Altoona Area Mock Trial Team Heads to Pittsburgh for Regional Competition

The mock trial team will travel to Pittsburgh on Friday, Jan. 9, to compete against schools from across western Pennsylvania, marking another major milestone in the team’s season.

Students on the team say the upcoming competition brings a mix of excitement and nerves, especially after months of preparation and practice. For some members, the trip also represents a long-awaited opportunity after missing the tournament last year.

“I definitely feel a little nervous, but that is expected,” senior Grace Hovan said. “Overall, I am super excited to go since we didn’t get to go to this tournament last year.”

With several new members on the A team, students say preparation has been a key focus leading up to the regional competition. Despite the changes, team members feel confident in their readiness and credit their coaching and practice schedule for keeping them on track.

“I think we are as ready as we can be,” Hovan said. “There are a good amount of newcomers this year on the A team, but Mrs. Negri is a great coach and is very good at preparing everyone. This tournament is also a good way to see the strengths and weaknesses in the case we have prepared.”

Team members say they have spent countless hours refining their case, including additional practices over winter break and multiple sessions this week. A major emphasis during practices has been strengthening courtroom presentations.

“We’ve prepared a ton for the tournament so far, and we still have two more practices this week,” junior Julian Trimmer said. “We also practiced twice over break and a bunch beforehand, so there’s been lots of opportunity for us to be in there together making sure we have everything ready.”

According to Trimmer, one of the biggest priorities has been improving direct examinations, which play a crucial role in shaping how judges understand the team’s case.

“The biggest focus for us is refining our directing which is what we use to tell the story for the judges,” Trimmer said. “We’ve sunk a ton of time into that, so hopefully we’ll be good this weekend.”

Mock trial coach Negri said she hopes the competition provides students with valuable experience and helps prepare them for the rest of the season.

“I’m hoping the Cathedral Classic at the University of Pittsburgh provides our mock trial team with quality competition and trial experience to help us prepare for our local competitions beginning in late January,” Negri said.

Negri also expressed confidence in the team’s preparation heading into the regional event, noting the work students have put in over the past several months.

“The team has been preparing the case since the middle of November,” Negri said. “They’ve been writing direct and cross examinations, as well as opening and closing statements, and I feel like they are prepared to compete against another school.”

While students focused on perfecting their case, behind-the-scenes planning was also necessary to ensure the team could attend the regional competition.

“So we already had funds in the foundation leftover from previous sponsors so we used that money to fund this trip,” Negri Said. “Next year we will have to raise more money or find more sponsors to get money for next year’s trip.”

The team will compete throughout the weekend as they represent Altoona Area High School on the regional stage, aiming to showcase their skills, teamwork, and dedication.