C-SC Mock Trial Team earns a sixth place finish and an Invitational Honorable Mention at Tournament
C-SC Mock Trial Team earns a sixth place finish and an Invitational Honorable Mention at Tournament
CANTON, Mo.– The C-SC Mock Trial Team took to the road Jan. 18-19 to compete in the Mid-Missouri Mock Trial Invitational held at the University of Missouri Law School. Twenty-two teams competed in a four-round tune up to the Regional Tournament to be held in Kansas City in two weeks. C-SC finished tied for sixth place and received an Invitational Honorable Mention, the first one in the history of the C-SC Mock Trial program.
Mockers were also awarded 3 individual performance honors. Sarah Bouldin, senior legal studies major from Troy, Mo., won an outstanding witness award for her portrayal of the plaintiff, Andy Allen. Mark Boatman, senior criminal justice major from Wyaconda, Mo., also captured an outstanding witness award for playing Reggie Rogers, a dive master who is one of the defense experts. Dylan Gauldin, junior legal studies major from O’Fallon, Mo., scored a perfect 20 points to win the outstanding attorney plaque on the plaintiff side of the case. A perfect score of 20 is rarely achieved because it requires that both judges in both plaintiff rounds scored you as the best attorney. Mock Trial Coach Judy Abbott commented, “What you don’t know about that perfect 20 is that Dylan Gauldin just stepped into this attorney role last Monday when our plaintiff closer resigned at the last minute. Dylan had only 4 days to prepare, but he certainly hit that ball out of the park. The whole team is so grateful that he could step in, pick up that role at the last minute, and lead them to their stunning 5-3 victory.”
Other last minute substitutions brought about by the sudden illness of a team member on the way to the tournament challenged the team to further juggle their roster. Brand new team member Ian Hoffman, freshman individualized political science major from Mundelein, Ill. picked up the role of Frankie Fernandez and Chelsea Hoffman, junior individualized major from Canton, Mo., was able to step up and take over the part of the defendant. Both did well in those roles to help their team win those rounds.
David Carrothers, senior lecturer in criminal justice, accompanied Coach Abbott and the team. He watched as the team faced some serious last minute challenges to their roster. “This is what our Mock Trial program teaches our students. They learn to problem solve and switch gears quickly. This team has a depth of talent that allowed them to pivot quickly and present a whole new line up late in the season,” said Carrothers “I am just so impressed with their abilities and how well they represented Culver-Stockton. They didn’t complain, make excuses or ask to cancel the tournament. They stepped up, pulled together and beat some pretty good teams.”
All of these last minute changes did not deter the C-SC team from finishing 5-3, defeating Wheaton College, Northwest Missouri State and Washburn College. The team only dropped one round by a scant 4 points to University of Missouri- Columbia. C-SC mockers take to the road in two weeks to compete in the 2013 AMTA Regional Tournament in Kansas City at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School. That tournament will decide who advances to the National Tournament in Memphis, Tenn.
