During the weekend of January 26-27, the Hillsdale Mock Trial teams, under the direction of 2003 alumnus and Assistant Director of Career Planning Keith Miller, competed with distinction at the First Annual "Running of the Bulls" Mock Trial Tournament sponsored by the State University of New York Buffalo Law School. Hillsdale competed against teams from Amherst College, Canisius College, Binghamton University, St. Bonaventure University, Syracuse University, and St. John Fisher College, among others. Two Hillsdale witnesses, Abby Loxton and Jack Shannon, each scored 19/20 and shared the distinction of Best Witness of the entire competition. Philip Hammersley and Dylan Hoover scored 17/20 and tied for fourth place among all attorneys.

With those sterling individual results, it should be no surprise that the teams found success as well. One team, led by Abby Loxton, won 2nd Place (6-2). Team members include Ryan Ahrens, Chelsea Bratten, Luke Frerking, Dylan Hoover, Isabel Kane, Bailey Pritchett, Natalia Schniererova, and Hannah Talkington. The other team, featuring Bailey Arlinghaus, Mary Crail, Philip Hammersley, Michelle Janowiecki, Laura Rose, Jack Shannon, Josiah Vega, and Anna Wunderlich, finished 6th (4-4), but that really understates their performance quite dramatically. In the final round against Syracuse University, this Hillsdale team came up short by a single point on both judges' ballots. If that result had been reversed, Hillsdale's two teams would have finished first and second overall.

The team will next compete in the South Bend Regional, the first stage of the AMTA National Championship series, on February 23-24th.