Ithaca College

Thirty college mock trial teams competed this past weekend at the American Mock Trial Association Northeast regional tournament hosted by Yale University.  Ithaca College Mock Trial earned honorable mention status, but failed to advance to the championship round of intercollegiate competition.

Ithaca's A team went 4-3-1 over the weekend, placing behind teams from Rutgers, Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Pennsylvania, and Brown. The margin of victory was very close with Ithaca tying Cornell and losing to the Yale team 106-103. Although it was disappointing to so narrowly miss advancing in the AMTA tournament format, it was gratifying that Senior Team President Emily Francis received an Outstanding Attorney Award.  Francis’s poised, comfortable, and highly-credible performances placed her third among 180 attorney competitors. Ithaca’s B team finished 2-5-1, which was augmented by the performance of Freshman Brian Bilodeau who received an Outstanding Witness Award.

The AMTA Regional Tournament closes out the undergraduate mock trial careers for seniors Emily Frances, Greg Johnson, and Shannon Holmes. Team President Emily Francis deserves special recognition for her inspirational leadership of the team. Team Vice President Greg Johnson, a four-year team member and the last remaining member from Ithaca’s 2011-12 inaugural season, also deserves special recognition for his leadership and dedication. The team also extends its thanks to Instructor Veronica Frosen for her efforts with the team this year. Anyone interested in joining the team next fall should contact faculty adviser Michael Whelan at mwhelan@ithaca.edu.