CWU Mock Trial team advances to championship after stellar performance at regionals

The CWU Mock Trial Team made history at the regional competition in Seattle on February 21-22, finishing with a program-best 6-2 record and winning three individual awards for students Jack Pratapas, Aidyn Sanders, and Nathaniel Arango.

For the first time in school history, the team qualified for the Opening Round Championship Series, which will take place March 20-21 in Phoenix, Arizona. 

Head Coach and Senior Lecturer R. Shaffer Claridge sees this incredibly successful year as evidence of the greatness he’s always known was at the core of the CWU Mock Trial team.

“This is the best year we have had as a program,” he said. “To have so much success at the regional was really exciting. I’ve always said that CWU is one of the premier mock trial programs in the Pacific Northwest, and we now have results to support that.  It’s no longer strictly a matter of opinion.” 

Over the course of this academic year, the Mock Trial team has won 10 individual student awards across four tournaments, found their way to victory against competitive programs including those at the University of Oregon and Washington State University, and scored a second-place finish at the Gonzaga Invitational Tournament.

The team is supported by coaches Pardies Roohani, Daisy Fernandez, Emily Freeman, and Haley Rominger.

“We are really fortunate to have such an impressive roster of coaches,” Claridge said. “They include practicing attorneys, program alumni, and people who have competed and coached at the highest levels. They come from some of the most competitive programs in the country. They’ve really worked hard to benefit the students. I think it’s a testament to the strength of the program that we consistently attract such strong coaches, especially as these are volunteer positions.”

In reflecting on her team’s accomplishments, team President Dana Culley knows that each member played a crucial role on these shared victories. 

“I am beyond excited for the opportunity that the CWU Mock Trial Club has achieved,” she said. “Our months of preparation, the long journeys we undertook, and the history we have created together are memories I will always treasure. This team truly has something exceptional, and our greatest strength is the love we share. Love for the work we do and for each other.”

The top teams from this month’s Arizona competition will earn the opportunity to compete at the April 17-19 national championship in Washington, D.C. Claridge is hopeful that the team’s successful run will continue.

“This is a really special group of students,” he said. “They’ve worked really hard to get to this point. They are tremendously skilled and they have built a really cohesive and competitive team. We’re obviously thrilled by the success — both individually and as a team — that we’ve enjoyed so far. But for our team the most important day is always tomorrow.”