Raising the Bar: Clark, Wills receive “Best Attorney” awards at State Mock Trial

Niwot students Kynzie Clark and Reagan Wills may have argued opposite sides in The People vs. Bailey Forsythe, but both came out of last weekend’s State Mock Trial Tournament with a clear win.

Based on their convincing courtroom performances during the two-day event held March 9-10 at the Weld County Justice Center in Greeley, Clark (prosecution) and Wills (defense) beat out more than 150 other participants to earn two of the competition’s 12 “Best Attorney” awards, an honor that attorney-coach Brad Hall felt was well deserved for both.

“Having two out of twelve attorneys, out of 28 teams with six attorneys each is an achievement for these kids that’s unbelievable,” Hall said. “I’m very, very happy for them.”

For senior Clark, the award crowns a notable three-year stint with the Niwot Mock Trial team that included two State tournament appearances. As this season’s lead prosecutor, Clark not only played a lead role in the trial, she also helped put her young team on a winning track.

“She was the captain of the team this year, and I’m not surprised that she won an award,” Hall said. “Kynzie’s been fantastic all three years since she was a sophomore, and I imagine that she’ll go on to do well in college Mock Trial as well.”

For Wills, the unexpected award was a fitting coda to her improbable journey to Mock Trial success. Originally selected as a team alternate, the novice was pressed into service as defense attorney just weeks before the Regional tournament. The naturally competitive sophomore was up to the challenge, however, and earned high marks for her closing arguments from both scoring panelists and courtroom observers alike.

“By the time we got through Regionals, Judge Mulvahill called her closing argument the best he’d ever seen,” Hall said. “So I’m not terribly surprised that she won, but I’m happy for her because it was her first year.”

Niwot head softball coach Bobby Matthews wasn’t particularly surprised by her performance either. On hand to watch on day one of the State tournament, Matthews said it was clear that his standout catcher has potential to also be a standout in the legal field.

“I may be biased but Reagan right away stuck out,” he said. “She stood tall, spoke very professionally and you could see she had a comfort level that many others did not. She was stern when needed to be and drove home her points.”

The only one who seemed surprised by the honor was Wills herself, who was rendered a touch speechless after the announcement.

“I’m a little emotional,” she said. “But it’s so rewarding, because it’s hours of my life just compiled into this one thing, and to see it pay off the way it has, it’s so worth it.”

As a result of her award, Wills’s has been invited by the National Student Leadership Conference to participate in their Law & Advocacy summer program at Yale University. The intensive week-long class includes a trial simulation, prominent guest speakers, and leadership training. She is currently raising money to help offset travel and registration costs for this opportunity. To make a secure donation to help cover the estimated $3,100 cost, visit https://fundly.com/reagan-wills-educational-trip-to-yale.

The individual wins by Clark and Wills’ were the highlight of a grueling weekend of competition that, sadly, fell short of a bid to the National Mock Trial Tournament in May. Niwot placed among the top teams in the tournament, but was ultimately outscored by rival Fairview, which beat Lakewood in the final round to advance to the national event.

Nevertheless, attorney-coach Erika Grant was impressed with the way the team handled itself during the four demanding rounds, especially seniors Clark and Victoria Sexton, who served as both a prosecution attorney and a defense witness.

“Those two are forces of nature,” Grant said. “In terms of leadership, Kynzie provides the fire and Tori provides the calm, and it’s a perfect balance. Losing these two next year will be hard for our team.”

Fortunately, there will be plenty of remaining talent to help fill the gap. There are six sophomores on the twelve-member team, and their experience competing against the state’s best will pay dividends for Niwot Mock Trial in the future.

“I don’t think anything can replace going to State, because every team is so elevated,” Grant said. “Every team here brings something to the table that you don’t see in a scrimmage or at the regional level. So I’m very proud of us that we’re here, and I’m very proud of how we did, and I hope that we can three-peat next year.”

Though they fell short of their ultimate goal, team members agreed it was a positive experience all around, and were pleased to see their hours of practice and study get some hard-earned recognition.

“I’m really proud of the team; they worked really hard for this,” Clark said. “They came in and they knew all of their objections, and they argued everything really well, and I’m really happy about that.”

Sophomore Rumi Natanzi, who portrayed prosecution witness Dr. Val Williams, called it “a great experience.”

“It was an exhilarating feeling to be out there with my teammates, all of whom have worked so hard to reach this point,” she said. “The work definitely showed.”

Junior Jacy Stampes, a defense witness, agreed with Grant about the value of facing elevated competition.

“It really has motivated a lot of us to think about what we should be doing next year, and the level we should be striving to be at,” she said. “It’s showed us how high the bar is and how much we can achieve.”

For Grant, the team’s success this season was due to a combination of many factors, none more important than the students themselves.

“Niwot showed up to compete and we competed very well,” she said. “That is due to how hard the students worked, their dedication, their intelligence. They are smart, and fun and interesting and dedicated. And every one of them will be successful in whatever they choose to pursue. I am so thankful that I get to be part of this chapter in their lives.”