Eastern Kentucky University’s mock trial team concluded one of its most successful seasons ever with a 15th-place finish at the American Mock Trial Association’s National Championship Tournament in Los Angeles, California.
EKU dropped three ballots in its first-round matchup against the University of Cincinnati but rallied on the second day, taking two of three against the University of Arizona and sweeping all three ballots from the University of Rochester. EKU battled valiantly in the fourth round but dropped two ballots and tied one against the sixth-place team, Ohio State University. EKU finished with a 5-6-1 record in the tournament, falling a single point shy of an honorable mention trophy.
Allie Maples, a senior political science major from Mount Sterling, capped her distinguished mock trial career at EKU with her first All-American Attorney Award, while Hayley Abbott, a junior political science major from Corbin, concluded her first season of mock trial with an All-American Witness Award. Laura Jackson, a junior political science major from Artemus, and Tyler Swafford, a senior globalization and international affairs major from Franklin, Tennessee, each missed an All-American Award by a single rank out of 30.
Other members of EKU’s National Championship Tournament team included Melissa
Mahan, a senior anthropology major from Bloomington, Illinois; Brianna Palmer, a freshman criminal justice major from Richmond; Angel Spurlock, a senior chemistry teaching major from Rockcastle;Alexa Turner, a junior paralegal and history major from Winchester; andRyan Wiggins, a sophomore political science and psychology major from Georgetown. Maples, Swafford, Jackson, Spurlock and Turner are all members of the EKU Honors Program.
The EKU Mock Trial program is sponsored by the EKU College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences, and attended the AMTA National Championship Tournament with additional financial support from the President’s and Provost’s Offices as well as the Office of Engagement, Regional Stewardship, and Government Relations. Faculty and staff assisting with the program include Tom Parker, Lynnette Noblitt, Brandon Williams, Kristeena Johnson, and Dean Sara Zeigler.
Inset photos: Allie Maples (left) and Hayley Abbott