The Carthage Mock Trial Team narrowly missed a second consecutive bid to the national competition of the American Mock Trial Association Tournament after a competitive showing at the regional tournament hosted this season by the University of Notre Dame.

The team finished with a 4-4 record in the regional, and 11th out of 22 teams. The final national bid went to Notre Dame, who finished with a 4.5-3.5 record. The top 10 teams were awarded bids.

The Carthage Mock Trial Team started the year with several question marks, as most members of last year's senior-dominated team had graduated. This was slated to be a rebuilding year, but as the season progressed, it quickly became obvious that Carthage would once again be a force at regionals.

Matthew Holmes, '12, won a Best Attorney award at the Notre Dame Regionals with a score of 19 out of 20. Matthew Anderson, '14, won a Best Witness award with a score of 18 out of 20.

This year's team members were Matthew Anderson, '14; Nicholas Ciaccio, '12; Rachel Harrison, '12; Matthew Holmes, '12; Brendon Jones, '12; Paul Kuszel, '12; Alessandra Ruffolo, '13; and Trevor Wiles, '14. Nicholas, Rachel, Matthew Holmes, and Brendon were the team's attorneys. Matthew Anderson, Paul, Alessandra and Trevor acted as witnesses.

Michael Phegley, associate professor of law and business administration, and his law partner, Wynne Laufenberg, have coached the team since its inception as a course in Criminal Justice four years ago.

Students interested in Mock Trial can register for the course, CRJ 3300, which is taught each fall, or they may contact Prof. Phegley directly.

"Mock trial has taught me entire skill sets that I could never have picked up in a classroom setting," said Trevor Wiles, a psychology and sociology major, and member of Phi Alpha Delta. "The experience has been both informative and entertaining. I have known I wanted to be a lawyer for a while now, and actually being able to compete as a lawyer, even if only once, was simply wonderful. All around a great experience."