Both Gilmour Academy Mock Trial Teams Fare Well at Regionals, Gray Team Heading to State Competition

GATES MILLS, Ohio, February 28—Both Gilmour’s Blue and Gray Mock Trial teams won all of their cases at the district competition in early February and advanced to regional competition, which was held Friday, February 21.

At regionals, several Gray team members earned awards while winning every trial.  Cassandra Williams ’15, of Aurora, won a Best Lawyer for the Prosecution Award; Sophia Zupanc ’15, of Concord Township, won a Best Witness for the Prosecution Award and, in a second trial, a Best Lawyer for the Defense Award; and Grant Bent ’15, of Willoughby, won a Best Witness for the Defense Award. Other contributors to Gilmour’s Gray team were Nick Abdallah ’15, of Highland Heights, and Madison McDowell ’15, of Pepper Pike. The team advanced to the state tournament, which will be held in two weeks in Columbus. They were presented with a $500 check from the Lake County Bar Association to help defray the expenses the team will incur traveling to the state tournament.

Gilmour’s other team, the Blue team, did not advance to states, but fared well at regionals. Juwan Shabazz ’15, of Richmond Heights, won a Best Witness for the Prosecution Award and Ashtar Abboud ’15, of North Randall, won a Best Witness for the Defense Award.

Coach Gay Janis is quick to credit the success of both teams to the students’ talent and their work ethics as well as to the excellent legal advice they have received from legal advisor Brandon Cox ’03, an associate in the trial department at Tucker, Ellis & West, LLP, who has dedicated countless hours to the team throughout the season.

Gilmour Academy is a Catholic, independent, coeducational, college-preparatory school.  It is sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross, Notre Dame, Ind., and offers a Montessori program beginning at 18-months-old and a Lower School, Middle School and Upper School. A boarding program is offered to students in Grades 7 through 12. It is located at 34001 Cedar Road in Gates Mills, Ohio.  

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