Eastern Kentucky University’s mock trial program continued its outstanding season with a first-place finish at the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) Regional Tournament in Columbus, Ohio, hosted by The Ohio State University February 10-11.
EKU finished with a 6-1-1 record in the highly competitive tournament, defeating teams from Ohio State, the University of Dayton, and Edinboro University, and tying one of two ballots in a closely contested round with Carnegie Mellon University. EKU’s impressive performance earned the team a bid to AMTA’s first level of national competition, the Opening Round Championship in Memphis, Tennessee, in late March.
Hayley Abbott, a senior political science major from Corbin, and Cole Bailey, a freshman accounting major from Richmond, earned Outstanding Witness Awards for their individual performances in the tournament. Reagan Roberts, a sophomore double-major in paralegal science and history from Monticello, earned an Outstanding Attorney Award for her performance on EKU’s second team at the tournament.
Other members of EKU’s first-place squad include Mark Dvornak, a sophomore psychology major from Burlington; Laura Jackson, a senior political science major from Artemus; Brianna Palmer, a sophomore criminal justice major from Richmond; Alexa Turner, a senior paralegal science and history major from Winchester; and Ryan Wiggins, a junior political science major from Georgetown. Bailey, Dvornak, Jackson, Roberts and Turner are all members of EKU’s Honors Program.
EKU’s mock trial program is sponsored by the EKU College of Letters, Arts, & Social Sciences (CLASS). Tom Parker is the coordinator of the mock trial program, and additional coaches are Lynnette Noblitt, EKU alumni Kristeena Johnson and James Tee Pennington, and CLASS Dean Sara Zeigler.
