Owasso High School’s Team Zip, Zap, Zok edged out Jenks High School’s Team The Truth to claim the Oklahoma High School Mock Trial Championship. Owasso High School has won the state championship four of the last five years.  

The mock trial program, now in its 42nd year, involves teams of students portraying attorneys and defendants in a courtroom setting with judges and attorneys evaluating their performance. The final round of competition was held Tuesday, March 1, at the OU College of Law in Norman. The case the two teams argued was a fictional criminal trial stemming from a peaceful protest gone awry. The murder victim was one of the organizers of the intended peaceful protest, who died during a clash between groups that were exercising their constitutional rights as citizens of Oklahoma and the United States. 

“The Mock Trial Program provides students with an opportunity to gain a unique insider’s perspective of the American legal process,” Mock Trial Committee Chair Todd A. Murray said. “We are proud of all the students who participated in the mock trial competition and are excited for Owasso High School to represent Oklahoma in the national competition in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in May.” 

Teams, Coaches and Teachers

The Owasso team was coached by Judge Daman Cantrell, attorneys Ken Underwood, Maegan Murdock and Kaylind Baker and teacher Kelly Murphy.

Team members were Marley Hutchins, Seth Wyrick, Aidan Green, Kayla Gross, Katelynn Gurley, Terressa Evington, Morganne Grobe, Ava Brigman, Lauren Hughes, Katelyn Wiehe and Alyson Bushey. 

The Jenks team was coached by attorneys Morgan Medders, Stacey Accord, Jenny Day and Michael Horn and teachers Michael Horn, Danielle Frost and Dana Mackay.

Team members were Tara Valadkhani, Kayla Cao, Jordan Wallace, Audrey McGee, Aaron Siebert, Elaine Gao, Bryce Olsen, Jacob Batscha, Grace Phelps, Mikiah Perdue, Jolie Abdo, Amy Stephenson, Mitchell Horn and Lauren Clarey. 

Other top finishers were:

• Third place, Moore High School;
• Fourth, Cornerstone Christian Academy in Oklahoma City;
• Fifth, McAlester High School’s Team Black;
• Sixth, Jenks High School’s Team Final Breath;
• Seventh, Bishop Kelley High School in Tulsa;
• Eighth, McAlester High School’s Team Gold. 

Earning awards as best attorneys were Marley Hutchins and Jordan Wallace with Teressa Evington and Bryce Olson winning best witness honors. Dominik Villanueva, with Clinton High School, won the best courtroom artist award. 

Presiding and Scoring

Retired Judge Edward Cunningham served as presiding judge during the competition finals.

Scoring judges were:

• Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Noma Gurich;
• Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals Judge David Lewis;
• Chief United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Western District of Oklahoma Janice Loyd;
• United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma Judge Charles Goodwin;
• US Magistrate Judge Shon T. Erwin.

The judges evaluated the students based on their familiarity with the case and the formulation of their arguments. Students received points for each phase of the trial, opening, direct and cross examination, closing argument and how well their witnesses responded. Teams were paired with volunteer attorney coaches.  

The Mock Trial Program is sponsored and funded by the Oklahoma Bar Foundation and the Oklahoma Bar Association Young Lawyers Division with organization by Judy Spencer. More than 300 judges and attorneys volunteered their time to work with mock trial teams as coaches and to conduct the competitions. 

Mock Trial Executive Committee

• Chair Todd A Murray
• Andrea Medley
• Shea Bracken
• Jennifer Bruner
• Andrew Casey
• Christian Cave
• Kevin Cunningham
• Brittany Hayes
• Michael Nesser
• Nathan Richter
• Gessica Sewell
• Orion Strand
• Weston Watts
• Austin Vance

Young Lawyers Division Mock Trial Committee

• Lydia Anderson
• Shea Bracken
• Andrew Casey
• Christine Cave
• Dan Couch
• Dillon Langley
• Michael Nesser
• Nathan D. Richter
• Orion Strand
• Weston Watts