skip to content
Juniata College Mock Trial Topples National Powerhouses to Claim Tournament
(Posted October 27, 2025)
Share this article:
Juniata College’s Mock Trial team celebrated its first place win at Penn State’s Happy Valley Invitational this weekend, with, from the left, Coach Dave Andrews, Abbey Landahl, Alyssa Clark, Bryce Garland, Cole Gross, Madeline Herold, Alyvyah Scott, and Zachary Riggall bringing home their trophy.
Juniata College’s Mock Trial team celebrated its first place win at Penn State’s Happy Valley Invitational this weekend, with, from the left, Coach Dave Andrews, Abbey Landahl, Alyssa Clark, Bryce Garland, Cole Gross, Madeline Herold, Alyvyah Scott, and Zachary Riggall bringing home their trophy.
HUNTINGDON, Pa. — Against a field of powerhouse teams at Penn State’s Happy Valley Invitational, Juniata College’s Mock Trial team made every argument count and came home champions.
“It was great to win first place at one of the top tournaments in the country. I am very proud of our Team’s performance this weekend. We had to defeat the University of Maryland on Sunday morning. Then we faced Princeton University A in the championship trial Sunday afternoon, where we came away with a 2-0 victory,” said Attorney David Andrews, Mock Trial Coach and Juniata College Counsel. Andrews noted Princeton finished second in the National Championship Tournament last year and was a very tough team. Princeton A then finished second at the tournament, followed by Princeton B in third place.
Cole Gross, a senior, and Zachary Riggall, a first-year student, were recognized with Outstanding Attorney Awards at the Happy Valley Awards Ceremony Sunday evening.
While the A Team was at Happy Valley, Juniata’s B and C teams competed at the Binghamton University tournament this weekend. Juniata’s B team earned an Honorable Mention, and Gracie Gioisa, a first-year student, earned an Outstanding Witness Award.
This year’s case involves an alleged murder at a Survivor-type television show. The case involves one contestant allegedly putting acid in the swimming goggles of another contestant during the competition.
Governed by the AMTA, Mock Trial is an academic competition in which students assume the roles of attorneys and witnesses in a trial. Teams compete against other colleges and universities, with no distinction between Divisions 1, 2, and 3. In competition, each team tries the case four times, twice as prosecution and twice as defense. All teams are given the same information, and witnesses must stick to the affidavit provided, but the ways different teams interpret the information highlight and challenge each member’s ability to adapt, problem-solve, and think on their feet.
Teams compete against other colleges and universities. All teams are given the same information, and witnesses must stick to the affidavit provided, but the ways different teams interpret the information highlight and challenge each member’s ability to adapt, problem-solve, and think on their feet.
Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.