Hand-picked members from the Fresno State Mock Trial team will be heading to Los Angeles for the 33rd annual American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) National Championship Tournament (NCT) with some of the youngest talent on the team.
Out of 10 members going to nationals, two members are freshmen and three are sophomore students.
Kellie Hustedde, a senior who is a media, communications and journalism major and local association president, said, “The team is made up of the two teams that competed at the Open Round Championship Series tournament.”
Hustedde said selecting the 10 members was not an easy decision. Both teams worked hard and competed well in the Fresno State — hosted ORCS on March 25 to 26, she said.
Lauryn Flores, a freshman double major in agricultural business and communications who has been on the team for two semesters, said that competing on the nationals team as a freshman is a huge accomplishment.
“It may seem intimidating to some, but the amount of support I have received from my teammates is incredible,” Flores said. “I wouldn’t be at this point if it wasn’t for their unconditional support and motivation.”
The thought of competing with mock trial veterans does not add pressure to the freshman.
“Being on the nationals team is a lot of pressure regardless of what year you are. However, at no point have I ever felt more pressure because I’m a freshman,” Flores said.
This is not the first memorable moment for Flores as part of the team.
“One of my greatest accomplishments was receiving a top witness award at my very first tournament representing Fresno State,” she said.
Tanner Morgan, a sophomore political science major who has been on the team for two semesters, said he feels the same amount of pressure as the rest of the nine nationals team members.
“At this point, I’m just going to keep doing what we’ve been doing this whole year — representing this team and representing Fresno State with the passion and drive it takes to win,” Morgan said.
Morgan said he is ready to compete up to par with other schools in the national championships.
“I’ve been surrounded by veterans and coaches who have taught me an incredible amount of things in a very short time,” Morgan said. “It reflects well on me, sure — but it reflects even better on the strong program that’s been built here and how welcoming it is for newcomers.”
Hard work, Morgan said, is one thing the team values the most.
“If you have that, and the passion to go with it, you’ll go very far,” he added.
With two semesters under Morgan’s belt, he has served as a captain of one of the regionals teams and received an All-Region Attorney Award.
Flores and Morgan said they agree that all 40 members of the team deserve to go to the national championship.
Gordon Park, one of the team’s founders and coaches, said, “We have never had so many freshman join mock trial as we did this fall.”
Park said that it was difficult for the coaches to decide which of the 20 members who competed in the ORCS should compete in the national championship.
Hustedde said one of the reasons for bringing freshmen and sophomores onto the nationals team was to “[keep] in mind the future of the program [for] the years to come.”
The 10 members who will be competing in the national competition are: Kellie Hustedde, senior; Tanner Morgan, sophomore; Cody Davis, senior; Micaela Cisneros-Nuñez, freshman; Juan Guzman, senior; Jackson Hadden, sophomore; Sally Enoh, junior; Santhana Kongvilai, senior; Nour Basharaheel, sophomore; and Lauryn Flores, freshman.
The National Championship Tournament will take place on April 21 – 23 at the Los Angeles Superior Courthouse.