Courtesy Photo
Dane Chronister
Reporter
The Baylor Mock Trial Team won fifth place in its division and had three All-American award winners in the National Championship Tournament last weekend at the Hamilton County Courthouse in Cincinnati, Ohio.
This was the team’s first trip to the National Championship Tournament where schools such as Cornell, Emory, Harvard and New York University participated as well.
The team was in Ohio from April 17 – 19 and took 10 members of the mock trial team.
Illinois senior Taylor Hoogendoorn serves as the President of the Baylor Mock Trial and said he is honored he and his team members will receive these acknowledgments.
Even though Harvard’s team won the National Championship with 15 wins and one tie, its one loss was to against Baylor’s mock trial team.
The three All-American Award winners included sophomore All-American witness Wimberly Dick and the All-American attorneys included Hoogendoorn and Waco senior Christopher Clark.
According to the American Mock Trial Association, these awards are considered the highest honor in college mock trials
Fair Oaks Ranch junior Alex Oestreich said the mentality of the team and how hard they all had to work to get to this moment.
“We saw people there say ‘Oh Baylor they don’t deserve to be here, they’ve never been here before’ and we wanted to prove them wrong,” Oestreich said. “After my freshman year and barely being able to fill one team, I have seen such a huge change up to now with just the magnitude we have grown to in order to place that high.”
Hoogendoorn said his appreciation for their coach and the coordinator of Pre Law, Elizabeth Coats.
“In her first full year of active coaching Elizabeth propelled the team seen by few mock trial teams in the country, we are so blessed to have her,” Hoogendoorn said. “She has been a coach, a mentor and a friend.”
