Jennifer Merzlock of Joliet is All-American in Mediation for Nationally-Recognized Lewis Team

2011 Nov 18

Jennifer Merzlock of Joliet earns All-American honors in the national Mediation compeition. Merzlock is a senior majoring in psychology at Lewis University in Romeoville.

Lewis University Mediation team won second place in Advocacy in the final national championship competition at the International Academy of Dispute Resolution's National Tournament. It was held Nov. 11-12 at Drake University Law School in Des Moines, Iowa. The University of Texas, Dallas won the national championship by one point. Five students won seven All-American honors.

It was the third time the Lewis University team made it into the final four national championship round. The second place in Advocacy and eighth place in the Mediation category makes it the best overall finish for the team since it started competing in five years ago.

Lewis won two of the three judges' ballots in the final four championship round; it was the only ballot they lost in all four rounds. Lewis defeated the A team of University of Texas, Dallas with the 2-1 victory. The B team of the University of Texas, Dallas defeated Boston University 3-0, which earned them the national championship.

During the competition, the Lewis team defeated: Boston University; University of Wisconsin-Madison; Brenau University in Georgia; University of Dubuque, Iowa; Loras College in Iowa; Gainesville State College in Georgia; and Maharashi University of Management in Iowa. Five of the Lewis team members won all-American titles. Two students won two All-American titles.

The pairing of Ben Pavur of Oak Forest and Ryan McAuliffe of Orland Park won second place and All-American honors in Advocacy. The pairing of Cody Curin and Jennifer Merzlock of Joliet won third place and All-American honors in Advocacy. The pairing of Merzlock and Sean Lenckus of Plainfield won fourth place and All-American honors in Advocacy. The Merzlock and Curin pairing won All-American titles two years ago as well.

Cody Curin of Burr Ridge earned 11th place in Mediation and became the first Lewis University student in three years to earn an All-American title in that category.

Tiffany Wasilewski of Ottawa contributed significantly to the team's success with high scores the entire competition, but did not earn All-American honors.

Even the coaches earned All-American honors. Dr. James Houlihan, professor and advisor for the Pre-Law program, and Angela Henderson of Henderson Law Center in Joliet were named All-American coaches.

The team is coached by Dr. James Houlihan, professor and advisor for the Pre-Law program, Angela Henderson of Henderson Law Center in Joliet. Contact Dr. James Houlihan at (815) 836-5313 or houlihja@lewisu.edu to learn more about academic teams at Lewis University.

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 more information.