Brianna Diaz of Joliet Finishes Mock Trial Season at Regional Competition

2012 Feb 9

Brianna Diaz of Joliet recently competed with the Lewis University Mock Trial C Team, which finished 19th out of 26 teams at the American Mock Trial Association Regional Tournament. The Feb. 4-5 competition hosted by Cornell College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Anthony Scorzo earned a Regional Outstanding Witness Award during the competition.

University of Notre Dame won first place honors. The top eight teams move on to the first round of the national tournament. Lewis competed against Grinnell College, Drake University and a combined team from University of Notre Dame and Carroll College.

Six Lewis University students competed- including Mary Bradley, Vilius Butaukas, Kelly Casey, John Catalano Jr., Vanessa Reynoso and Anthony Scorzo. Bradley, Catalano and Reynoso nearly missed earning individual awards. Cantalano's performance was impressive in spite of the fact that he only had one week to prepare for the competition.

"They finished their season with great gusto against tough competition. They steadily improved throughout the season," commented Dr. James Houlihan, coach.

Highlights of the C Team season include: three individual awards and a fifth place finish at the tournament hosted by Elgin Community College; an individual award in the Fantastic Flyer hosted by Lewis University, and an individual award at the national invitational hosted by Loras College.

The Lewis University A and B teams compete at the regional tournament Feb. 17-18 with hopes of moving on to the first round of the national tournament.

Dr. James Houlihan, professor and director of the Pre-Law program at Lewis University, is the head coach of the team. Brandi Sanders is the witness coach and a Lewis graduate student. William Rock of of Block, Klukas & Manzella Law Firm in Joliet is the attorney coach. John Senese of the Peter Francis Geraci Law Offices in Chicago is the lead team coach.

Lewis University is a Catholic university offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to nearly 6,500 traditional and adult students. Lewis offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis prepares intellectually engaged, ethically grounded, globally aware, and socially responsible graduates. The ninth largest private not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. Visit http://www.lewisu.edu for further information.