NHS Mock Trial team fourth at the State Mock Trial Championship

Niwot High School's Mock Trial team took fourth place at the State Mock Trial Championship competition held on March 8 and 9 at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Golden.

The group has been training for mock trial competitions since early October with a team of twelve students trained by their coaches, attorney Erika Grant, occasionally her husband Cameron Grant, and Sean Stewart.

This year's team was Paul Blignaut, Cayla Piper, Charley Broenniman, Stella Munro, Aidan Coble, Justin Ge, Mina Odell, Elyse Preso, Olivia Raichart, Mark Rokhlenko, Ella Shaw, Miles Shaw, Angelina Young, along with the team's two captains, Jamie Williamson, and Taryn McDermid.

"It wasn't expected," said Williamson, one of the team's two captains, and an intern at the law offices of Warren, Carlson & Moore, LLP, in Niwot, about their final placing at the state competition. "We'd lost a lot of members last year, definitely over half the team were new members so it was extremely surprising. We were not expecting it at all but we had really good rounds the entire time. We were all very excited about that!"

The team qualified for the state competition at the Boulder County Regional Mock Trial on Feb. 12, where three members won specific awards. Miles Shaw won Best Plaintiff Attorney and was voted second for Best Overall Attorney, while Cayla Piper won third place for Best Witness.

The team as a whole placed second in the Boulder County regional competition, which consists of 20 teams annually, and continued to compete on a statewide level along with the teams representing Fairview High School and Erie High School. The Niwot team beat their previous record at the state competition by taking 4th place out of the 20 teams from throughout Colorado competing.

The State Mock Trial Championship tournament spanned two days, with four mock trials lasting roughly four hours each, with three judges for each trial. Grant, the team's head coach, said the teams had to play two roles - the attorneys and the witnesses. Attorneys would manage the legal segments of the case while witnesses acted out one of the fictional characters presented in the cases.

"One of the most important things that Mock Trial teaches students is the ability to speak eloquently, professionally and with confidence in a high pressure and ever changing environment," Grant stated. "Mock Trial is a unique and demanding activity that can enhance college resumes as a result of the rigor of the program."

The team was also supported by their teacher sponsor, Becky Myers, a language arts and English teacher at Niwot High School, along with Athletic Director and Assistant Principal Joe Brown, who was the team's chaperone at the state competition. According to Williamson, the competition is also a great opportunity for future high school students in that firms tend to scout at the college-level trial competitions.

"In my opinion, this is definitely the best extracurricular high schoolers can do," said Willamson. "It's really good for public speaking and speaking on the spot, communicating, and problem-solving."

By all accounts, the state mock trial was an amazing experience for everyone involved.

"The Niwot High School Mock Trial Team's success is a direct result of the time, energy and effort the students put in," Grant explained. "The team is made up of a cross section of students, from freshmen to seniors, who year after year become close friends both on the team and beyond. Niwot's Mock Trial Team hopes to continue our path of making both our school and our community proud of what we are doing and how hard we work to earn our success."