke, Jaime Glinka
Competitors: Esther Ladipo, Henry Leaman, Imokhai Okolo, Julia Luna, Kyle Denman, Lauren Coriell, Lisa Silshtut, Spencer Tacker
Outstanding Attorneys:
Matt Meeks (∆, 20 ranks)
John Spear (π, 20 ranks)
Henry Leaman (∆, 19 ranks)
Outstanding Witnesses:
Imokhai Okolo (∆, 18 ranks)
Monika Mudd (∆, 16 ranks)