Cornell squad wins mock trial tournament at Drake

One of the three squads of Cornell College Mock Trial team took top honors at the Richard Calkins Invitational hosted by Drake University in Des Moines on Oct. 27 and 28. 

In a field of 20 teams, all three of Cornell’s squads placed in the top 10, and one took home the top team honors. The Black squad, consisting of James Hoeffgen, Angela Lukeman, Eric Andow, Katelynn Raney, Nora McKenzie, Maria Goodfellow, and Kenny Capesius, won the tournament with a record of 7 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie. The White squad, comprised of Tim Bingham, Claire McGuire, David Miller, Sam Stacey, Kahn Branch, Gwen Morrison, Laurel Fraser, and Sarah Bertschy, finished fifth, with a record of 5 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie. The Purple squad, led by returners Tom Kirk, MacKenzie Dreeszen, and Leonard Schlanger, with newcomers Yolanda Jones, Micah Hawker-Boehnke, Chris Machold, Tim Wiley, and Evan Andersson, finished eighth with a record of 5 wins and 3 losses.

In additional to the team success, Cornell also took home four individual awards. Tom Kirk was recognized as an outstanding attorney for his performance as a plaintiff’s attorney. James Hoeffgen was recognized as an outstanding attorney for his work as a defense attorney. In only their second collegiate mock trial tournament, newcomers Sarah Bertschy and Nora McKenzie were both recognized as outstanding witnesses, both for their moving portrayal of the grieving widow, Andy Allen. Nora was the only outstanding witness at the tournament to be awarded a perfect score for her efforts.

The team next competes at Illinois State University on Nov. 2 through 4.

The Cornell College Mock Trial Team is a project of the college’s Center for Law and Society. Now in its seventh year, the team has been to the national championship tournament three out of the past four years. In 2010 the team placed sixth in the nation.