The KSU Mock Trial team earned a bid to the American Mock Trial Association national championship tournament after placing third in a field of 24 teams during the opening round championship competition that took place March 15-17 at Furman University.
KSU, coming third to only Duke University and Villanova University, beat out accredited schools such as the University of Georgia and Emory University to earn their spot among the nation’s elite mockers.
The team, coached by Associate Professor of Political Science Elizabeth Gordan and captained by senior political science major Misty Gann, is the first team from KSU to receive a bid since 2006, and they are honored to have earned their spot in the national championship.
“Kennesaw had two teams,” Gann said. “One of them made it past regionals, which was us. Then we went on to super regionals, and now we’re going on to nationals. So out of 2,000 schools that participate in this, we’re currently in the top 48.”
The team heads to the tournament in good company, with the other top finishers from the division being Duke University, Florida State University, Villanova University and Furman University.
The team from KSU believes this advance has created a path towards gaining respect from other universities and being seen as serious mockers.
“We have developed so much respect,” Gann said. “Emory salutes us now when we walk by and they stood up and gave us a standing ovation when we won. It really gives us some credentials within the academic community.”
KSU’s mock trial team is made up of eight political science majors, most of which have been awarded for outstanding achievement.
Kevin Weehunt, a senior political science major, is the team’s closer and currently holds seven Outstanding Attorney awards.
“They give them to about 10 people each tournament,” Weehunt said. “There’s a few hundred people in the running for each, and you have to do well consistently both days and all four rounds to get it.”
While the mockers understand they will face well- established competition during the tournament, they have the upmost confidence in their team.
“We know that a lot of the other teams going finished below us at this tournament,” Weehunt said. “We think that we can stand up against any of them. We’re not worried at all about playing Duke or Florida State again.”
The team will compete April 12-14 in Washington D.C. for the national championship title.
