Dear RUMTA family,
We hope this finds you well! It’s been a while since we last spoke, so there’s a lot to catch you up on. After an invitational season littered with individual and team awards, Rutgers Mock Trial has had the strongest regional performance we’ve seen in a long while. Keep reading to explore how we’ve been doing!
Our A Team performed spectacularly at the Washington, D.C. regional competition, hosted by American University on February 17-18. The eight-person team entered with a mission and executed it to perfection, securing a perfect 8-0 record against teams like Yale, Villanova, and Virginia Tech. They placed second overall in the region and earned a bid to the Washington, D.C. Open Round Championships, where they ended the competitive season with a 4-4 record against some of the most competitive teams in the country.
“I can’t express how proud I am of my team for their performance,” says captain Kaavya Balamurugan. “Working with them has truly been such a privilege. They’ve worked so hard all year and seeing all of them grow as both competitors and people has been one of the most rewarding things about being a captain for me. All of the time and effort they’ve put into this activity has really paid off!”
Newcomer Jonathan Shanahan scored 17 ranks as a prosecution witness and 18 ranks as a defense middle attorney at Regionals. He also scored 18 ranks as a prosecution witness at ORCs! He, along with freshman Olivia Karanxha, who scored 18 ranks as a prosecution attorney, join the ranks of the All-Regional RUMTA alumni.
We are so proud of A Team and their dedication over the season!
The B Team held their own against all odds at the D.C. regional competition. Despite fierce competition in the likes of American, Villanova, and Scranton, they emerged with a 6-2 record and secured an open bid to the D.C. ORCs.
Captain Alice Ko commented, saying, “I am so incredibly proud of my team and the persistence they displayed. They were so dedicated to improving after every single round, and they really showed everyone who doubted us just how strong we are as a team and an organization.”
Captain Vicky Wei added by saying, “To say I’m proud of my team is putting it lightly. I’m blown away by our team’s growth, hard work, and tireless commitment to getting better every tournament– and it paid off at the perfect time.”
Captain Vicky Wei was awarded an All-Region witness award for her portrayal of a defense witness, which earned 19 ranks. Both she and captain Alice Ko earned 17 ranks as prosecution and defense attorneys, respectively.
At Open Round Championships in D.C., B Team also emerged with a 4-4 record against some of the best teams in the country, including a 2-0 win over Howard University’s A Team!
We commend B Team for their fighting spirit and wish them all the best!
C Team, led by captain Llewelyn Levett, ended their run at the Haverford, PA regionals with a record of 4-2-1 (4.5-2.5) just last weekend. We are incredibly proud of their performance, which started with bulldozing through two teams on Saturday and hitting some region goliaths on Sunday. The team was able to secure a spot on the open bid list, but ultimately did not advance to ORCs.
“I cannot express how immensely proud I am of my team and how we did at our regional tournament,” says Captain Llewelyn Levett. “Getting an honorable mention at regionals is amazing and just shows what hard work and determination can do. Even though we didn’t make it to the next round, this was a great experience and one that I will personally never forget.”
President John Bailon also commented on the organization’s performance as a whole: “I’m so proud of everyone’s growth this year, culminating in one of RUMTA’s best seasons in recent memory. The future of RUMTA is bright and I'm excited to see what’s in store next year!”
Congratulations to C Team for an amazing performance at regionals! We can’t wait to see what you’ll achieve next year.
It’s been an incredible regional season, and from all of us here at RUMTA, thank you for your continued support of our organization. We truly appreciate all you do to support our teams and competitors, and cannot wait to see you next year!
Warmest regards,
RUMTA E-Board