The Aptos High Mock Trial team beat Santa Cruz High this week in a close race to take the county trophy after weeks of trials and months of preparation. Aptos High will go on to compete at the state competition in Riverside on March 24, among over thirty other high schools from across the state.
The journey to champions has been a rocky one, with Aptos taking last place in the county in 2015. When they placed second last year against Santa Cruz High, going to State seemed more attainable.
The key is preparation: This year’s team met after hours for months, preparing statements and studying the case packet and relevant legal background. They practiced arguments, rebuttals and pre-trial motions, and scrimmaged against other teams. Then, in three weeks of competition at the Watsonville courthouse, they were judged by scoring attorneys in five trials, culminating in the finals on Wednesday, February 22.
The team is coached by local attorneys Heidi Simonson and John Ueberrhein, along with Kevin Mitchener, the faculty coach. Sophia Tatum-McNeilly and Joshua Mitchener are the team captains.