NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
 ALL-AMERICANS

By virtue of winning the 2018 national championship:

Spencer Campbell

Maria Hooker

Danielle Kunkel

Da'Rya McAllister

Julia Pair

Bella Seeberg

Chase Shelton

Austin Worrell

By virtue of winning the 2001 national championship:

Mark Sedor

Alyson Miller

Dexter Benoit

Mark Thompson

Breanne McMullen

Ryan Sobel

Chad Burton

The Birth of the Legacy

The James Lewis Family Miami Mock Trial program was founded at Miami University in 1993 by a group of undergraduate students who were interested in pursuing a career as trial attorneys. Those students approached Miami professor Dan Herron and asked if he would sponsor the program, largely coaching from the sidelines. Dr. Herron agreed.

MMT's success for its first few years was limited, and Dr. Herron insisted that he take a more active role in the organization. Dan Haughey would join the program in 1994 and lead MMT, under Dr. Herron's more hands-on approach, to its first National Championship Tournament (NCT) appearance. At the NCT, Dan Haughey, who would later go on to coach Miami's A-Team for thirteen seasons, became MMT's first All-American. The following year, Dan Haughey would win his second All-American.

Having found success, MMT rededicated itself to winning. Dr. Herron refocused the program on character witnesses. Miami attorneys took time to learn the rules of evidence better than they ever had before. MMT sought to compete in more competitive and prestigious invitational tournaments.

In 2001, the hard work would pay off when Miami University claimed the National Championship. To this day, Miami is one of only a handful of programs to have won a championship title. The following season, Brad Keffer would join the organization and go on to become MMT's most decorated competitor. Mr. Keffer won a total of 5 All-Americans between 2002 and 2004.

Brad Keffer left the program in 2004 to good hands. That same year, Kate Bowling would win her first All-American as an expert witness. The next year, in 2005, Ms. Bowling would win an All-American as an attorney and become the first competitor in MMT history to win an All-American as both a witness and as an attorney.

The next MMT All-American witness would come with Nick Borger's rendition of "Cooper" in 2007. To this day, that witness portrayal is considered one of the best of all time.

In 2010, MMT would miss the National Championship Round by less than a single point. That team included All-American attorneys Tommy Jeffcott and Gus Lazeres and also 2-time All-American witness Pavel Gurevich. Alex Bluebond, another key competitor on that team, would go on to coach Duke Mock Trial to a National Championship in 2012.

In the fall season of 2010, Miami Mock Trial would gain a legend- though they didn't know it yet. Only a freshman, Alex Block quickly made waves in the AMTA community. Taken under the wing of Gus Lazares, Alex would go on to compete at the National Championship all of his four years, earning two All-American Attorney awards and grossing twenty-seven other personal awards in his career.

Fall 2017 brought about a few seismic shifts for Miami Mock Trial and the AMTA community, including a newly created strategic trial technique and senior-led, split-stacked teams. Placing in the top 10 at almost every invitational, but not bringing home any 1st place trophies, the AMTA community said that this wasn't the year for Miami. But they couldn't have been more wrong.

A team of 7 seniors, 1 junior, 1 sophomore, and 1 freshman came together after team 1050 earned bids from both the Cincinnati Regionals and Hamilton ORCS. The United States v. Parker Barrow would be the Nationals Case, and seniors Bella Seeberg, Austin Worrell, and Dani Kunkel would represent both the Government and Defense. Senior Chase Shelton would play the Defendant and one of the robbers, under the strict supervision of sophomore Chase Mulholland as the Court Marshal. Senior Julia Pair would be the FBI Agent. Senior Maria Hooker, the ex-con criminologist. Junior Spencer Campbell, the Defendant's father. And senior Da-Rya McAllister as the local owner of a diner and also a spiritual guide. 

The three weeks leading up to the National Championship tournament were intense, with daily practices, shifting roles and theories, but always with one goal: to be the best we can possibly be. In order to test 1050's championship readiness, a team of non-rostered program members was formed and led by junior Katie Milders. After two internal scrimmages, some changes were made but by the time 1050 boarded its flight to Minneapolis, the team was ready to take it all. 

April 22, 2018: at the 34th National Championship Tournament, Miami Mock Trial wins the Minneapolis Division with a daunting record of 11-1, sweeping Lafayette College, the University of Chicago, the Ohio State University, and dropping one ballot by one point to the University of California, Irvine. After 17 years, MMT was in the final round again on the Defense. The prosecution? Yale University. 

"3 judges have chosen the Prosecution. 3 judges have chosen the Defendant. And the final deciding ballot, by two points, has determined our 34th National Champion... Miami University!" And with that, Miami Mock Trial had won its second National Championship. A team of best friends had achieved what had seemed to be the impossible. 

Today, MMT is a proud and storied organization. For over the past ten years, MMT has been ranked in the top 10 of all collegiate mock trial programs. Alumni involvement is at an all-time high and the National Championship  Tournaments are not only a chance for current MMT competitors to make history, but also for alumni to cheer on the program and share their stories.