The mock trial team began its 2023-24 season with a series of tournaments hosted by other schools. This year, Illinois State has two squads: 1011 and 1012. It was a slow start, but both teams performed extremely well a month into the season.
Squad 1012’s first competition was hosted by the University of Illinois in Champaign. The team took one ballot each from Wheaton College and University of Dayton. It won both ballots against Ball State University and lost both ballots against Michigan State University. The tournament recognized senior Grace Nord as an outstanding attorney. This squad took second place at the Carthage College Dairyland Challenge with a 6-2 record. It swept its competition against University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and two DePaul University teams. It lost its round against Loyola University, the first-place team for the tournament. Team 1012 garnered a 4-4 record at the Red Cedar Classic, hosted by Michigan State. The Illinois State squad lost four ballots to Miami University of Ohio. It swept its rounds against Western Michigan University and Northwood University. Grace Nord again was recognized as an outstanding attorney.
Squad 1011’s initial competition was at the Golden Dome Invitational hosted by the University of Notre Dame. It won one ballot against Juniata College’s B squad. It also faced the Juniata College A squad and teams from Indiana University at Purdue and Case Western Reserve University. Washington University in St. Louis hosted squad 1011’s next tournament. The squad won both ballots against Cornell College, split ballots with Washington University, and lost both ballots against Miami of Ohio and St. Louis University. The Invitational recognized Emmalie Parson as an outstanding witness.
In November, Illinois State University hosted its 21st invitational tournament at the McLean County Law and Justice Center. Thirty-two teams from Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Kentucky competed in the event. Squad 1011 took fourth place, garnering a 6-1-1 record. Squad 1012 placed second with a 7-1 record. Austin Piercy and Myah Brantley from squad 1011 were named outstanding attorneys. Squad 1012’s Erin Daugherty was named an outstanding witness.
The members of squad 1012 for the first part of the season were Trinity Allen, Erin Daugherty, Jimmy Holmes, Ava Knapp, Nick Kniebusch, Grace Nord, Olivia Riley, and Kyleigh Weir. Squad 1011 was composed of Myah Brantley, Viv Garcia, Andrea Novotny, Sara O’Dowd, Emmalie Parson, Austin Piercy, Jamani Reed, and Erykah Thomas. Nord and Weir were co-captains of 1012, and Parson and Brantley were the 1011 co-captains.
The head attorney coach is Bloomington attorney A.J. Blodgett, an award-winning member of the Illinois State mock trial team during his undergraduate career. The assistant coach is McLean County Assistant State’s Attorney Spencer Chikahisa. Professor Tom McClure is the educator coach. For further information about the mock trial team, contact McClure at temcclu@IllinoisState.edu.
