Improves program record to 44-3-1 for the 2006-2007 season
November 28, 2006 - Only two weeks after winning the Great American Mock Trial Invitational,
Mock Trial at UVa placed first at the Blues City Challenge hosted by Rhodes College. The team won the tournament with a record of 7 wins, no losses, and 1 tie (7-0-1). Because only the top 20 teams from the previous year's National Championship Tournament are typically invited to the Blues City Challenge, the tournament is easily considered by many as the toughest invitational in the country. And in fact, it was at this year's Challenge that Virginia hit its most competitive schedule at any single tournament, facing off against two UCLA teams, Furman University, and New York University. This was also the first tournament of the year at which Virginia's stacked team competed.
Virginia also brought home two individual awards. Jamar Walker received his second Outstanding Witness award with 19 ranks; Daniel Young received an Outstanding Attorney award with 19 ranks.
Meanwhile, the newest members of Virginia mock trial went to the Tobacco Road Invitational hosted jointly by UNC and Duke University, receiving the first place trophy after two days of competition. This was truly a weekend of "firsts." It was Virginia's first time competing in North Carolina, the first tournament hosted by UNC/Duke and the first time the members of team 973 competed together on a newly-stacked team.
The six new members to the program, led by one retuning member, faced tough competition against Wake Forest, Washington and Lee, Furman, and University of Richmond. Team 973 faced especially tough rounds on the second day of competition, going into third round closings tied against Furman. Eric "Superman" Green went +1/+2 on the closing to win both ballots. In the fourth round, 973 faced Spider Classic rival Richmond, the only team to have taken a ballot from 973 at that tournament. 973 went into the round ready to give their all, and put on one of their best cases-in-chief to take both ballots and go undefeated against all four teams, with a final outcome of 8 wins and no losses. This gives 973 an unprecedented record of 22 wins and 2 losses (a 92% winning percentage) early in the season, having competed successfully in Richmond's Spider classic and GAMTI tournament earlier this year.
Team 973 is excited to rejoin 972 for the Wake Forest and Columbia tournaments next semester.smrtovnice