Mock Trial Team Sweeps Regional Competition
On Feb. 24, the Holy Cross Mock Trial team earned a peerless 8-0 score in the regional tournament of the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) at Boston University.
No other competing team went undefeated.
The win comes on the heels of a first place showing at the regionals in Rochester, N.Y., the weekend of February 2-3.
The Boston Regional Qualifier traditionally is one of the strongest in AMTA tournaments. This year, Holy Cross finished higher than multiple teams from schools including Princeton, Yale, Amherst, Williams, Tufts, Wesleyan, Brown University, Boston College, Boston University and New York University.
The team is now preparing for the March 15-17 competition hosted by Lafayette College in Easton, Penn.
In the Boston competition, Captain Jonathan Formichella ’13 and Captain Kelsey Russell ’13 both received Outstanding Witness awards; and Alex O’Hara ’13 received an Outstanding Attorney award.
The 15 Holy Cross competitors are split into two teams of attorneys and witnesses — Team Purple and Team White — to represent the surviving spouse and the company who stood accused of a reckless case of negligence in a scuba diving death at sea.
Team Purple includes Julian Goding ’14, Sean Griffin ’16, O’Hara ’13, Barry Quinn ’16, Theresa Rusnack ’13, Russell ’13, and Captain Peter Walsh ‘13. While, Team White consisted of Luke Barrett ’15, Daniel Creme ’15, Emily Cross ’15, Captain Caitin Derenze ’13, Formichella ’15, Amanda Osowski ’15, Matthew Regan ’15, and Jennifer Vera ’16.
With great achievement also comes significant preparation and pressure. Osowski describes the team’s ruthless preparation during the weekdays, “We work one-on-one in attorney-witness pairs mostly everyday during the week. I really enjoy it though because we definitely bond as a team, especially when we travel. It’s hard work for sure and there is always pressure to win, but when we do place or win, it’s worth it.”
Team One:
Julian Goding ’14 – Southborough, Mass.
Sean Griffin ’16 – Bellingham, Mass.
Alex O’Hara ’13 – Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Barry Quinn ’16 – Portland, Maine
Theresa Rusnack ’13 – Buffalo, N.Y.
Kelsey Russell ’13 – Patchogue, N.Y.
Peter Walsh ’13 – Newtown, Conn.
Team Two:
Luke Barrett ’15 – Medfield, Mass.
Daniel Creme ’15 – Chelmsford, Mass.
Emily Cross ’15 – Braintree, Mass.
Catherine Derenze ’13 – Jamesport, N.Y.
John Formichella ’15 – Monroe, Conn.
Amanda Osowski ’15 – Hopkinton, Mass.
Matthew Regan ’15 –Medford, Mass.
Jennifer Vera ’16 – Lawrence, Mass.