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Hendrix Mock Trial Team Qualifies for National Semifinals

CONWAY, Ark. (February 7, 2020) — The Hendrix Mock Trial team on Feb. 1-2, 2020, competed at the Regional Tournament that took place at the University of Oklahoma Law School in Norman. Up against strong competition, the team was one of four in the field of 20 to qualify for the Opening Round Championship Series (ORCS), or the National Semifinal Round, to take place in Memphis, Tenn., on March 20-22. 

Mock Trial is an academic competition in which students receive a case packet, including facts, case law, and evidentiary and procedural rules. Based on that packet, the students prepare a full jury trial presentation for competition. The Hendrix Mock Trial team is completely student-run and has been active for eight years. It is the only completely student-run team from the Norman Regionals to qualify for ORCS. This is the fourth time in five years that Hendrix Mock Trial has qualified for ORCS. 

“We have been working on this year’s case since late August, and have been practicing at least four hours every week in preparation for the competition season,” said Henry Edwards ’20, a Hendrix College senior and one of the team’s co-captains. “This was our toughest field we’ve been up against during my time here, but despite that we were able to defeat several more well established programs. We’ve put hours and hours into this case, and it showed at Regionals.” 

In addition to the ballot wins for the group, Allison Chamberlain ’22 earned an All-Region Witness Award for her outstanding performance. 

In addition to Edwards and Chamberlain, team members include Grace Capooth ’23, Mykala Delk ’21, Matthew Haley ’21, Lynnaya Hamby ’22, Katie McNamara ’21 (co-captain), Kavi Modi ’22, Olivia Moore ’22, Ragan Price ’21, Phillip Powell ’23, Jack Sparkman ’22, Tristen Starnes ’22, and Rebecca Williams ’21.

About Hendrix College

A private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix College consistently earns recognition as one of the country’s leading liberal arts institutions, and is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges. Its academic quality and rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix as a fixture in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876, Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To learn more, visit www.hendrix.edu.