Mock Trial Sets School Record

Exeter’s Mock Trial team competed in the 2013 National High School Mock Trial Championship last Wednesday, placing 10th and setting a new record in Exeter Mock Trial history.

The team traveled to the downtown district of Indianapolis after over a month of preparation. By the end of a full day of scrimmages against other teams and two days of competitive trials, the team emerged victorious.

Mock Trial co-head senior Ange Clayton said that the team was thrilled with their results after placing 26th last year. "We didn’t think we were going to get into the top ten," Clayton said. "Then tenth place was us, and everybody started screaming. Rohan, Joon and Gene stood up so fast that their chairs fell over and hit the people behind us. I think we were more excited than people who got better placing than us."

Mock Trial competitor upper Grace Song agreed. "It’s unprecedented that New Hampshire even made it into the top 25 in the country," Song said. "But it was through sheer preparation and moments of instinctive brilliance that helped us place 10th this year."

The Championship began far before the Exeter team’s arrival in Indianapolis. Upon receiving the competition’s trial case on April 1, the team immediately began making decisions and rewriting and memorizing lines. This preparation required teamwork as well as individual effort.

"Some of this work took place as a whole group," club advisor Walter Stahr said. "We met several times for four and five hours on Sundays—but more of it took place in groups of two or three, working with one witness to prepare him or her for direct- and cross-examination."

Despite their preparation, the team was shaken during the Thursday scrimmages. "We went up against two teams who were really good, one of which we competed against at Nationals," said Mock trial competitor upper Alice Ju.

Despite the setback, team members refocused themselves and dedicated the night to readying the group for the next day.