UGA to Make First-Ever Trip to National Championship, Earns Two Bids

View results from this tournament

3.28.10 UGA joined the ranks of the elite Mock Trial programs in the nation this weekend, earning two bids to the National Championship after a decisive victory in the opening round of Nationals.

The National Championship Tournament will be held in Memphis in three weeks, and will consist of the top 48 teams in the United States. UGA's Teams 1427 and 1428 are among those final 48 of the 600+ teams that began the season.

UGA's teams qualified for the National Championship by finishing in the top six out of 26 teams at the Greenville, SC Opening Round Championship of Nationals. Both teams previously had qualified for ORCS by finishing in the top eight at Regionals.

This year marks the first time ever that UGA Mock Trial has received a bid to the National Championship. Even more significant is the fact that UGA received two bids to the National Championship -- a rare accomplishment that only eight other universities achieved this year.

In Greenville, UGA's teams won head-to-head matchups against UNC - Chapel Hill, the University of Florida, Emory University, Washington & Lee University, the University of Central Florida, and Morehouse College.

Both teams finished with a record of 6-2, with Team 1428 taking 4th place and Team 1427 taking 5th. Other universities qualifying from the Greenville ORCS were Duke University, Furman University, and Washington & Lee University.

Brian Mink ('11) and Jesika Wehunt ('10) won All-National Attorney Awards, and Alex Galvan ('11) took home an All-National Witness Award.

UGA team members competing on the 4th place ORCS Nationals team were: Jesika Wehunt (Captain, '10), Morgan Branch (Captain, '10), Thomas Buscemi ('13), Katie Clifford ('12), Isha Ghodke ('12), Lauren Lutton ('13), Virginia Newman ('10), Michelle Pope ('11), Clayton Sharp ('13), and Claire Whitehead ('13).

UGA team members competing on the 5th place ORCS Nationals team were: Brian Mink (Captain, '11), Alex Smith (Captain, '12), Alex Galvan ('11), Sara Hendricks ('12), Vera Maladtsova ('12), Ethan Treacy ('12), Kyle Walker ('13), and Lindsay Worsham ('12).

Share on Facebook