I am incredibly pleased and very proud to announce that both teams on the “Trialin’ Bods” Mock Trial team will be competing at the Opening Round Championship (ORC) National tournament in Minnesota next month. This past weekend, Washburn played host for and completed in the “Great Plains” Regional tournament, squaring off against 20 other teams from 14 different universities, including Drake, Creighton, the Air Force Academy, KU, K-State, and many others. Only the top 7 teams of the weekend would qualify for the ORC tournament in Anoka, Minnesota. The results for the top 7 are as follows:

1st place: Washburn University A (8-0 record)

2nd place: Creighton University (6-2 record)

3rd place: Colorado College (6-2 record)

4th place: University of South Dakota (6-2 record)

5th place: University of CO-Boulder (5-2-1 record)

6th place: Washburn University B (5-2-1 record)

7th place: Drake University (5-3 record)

The championship-winning team from Washburn is co-captained by Chris Helt and Cleotha Daniels, and also features Katie McAfee, Devon Tarantino, Natalie Walton, Jeffrey House, and Bradford DeYoung. This team also featured two All-Regional individual award winners: Bradford DeYoung won an award as an Outstanding Witness while Cleotha Daniels was the only individual, witness or attorney, who won an individual award with a perfect 20 out of 20 score as an Outstanding Attorney.

Our other placing team, team 1119, is co-captained by Colin Shaw and Kinsey Ashworth, and also features TJ Weber, Blaire Landon, Katie Longhofer, Peter Qiu, and Jack VanDam. This team also featured and individual award: TJ Weber was recognized as an All Regional Outstanding Attorney.

As I said earlier, Washburn not only competed in this tournament—we also played host. SEVERAL members of our Washburn family worked very hard to make this tournament a success. I’d like to especially thank the School of Law (particularly Dean Thomas Romig, Jo Hunt, Janessa Akin, Shawn Leisinger, Michael Kaye, and Cory Payne) for the use of the facility, all of the help with logistics that they offered, and for sponsoring our closing reception. I’d also like to extend a blanket thank you to anyone among our faculty and staff who volunteered to judge or aided us in finding judges for this event. Also instrumental to the success of this tournament was Tami Boten, our department secretary, who aided me with several logistical details in the days leading up to the tournament. My heartfelt thanks to all of you!

Up next is a short break before our journey to Nationals in Anoka in mid-March. Stay tuned for more reports from the team, and once again, please join me in congratulating our amazing Bods.

JIM

James M. Schnoebelen, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Communication Studies

Director, Undergraduate Mock Trial Team

Washburn University

1700 SW College Ave.

Topeka, KS 66621

Office Phone/Voicemail: 785.670.1426