The Knoxville High School Mock Trial Team qualified for State for the sixth year in a row with a fourth place finish at Regionals Thursday in Marshalltown. The team scored 487 points to earn the state trip to Des Moines.

The 10 students on the Knoxville team are coached by Lisa Hermsen, while  former Marion County Attorney Ed Bull volunteers his time to be the attorney coach for Knoxville. State competition started yesterday and all will be held all day today at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines.

Hermsen said the students actually run through an actual trial. Nine of the 10 students are from Knoxville and one from Pleasantville. Janie Maasdam was named Outstanding Attorney and Alex Swanson was named Outstanding Witness at the Regional Mock Trial Tournament.

Norah Pearson earned Honorable Mention as an attorney and Kailan Ethell, Honorable Mention as a witness.

The top 32 teams from regional competitions throughout Iowa will compete in three rounds at state. The top four teams will then return on Wednesday, March 29 to compete in semi-final and final rounds. 

Team members are pictured in the front from the left, Celia Marean, Norah Pearson, Kailan Ethell, Lisbeth Rosenstein and Emily Humeston. In the back are Bale Prachar, Alex Swanson, Janie Maasdam, Aleksa Pettyjohn and Tanner Schrader.