Mock Trial Finishes Season with a Win Over Hollidaysburg

By Brandon Kemp, Staff Writer|March 8, 2016

Frosty Voyzey

Front row (l-r) Molly Harris, Marlena Wagner, Morgan Bridges, Paige Umholtz, Haley Butina. Back row (l-r) Head Coach Todd Cammarata, Chloe Makdad, Adam Zook, Zack Webster, Erika Voyzey, Assistant Coach Matt Elder (absent from photo: Mikayla Ritchey)

The Tyrone High School Mock Trial Team finished the 2015-2016 season with a win over Hollidaysburg on February 11.  The team won unanimously on all five juror ballots.

At the trial, Adam Zook won the best attorney award and Paige Umholtz received the award for best witness.

“This year’s team was honestly the best Tyrone has ever had. They argued a great case against Hollidaysburg and finished the season strong,” said the team coach Todd Cammarata.

According to the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Pennsylvania has one of the largest mock trial competitions in the nation, with more than 300 high school student teams from across the state competing as lawyers and witnesses in simulated civil and criminal trials before actual judges and panels of juries.

The mock trial team began their season on January 9th and 10th at the Annual Pitt Mock Trial Tournament at the University of Pittsburgh campus. The tournament included 47 other teams from across the state. Tyrone finished with three wins and one loss. Senior Adam Zook won the Best Attorney award for his performance.

The team then faced Altoona High School at the Blair County Courthouse on January 28th for their first county match of the year. Tyrone lost a close trial by one point. Sophomore Chloe Makdad won the best attorney award and senior Erika Voyzey won the best witness award.

Were it not for the one point loss to Altoona earlier in the season, the team would have moved on to the regional competition.

“This was my first year on the mock trial team. I made a lot of memories with everyone and I’m proud of how well our team did. I’m excited to see how well our team will do next year,” said sophomore witness Morgan Bridges.

“This was the best we’ve ever done and it was an honor to be a part of it. I will definitely miss all of the great times we had together as a team,” said senior attorney Adam Zook.

The attorneys consisted of Adam Zook, Haley Butina and Chloe Makdad. The witnesses consisted of Erika Voyzey, Morgan Bridges, Zack Webster, Molly Harris, Paige Umholtz, Jonathan Clifton and Marlena Wagner.  Coaches were head coach Todd Cammarata and assistant Matt Elder.  The attorney adviser was Aimee Willett of the Fanelli-Willett Law Offices in Altoona.