Hillsdale College Mock Trial Team Wins Second Place at National Championship Tournament
HILLSDALE, Mich. — Hillsdale College’s Mock Trial “A” team placed first in their division and finished national runner-up at the American Mock Trial Association’s National Championship Tournament held between April 19 to 21. The tournament was hosted by Loyola University Chicago and the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.
“This group of students has worked very hard for this moment,” said Jonathan Church, Hillsdale’s mock trial coach. “In the last ten years, only nine programs have competed in championship finals. To break into that group is a huge achievement.”
In the first four rounds of the National Championship Tournament, the team had a 9-2-1 ballot record after competing against the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; University of Texas, Dallas; Macalester College; and the University of Georgia. The team finished as national runner-up after competing in the championship final round against the University of Virginia. The Hillsdale team consists of seniors Justin Lee, Curtis Herbert, Caleb Sampson, and Konrad Verbaarshott; juniors Abby Davis, Abigail Wagner, Njomëza Pema; and sophomore Patrick McDonald.
“Over the last three seasons, the team has grown immensely—going from 72nd to 2nd in the nation” said Justin Lee, mock trial team captain. “Competing in the final round was something we could only dream of a few years ago, but we’ve been blessed with incredible coaches and talented, hardworking competitors.”
Hillsdale College Mock Trial is open to all students interested in learning skills in communication, rhetoric, public speaking, and persuasion through a legal forum. The team has competed at the National Championship Tournament since 2022. This was the first time the team advanced to the final round.