MEMBER CENTER
MBA Repeats as 2023 State Champion!
From left: TBA President Tasha Blakney, MBA Coach Wade Cowan, YLD President Brittany Faith, Mock Trial Chair Judge Zack Walden, team members, Judge Jeffrey Usman (back row center), coach Tracy Hanock (far right). Photo by Liz Todaro
The 42nd Annual Tennessee State High School Mock Trial Competition took place March 17-18, 2023, at the historic Davidson County Courthouse in downtown Nashville. Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA) of Nashville was named the 2023 Tennessee State High School Mock Trial champion Saturday night after two days of preliminary trial rounds. It was the school's second back-to-back win and sixth win overall. The school prevailed over Signal Mountain High School of Hamilton County. Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge Jeffrey Usman presided over the round while members of the TBA YLD Executive Committee and TBA Board of Governors, including President Tasha Blakney, served as jurors. MBA will now represent Tennessee at the National High School Mock Trial Competition in Little Rock, Arkansas, May 18-20. The team is coached by Nashville lawyers Wade Cowan and Tracy Hancock.
Earlier in the day, Farragut High School of Knoxville was awarded the 2023 Sportsmanship Award, the top 10 teams were announced, individual awards were presented to the best advocates and witnesses, and an MVP for each team was recognized.
Special thanks to Mock Trial Committee Chair Judge Zack Walden, Vice Chair Ashley Tipton and members of the committee for organizing this year's event, which involved 14 teams, close to 200 participants and more than 100 volunteers, including sitting Tennessee judges, lawyers and law students. The committee also would like to thank TBA staff for their work making the event a success as well as the hundreds of volunteers who make the district competitions possible.
Top 10 Teams
1st Place: Montgomery Bell Academy - Team Red
2nd Place: Signal Mountain High School - Team Red
3rd Place: Agathos Classical School - Team Elrond
4th Place: Agathos Classical School - Team Theoden
5th Place: St. Mary's Episcopal School - Team Endeavor
6th Place: Harpeth Hall - Team Silver
7th Place: Aaron Academy
8th Place: Jefferson County High School
9th Place: St. Mary's Episcopal School - Team Gemini
10th Place: Farragut High School
2nd Place Team
Signal Mountain High School of Chattanooga took home the second place trophy
Sportsmanship Award
Farragut High School of Knoxville won the Team Sportsmanship Award
Individual Awards
See photos of these award winners
BEST ADVOCATE FOR THE PLAINTIFF
1st Place "The Robert Horton Campbell Award": Caroline Snyder, Jefferson County High School
2nd Place: Kaitlyn Castellanet, Signal Mountain High School
3rd Place: Isabel Johnson, Harpeth Hall
BEST ADVOCATE FOR THE DEFENSE
1st Place: Chanden Climaco, Montgomery Bell Academy
2nd Place: Ava Heuston, Clarksville High School
3rd Place: Nathaniel Butler, Aaron Academy
BEST WITNESS FOR THE PLAINTIFF
1st Place: Macy Miller, Unicoi High School
2nd Place: Adrian Andreescu, Signal Mountain High School
3rd Place: Rachel Oppmann, Central Magnet
BEST WITNESS FOR THE DEFENSE
1st Place: Sara Haake, Clarksville High School
2nd Place: Ella Dewitt, Aaron Academy
3rd Place: Zoe McMullen, St. Mary's Episcopal School
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER (MVP)
Aaron Academy: Bea Carter
Agathos Classical School (Elrond): Lia Grippo
Agathos Classical School (Theoden): Kyrien Hardy
Central Magnet School: Will Severn
Christ Presbyterian Academy: Maddie Wagley
Clarksville High School: Ramisa Raida
Farragut High School: Rani Patel
Harpeth Hall: Gracie Sloan
Jefferson County High School: Hannah Byrd
Montgomery Bell Academy: Maithreya Gowda
St. Mary's Episcopal School (Endeavor): Camille Smith
St. Mary's Episcopal School (Gemini): Kate Wolfkill
Signal Mountain High School: Jack Gibby
Unicoi County High School: Samuel Berry
Presiding Judges
Thank you to the Tennessee judges who presided over state competition rounds:
Hon. David Briley, Davidson County Circuit Court
Hon. Cynthia Chappell, Davidson County Criminal Court
Hon. Suzanne Cook, Washington County Circuit Court
Hon. J.B. Cox, 17th Judicial District Chancery Court
Hon. Greg Gilbert, Shelby County General Sessions Court
Hon. Tom Greenholz, Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals
Hon. Lynne T. Ingraham, Davidson County Circuit Court
Hon. Caroline Knight, 13th Judicial District Circuit Court
Hon. Alex McVeagh, Hamilton County General Sessions Court
Hon. Ryan J. Moore, Warren County General Sessions Court
Hon. Kathryn Olita, 19th Judicial District Circuit Court
Hon. Jeff Parham, 27th Judicial District Circuit Court
Hon. Gary Starnes, Hamilton County General Sessions Court
The TBA also thanks Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge Jeffrey Usman for presiding over the championship round.
State Competition Teams
District 1: Unicoi County High School
District 2, 3 & 4: Farragut High School; Jefferson County High School
District 5: Aaron Academy; Signal Mountain High School
District 6 & 7: Central Magnet School
District 8 & 10: Clarksville High School
District 9: Christ Presbyterian Academy; Harpeth Hall; Montgomery Bell Academy
District 11: Agathos Classical School (Elrond); Agathos Classical School (Theoden)
District 14: St. Mary's Episcopal School (Endeavor); St. Mary's Episcopal School (Gemini);
Information for Teams
Access information and forms for teams competing at the state competition
Information for Volunteers
Access information and forms for judges, lawyers and law student volunteers
Case Materials
District Competitions
Thank you to the district coordinators who organized the 2023 district competitions.
Thank You to Our 2023 Sponsors!
Silver Sponsor
Competition T-Shirt Sponsor
Volunteer Lunch Sponsor
