Daryn Mink ’18

On Thurs., March 8, WHS Mock Trial placed second out of 34 teams in the Ventura County Mock Trial competition.

The team made great strides at the competition, which include four members receiving individual awards.

“As a team we got second place in county, and Ventura County is widely regarded as the most competitive county in the state,” said Quinn Moss ’20.

Those who received individual awards included Ritika Iyer ‘18, who received first place for defense attorney, Matthew Schwartz ’21, who received second place for bailiff, Moss, who received third place for prosecution pretrial and Tristin Caravello ‘21, who received both second and third place titles for his positions as a witness.

“We definitely work well together as a team, because we spend so much time together,” said Moss.

The team prepared for months leading up to the big competition, putting in early mornings and late nights, perfecting their approach on the case.

“We came in pretty much every day leading up to country,” said Caravello. “All of President’s Day weekend we were here nine to five, every day, just in the library practicing.”

With the amount of time and energy the team collectively put in, they mastered many of the skills they had been working on going into the competition.

“The team’s greatest strength this season has been our ability to adapt,” said Iyer. “In all rounds we were able to adjust to whatever curveballs the other teams threw at us, whether it be weird questions or confusing theories.”

Going forward, they hope to build upon the skills they already have and plan to work even harder for next year’s season.

“We’re definitely trying to be more spontaneous when we’re doing the trials,” said Moss. “Because we practice so much, we tend to get used to hearing our same stuff.”

“I think we did great,” said Carvavello. “Whether or not it be second or first or twenty-fifth, we all did great.”

Photos courtesy of Ritika Iyer