The following is a newsclip from the Miami Student newspaper. Thanks to Patrick Wolande for his reporting. To read this story on the Miami Student Website,
click here.
"Miami University's mock trial team has become the buzz around the country in American Mock Trial Association circles.
Miami received third place at the Great American Mock Trial Invitational (GAMTI) in Washington, D.C. Nov. 14 to 15, even though the team beat champion University of Virginia head to head.
The mock trial team is also coming off a victory from The Beach Party, a 16-round tournament from Nov. 6 to 8 hosted by Cal Irvine in California. Miami beat UCLA in the final round to win the invitational.
Barry Tolchin, one of Miami's coaches, called UCLA "one of the strongest programs in the country."
A good number of Miami mock trial team members walked away with awards from The Beach Party. Senior Gus Lazares and sophomore Elizabeth Sams won the Outstanding Attorney Award and sophomore Ian Ferrell won the Outstanding Witness Award. Ferrell's award was considered the highest of the tournament. Because of this, the award will be called "The Ian Ferrell Award" next year.
"It was kind of amazing," said Lazares, a four-year member of the mock trial team. "It was kind of a dream."
Coach Dan Haughey said the team shows quite a bit of promise for this year's national competition, which will be held this spring in Memphis, Tenn.
"I would be gravely disappointed if we didn't finish in the top 10, if not top five," Haughey said. "We're going to do well ... our team is just that good."
Lazares called the head-to-head victory over UVA the mock trial team's best round of the year, saying "we gave it our all."
Lazares also said he has contacted a number of UVA students, who said Miami challenged their team more than anyone all year.
Scotty Lippert, a senior and team member, filled in at the last minute at the GAMTI because another mock trial member came down with H1N1 influenza. Lippert said having a quality program demands a great deal of time and effort.
"We have scheduled practices every Tuesday and Thursday night," Lippert said.
Lippert said the week before a competition becomes even more intense.
"We can easily meet for nine to 10 hours (in a week)," Lippert said. "If it's nationals or regionals, it's everyday."
Miami will be hosting a dedication tournament in honor of the James Lewis family to break in the new mock trial room in the Farmer School of Business. The 14-team tournament is set for Jan. 30 to 31, although times have not yet been announced."
