An MTSU mock trial team placed first among 14 teams from five states participating in a year-end scrimmage at Rhodes College earlier this month.

The competition was held from Dec. 3 until Dec. 4 in Memphis.
 
A team captained by Zach Barker of Woodbury and Heather Haggard of Greenbrier captured eight of eight ballots in four rounds of competition. They defeated teams from Rhodes College, Millsaps College, Washington University and Mississippi College to post the only undefeated record at the tournament.
 
In addition to Barker and Haggard, Constance Grieves of Nashville also played the role of an attorney on the team. Team members whovplayed witness parts were Thomas Polombo of Pittsburgh, Pa., Curtis Campbell of Murfreesboro, Alexa Sengupta of Ashland City, and Jessica Seitz of McMinnville.
 
MTSU students won several individual awards, as well.

Grieves received the second place award for best attorney closing arguments, and Polombo received the top award for best fact witness. The team also was runner-up for the Southern Hospitality Award, which was voted on by other teams.
 
Rachael Harmon of Atlanta received the People’s Choice Attorney Award voted on by other tournament participants. Harmon, who was on a second MTSU team, and most of her team members recently came in first when the university held its own invitational tournament.
 
Brooke Borchering of Watertown, who is also a member of the second team, was runner-up for the Best Fact Witness Award.
 
MTSU teams are coached by John R. Vile, dean of the University Honors College, and by local attorneys Shiva Bozarth and Brandi Snow.

Vile said this tournament experience “will give MTSU considerable momentum as it goes into the spring semester.”
 
MTSU teams will be attending two invitational tournaments in January, followed by regional and national tournaments in the following months.