The only college organization in Michigan to earn an invitation to the American Mock Trial Association’s (AMTA) National Championship Tournament (NCT) in Cincinnati, Ohio, Northwood University’s Mock Trial Team was also selected by opponents to receive the Spirit of AMTA Award for its display of civility, justice and fair play.With all 48 NCT teams receiving the mock trial case alleging election fraud by a mayoral candidate only 26 days before the tournament, each team prepared to compete in four trials equally representing both plaintiffs and defendants.
“This successful season would not have been possible without help from donors such as The Dow Chemical Company Legal Department, The Midland County Bar Association, and the Contemporary Review Club of Midland. We thank them for their kind and generous donations which have provided our students the opportunity to compete at a high level where they learn skills that will benefit them for a lifetime,” said Professor DeLois Leapheart, Northwood University’s Mock Trial Program Director of the event which allowed Northwood students to compete against opponents from Boston University, Rhodes College, Northwestern University and Furman.
AMTA not only provides a forum for students to demonstrate elite communications, critical thinking, and teamwork skills during each mock trial round, but also values the display of the ideals of professionalism before during and after the trial.
Those Northwood University students who attended the AMTA NCT include:
Dylan Balbach, a Junior from Houghton Lake, Michigan
Adrian Camacho, a sophomore from Bellflower, California
Yancy Cobb, a senior from Detroit, Michigan
Jillian Fisher, a senior from Midland, Michigan
Jalisa Harris, a junior from Belleville, Michigan
Myisha Ishmeal, a senior from Southfield, Michigan
Devon Peasley, a freshman from Lapeer, Michigan
Katie Polzin, a senior from Birch Run, Michigan
Will Rodgers, a freshman from Pleasant Ridge, Michigan
T. C. Sample, a senior from Westland, Michigan
Anthony Wnoroski, a senior from Akron, Ohio
2014-2015 Northwood University Mock Trial Awards Include:
MSU Invitational Tournament – October, 2014
Yancy Cobb – Outstanding Witness Award on both sides (Plaintiff and Defense)
OSU Invitational Tournament – October, 2014
Katie Polzin – Outstanding Witness Award
Jillian Fisher – Outstanding Witness Award
Myisha Ishmeal – Outstanding Attorney Award (Plaintiff and Defense)
EMU Invitational Tournament – November, 2014
T. C. Sample – Outstanding Attorney Award
Jacob Roese – Outstanding Witness Award
NYU Invitational Tournament – January, 2015
Anthony Wnoroski – Outstanding Witness Award
Pittsburgh Regional Tournament – February, 2015
Yancy Cobb – Outstanding Witness Award
Katie Polzin – Outstanding Witness Award
Joliet Regional Tournament – February, 2015
Eric L. Johnson – Outstanding Witness Award
ORCS Invitational Tournament – March, 2015
Katie Polzin – Outstanding Witness Award
Anthony Wnoroski – Outstanding Witness Award
The American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) accepted registrations from 656 undergraduate teams throughout the nation. The teams began competing in October, 2014 to prepare for the 2015 February and March elimination tournaments in which the top 48 teams in the country are selected to compete at NCT, the final mock trial tournament of the year.
