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Juniata Mock Trial Teams Claim Two Top Spots at Wake Forest Invitational
(Posted October 5, 2026)
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HUNTINGDON, Pa. — Juniata College’s Mock Trial teams opened their season with strong performances at the Demon Deacon Invitational hosted by Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, claiming two of the competition’s top three spots.
All three Juniata teams turned in strong performances, with Team A earning second place, Team B finishing third, and two team members receiving individual awards.
"This tournament was a great start to our Invitational season, which will include tournaments at Notre Dame, Santa Barbara, California, and Vanderbilt University in Nashville," noted Attorney David Andrews ’74, coach of Juniata’s Mock Trial teams, also known as the “Legal Eagles.” “I am very proud of the success of our three teams at this tournament, since these teams have already been working hard since August 15 to prepare for the tournament"
Zachary Riggall ’29 of Taylor, Pa., won an Outstanding Attorney Award and Maddie Herold ’28 of South Abington Township, Pa., won an Outstanding Witness Award with a perfect score.
Governed by the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA), Mock Trial is an academic competition in which students assume the roles of attorneys and witnesses in a trial. This year’s case features a high-stakes civil lawsuit centering on corporate negligence and a public safety disaster following a catastrophic wildfire that resulted in 12 fatalities. The legal battle arises after a vehicle collision with a utility pole ignited a massive blaze, prompting the victims' estates to sue the regional utility provider for allegedly maintaining faulty infrastructure and failing to implement adequate emergency mitigation protocols.
As teams compete nationwide, student attorneys and witnesses will examine complex engineering reports, wildfire forensics, and corporate maintenance records as they build their cases. The central question is whether the tragedy was an unavoidable accident caused by the driver or the result of systemic corporate negligence.
Juniata’s teams will compete against colleges and universities from across the country, with no distinction between Divisions 1, 2, and 3. Each team will try the case four times, twice as the prosecution and twice as the defense.
All teams receive the same case materials, and witnesses must remain within the information provided in their affidavits. How teams interpret and present that information, however, can vary significantly. The competition challenges students to adapt, solve problems, think critically, and respond quickly as the case unfolds.
To learn more about Mock Trial at Juniata College, visit https://www.juniatamocktrial.org/
Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.