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SANTA BARBARA – The Dos Pueblos High School mock trial team took third place in the California State Mock Trial Finals held March 14-16 in Los Angeles, capping off an undefeated weekend and narrowly missing a spot in the championship round.
The team’s success continued beyond the courtroom arguments. Dos Pueblos’ courtroom artist Kaitlyn Marden earned first place in the state competition, while team member Sophia Merritt was recognized for her standout portrayal of Harper Dorais, a city councilwoman and the spouse of the defendant.
“It was a banner year for the DP Mock Trial program with the Philadelphia Empire Championship, County Title, and an undefeated run at state – just barely missing out on the final championship round. They are some of the most competitive, smartest kids you’ll find anywhere, but even more important is their tradition of sportsmanship that their coaches emphasize in everything they do. We are so proud of them,” said Dos Pueblos Principal Bill Woodard.
Earlier this month, the team claimed its fourth consecutive county title after a hard-fought final round against San Marcos High School in the 42nd annual Santa Barbara County Mock Trial competition. Dos Pueblos High’s B team finished third, and Santa Barbara High School placed fourth.
With the county win, Dos Pueblos advanced to the state finals in Los Angeles, where they once again demonstrated their skill and dedication. Merritt received the award from Claude Dorais, for whom her character Harper Dorais was named.
The winning team, Dos Pueblos High’s Team A, includes students Luna Avolio, Jake Betancourt, Stanley Chen, Alexis Demboski, Ethan Gardiner, Mika Glasgow, Leon Guo,Maksim Ivanov, Amirsam Jabbari, Sofia Elena Lara, Ariel Li, Kaitlyn Marden, Mitchell Maskrey, Sophia Merritt, Riley Minne, William Parisse, Milena Rodriguez, Amel Sakr, Sienna Valentine, and Jonathan Yang.
The team is supported by Attorney/Coaches Lisa
Rothstein, Christine Voss, and Lina Somait, and teachers Hannah Krieshok and Rollie Woodward.
Students, staff and the community are celebrating the team’s achievements and the culmination of a successful season marked by competitive excellence and sportsmanship.
“These kids were successful because they never stopped working to make every aspect of their performance better — they never settled for what they had already accomplished,” said coach Lisa Rothstein. “And while they are an eclectic group of students, they genuinely loved spending time together and working on mock trial. They earned every accolade and we coaches are so pleased they were rewarded for their efforts.”
“We are witnessing the emergence of future leaders in our community and I am proud of all the students across our high schools who are involved in mock trial and other events that make our school community proud.Today, I am especially proud of the DP mock trial team and grateful for their teachers, coaches and parents”, stated Superintendent Maldonado.
