The Knoxville Mock Trial Team will be competing at the state meet in Des Moines Starting today.

This will be the sixth time in the last seven years that Knoxville’s Mock Trial Team will be participating in the state meet. This year, Knoxville fielded two competitive teams in the Iowa Mock Trial Regional competitions. Knoxville’s first team competed in the Davenport Regional, where they split ballots in the first round, but faced a loss in round two, ultimately placing 5th out of six teams. Knoxville’s second team delivered a first place finish in the Council Bluffs Regional, earning a spot to the State Mock Trial Competition. 

Team members of Knoxville’s state-qualifying team include:

• Attorneys: Aubrielle Wheelock (8th Grade), Kinsey Overton (Indianola)
• Witnesses: Averie Staton (8th Grade), Rian Rowley (KHS junior)

This year’s teams are coached by KCSD teacher Lisa Hermsen, Iowa Deputy Attorney General Ed Bull, and Assistant Marion County Attorney Bryce Volk. Bull tells KNIA/KRLS that the team put together a great performance in Council Bluffs and Mock Trial is a big undertaking for the students who participate.

“Mock Trial is hard. I’m not certain that there are a whole lot of things that a high school student can do that are more difficult than this. They get a couple of 100 pages of material, they have to synthesize it, they have to come up with themes and theories and characters to play on as witnesses and for the attorneys they are judged as an actual attorney, not a high school kid playing an attorney but an attorney playing an attorney. They have to know the rules of evidence, they have to know the rules of procedure, they have to have speech memorized ans then they have to expect the unexpected because the other side gets to object and try and prevent their evidence from coming in.”

Iowa’s High School Mock Trial Program, organized by The Iowa State Bar Association, provides students with an opportunity to step into the roles of attorneys and witnesses, honing their public speaking, legal analysis, and critical thinking skills. Hear more from Bull along with student Janie Maasdam on today’s Let’s Talk Knoxville. The state meet runs through Saturday.