CNMI mock trial team holds its own in highly competitive field

After topping the 3rd Annual Asia-Pacific Invitational Mock Trial Competition in Guam last November and emerging as the champion of the 2012 CNMI High School Mock Trial Competition this March, the Mount Carmel School mock trial team concluded its remarkable season in Albuquerque, New Mexico as Team NMI at the 2012 National High School Mock Trial Championship.

The annual world-class competition saw more than 1,000 participants and 46 teams from around the United States, the CNMI, Guam, and South Korea.

The Commonwealth’s representatives consisted of Victor Manuel Cabrera, Lourence Jason Camacho, Anne Gelika Elenzano, Andrea Grace Manese, Ji Min Ryu, Anastasia Rose Schweiger, and Dominic Travilla. Teacher-coaches Galvin Deleon Guerrero and Lourdes Mendiola and attorney-coach Joseph Taijeron Jr. accompanied the team, along with six members of the junior varsity portion of the team consisting of 7th and 8th graders.

In the four rounds of competition, Team NMI went up against schools from Nevada, Nebraska, Alabama, and Maine. Team NMI lost an extremely close round to Nevada and then responded with a decisive win over Alabama, sweeping the round’s ballots. The team then split ballots with 14th place Nebraska and held their own against a talented Maine team and finished 39th in the tournament ahead of teams representing Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Korea, Utah, Alabama, Rhode Island, and Wyoming.

When asked about her experience competing in the National Mock Trial Competition, Schweiger replied, “It was an unforgettable experience.” This is Schweiger’s second year competing at the national level. “It is definitely one of the most challenging and time-consuming competitions. However, I know our hard work and dedication really paid off. I’ve learned so much about the national competition, and I plan to take the skills I’ve learned and apply them to future competitions.”

Prior to the competition, Team NMI scrimmaged twice against the eventual national champion Albuquerque Academy, from New Mexico. The national champions expressed their appreciation to the team for the competitive scrimmages, adding that the practice round helped prepare them for the competition.

“It was truly our pleasure to scrimmage with you and to get to know this team from the islands. Interacting with the CNMI team started us off on the right foot,” Albuquerque Academy Mock Trial coach Joaquin Sanchez said.

“We scheduled the scrimmages with New Mexico thinking that they would be well-prepared and we are so happy that they won the national title,” Taijeron said. “The coaches were confident in the team’s abilities. We believed in them and we hoped we worked hard enough but there’s no way to tell at the local level.”

“After two scrimmages we could tell that we were up to par with what eventually turned out to be the nation’s best team. We are definitely headed in the right direction,” Taijeron said. “We should be proud of our CNMI program and the caliber of team that our islands can produce.”

Next year’s national tournament will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana. Team NMI was composed of just one senior this year so the Knights are interested in adding a few new recruits for the 2013 season and hope to compete for a national championship if they win the local competition.