Mock Trial argues into Top 10

Gonzaga gains glory from more than just its particularly well-known basketball program. On April 16-18, Gonzaga University's Mock Trial Team 1022 captured a prestigious and hard-fought Top 10 placement in the Gold National Mock Trial Grand Championship in Memphis, Tenn., battling such powerhouses as Duke and Notre Dame to seize an impressive ninth place overall.

Mock Trial at Gonzaga has been around since 1997.  Founded by Dr. Georgie Ann Weatherby, professor of sociology and criminal justice, the team has fared extremely well in years past, having attended nationals every year since its founding.  In 2001, Gonzaga Mock Trial acquired the record for the most All-American Awards at one tournament, topping out at three.

"The American Mock Trial Association expects that record never to be broken," Weatherby said.

Michael Harmond, a junior and member of Mock Trial, attributed the success of Mock Trial to its unique culture, based upon "a strong team bond, and even stronger team work ethic."  

Everyone from freshmen to seniors and through various areas of study are involved in Mock Trial and participate in this unique society, drawn by the friendship and camaraderie of the team and the intense academics and competition that accompany it.  

All three of Gonzaga's teams spend around six hours weekly practicing and developing their cases, putting in more hours on the weekends as tournaments and competitions approach to make sure their case is as solid as possible.  

Harmond notes most students involved spend between nine and 12 hours a week preparing cases and practicing for competition, writing arguments and scrimmaging with each other.  These hours spent honing necessary skills have paid off, both in the past and in the present.

Team 1022 gained its spot among 47 other teams at the national championship, beating out 614 schools vying for their place.

"Three hundred and eighty four students out of 4,912 earn the right to fill these championship spots," Weatherby said.

Gonzaga had to compete with the likes of University of California Berkeley and Stanford University, both of whom compete in the same region as Gonzaga, to climb to this coveted spot at the tournament.

It was these teams that Gonzaga defeated to gain another coveted position, first place in Regionals, earlier this year.

At the championship itself, Weatherby noted that Gonzaga fought "four superior, power-matched rounds" against Notre Dame, Duke, Lake Forest and Tufts, ultimately ending with an impressive 5-3 record.  On top of this score, Meg Houlihan, a 2010 Gonzaga graduate, earned an Elite All American Witness award, adding to the already distinguished finish of the team.

Weatherby notes the imposing nature of this team and how they made themselves known, generating a resounding boom at the national level.

"This team proved themselves to be a force to be reckoned with," Weatherby said. "In short, they sparkled from start to finish, and have lifted Gonzaga Mock Trial to new heights."