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A 1-2 performance at the 2020 Minnesota State Mock Trial State Tournament March 5-6 put Luverne High School in 10th place among the 16 teams in the contest.
It was similar to last year’s season when LHS placed 11th in 2018, the first year of the expanded 16-team format.
“Mock trial is a one-class tournament, so we face schools of all sizes,” said third-year LHS coach Jason Berghorst. “The kids feel good about being competitive with much larger schools and a possible state champ.”
The Ramsey County Courthouse hosted the state meet in downtown St. Paul.
Team pairings are randomly drawn shortly before each round.
LHS faced returning state champion Apple Valley when the prosecution team opened the first of two rounds on Thursday, March 5.
Judges gave the win to the Apple Valley defense by 11 points.
LHS defense took the stand in Round 2 Thursday night and won by 11 points over the Eden Prairie prosecution.
In the final round Friday morning, LHS defense lost by three points to Lakeville North prosecution.
Tournament champion was Nova Classical Academy of St. Paul.
“It is great to see that we could be competitive against these programs and even defeat a team from a school as large a Eden Prairie,” Berghorst said.
Individually, seniors Alexa Chesley and Jordan Winter were named All-State attorney and witness respectively, based on their state tournament performances.
They were honored at the awards ceremony Friday in the Intercontinental Hotel in St. Paul.
This is Winter’s second consecutive All-State Witness award.
In this year’s case of the State of Minnesota vs. Sam Soto, Winter portrayed Morgan Holloway, an addiction medicine physician and witness for the defense.
Chesley is one of three defense attorneys with senior Sophia Lanoue and junior John Miller.
Prosecution attorneys are senior Gunnar Oldre and juniors Kaitlyn Anderson and Lauren Ver Steeg.
Junior Seno Chanthalangsy portrays Sam Soto, who is charged with third-degree murder for supplying opioids to a friend and co-worker that led to his death.
Luke Thorson, a sophomore, is the third and final defense witness. He portrayed a friend of the deceased.
Prosecution witnesses include juniors Solveig Tofteland and Xavier Carbonneau, and sophomore Chance Tunnissen.
Lawyer alternates are sophomore Griffen Jarchow and freshman Parker Carbonneau. Witness alternates are freshmen Ella Lanoue and Ross Bergman.
Also at Friday’s awards ceremony LHS received their trophy as the 2020 Region 4 Champions, a feat the team has accomplished for six consecutive years.