Olivia Estrada of Chicago helps Lewis University Mediation Team to national competition

2013 Oct 30

In their last competition before the national championship, the Lewis University Mediation Team finished strong in the Maharishi University of Management (MUM) Invitational Oct. 27.

"It was a strong field of 64 individuals from 14 teams. Despite a strong challenge from the University of Dubuque, we again led the competition, with three team awards and 10 individual awards, " Dr. Jim Houlihan, head coach and professor of Justice, Law, and Public Safety Studies, commented.

The Lewis University team of Bridgette Ferreira, Shannon Lukowski, Ashley Patek and Matt Vasquez, took second place in the overall competition and third place in the Advocacy - Client category.

The team of Lexi Austring, Olivia Estrada and Jake Garringer won first place in Mediation. In the three rounds of individual Mediation category, Estrada won first place, while Lukowski and Austring each finished in third place.

In the category of Advocacy - Client, the team of Lukowski and Ferreira took second place, while the team of Estrada and Garringer and the team of Ferreira, Patek and Vasquez each took third place.

Lewis University's third team of Ying Gao, Moon Joo and Samantha Ryczek, played for the first time and finished in the top 10 in some categories.

Chicago resident Olivia Estrada is a sophomore at Lewis University and is studying Mass Communication.

All three teams of the Lewis University Mediation Team are set to compete next at the national championships, Oct. 31 - Nov. 2 at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Dr. Jim Houlihan, professor of Justice, Law, and Public Safety Studies, is the head coach. Angela Henderson, attorney at Henderson Law and Mediation Center in Joliet and Joseph Volin, alumnus and assistant director of Lewis Alumni Relations, coach the team.

Lewis University is a Catholic university in the Lasallian tradition offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 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 connected, and socially responsible graduates. The seventh 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.