DESIGNATED AS A HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOL DISTRICT
MATES Win 2022 Ocean County Mock Trial
Jennifer Hudak, Mates Instructor
MARCH 9, 2022
MATES Win 2022 Ocean County Mock Trial
OCEAN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY - The members of the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES) Mock Trial team had ONE goal this year…to win the Ocean County Championship! Their focus, hard work, and dedication paid off, and after competing against eight other high school teams, they emerged victorious!!
The team has competed for fourteen years in the Vincent J. Apruzzese Mock Trial Competition sponsored by the NJ State Bar Foundation. This year’s case involved a criminal lawsuit: The defendant, a 20-year-old computer whiz, is accused of conspiracy to receive and sell stolen goods from vendors on the dark web, using cryptocurrency to avoid detection. Students, led by Mock Trial coach MATES Instructor Jennifer Hudak, take on the roles of attorneys and witnesses and must present the most compelling litigation to advance through rounds of competition. As a result of this year’s virtual platform, it was also necessary to have student alternates and a timekeeper.
In total, the team advanced through five rounds of the competition to reach the Regional Semifinals. MATES students who participated are: defense attorneys, Michael Hudak and Devin Rauscher; prosecuting attorneys Todd Ferry and Kristen Weppler; defense witnesses Alanna Costello, Katherine Elmer, and Rokas Stancauskas; prosecution witnesses Meahan Azmi, Estelle Balsirow, and Bryce Davenport; alternates Aidan Danza, Kyle Cousens, Jon Beck, Brianna Tonner, Maggie Kelleher, Thomas Hagan, Angelo Amato, and Seamus Watson; and time keeper Kathryn Conway.
Another aspect of the competition is the Courtroom Sketch Artist Competition. MATES has had student artists participate for the past seven years; this year’s artists were: Michelle Kagramian, Jennifer Kim, and Mariana Kaiafas. In total, the student artists submitted over twelve sketches that will be critiqued by professional courtroom artists and earn recognition ranging from Honorable Mention to First Place in the state.
The team is extremely proud of its accomplishment and is currently working with the MATES PTSO and Shelter Cove Embroidery to design Ocean County Championship jackets. Coach Hudak would like to thank the students, staff, and administration for all their support over the years. A special thank you goes out to Attorney Coaches Bill and Dave Wright who work with the student attorneys and witnesses to perfect their courtroom skills. This truly has been a team effort!
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MARCH 9, 2022
MATES Win 2022 Ocean County Mock Trial
OCEAN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY - The members of the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES) Mock Trial team had ONE goal this year…to win the Ocean County Championship! Their focus, hard work, and dedication paid off, and after competing against eight other high school teams, they emerged victorious!!
The team has competed for fourteen years in the Vincent J. Apruzzese Mock Trial Competition sponsored by the NJ State Bar Foundation. This year’s case involved a criminal lawsuit: The defendant, a 20-year-old computer whiz, is accused of conspiracy to receive and sell stolen goods from vendors on the dark web, using cryptocurrency to avoid detection. Students, led by Mock Trial coach MATES Instructor Jennifer Hudak, take on the roles of attorneys and witnesses and must present the most compelling litigation to advance through rounds of competition. As a result of this year’s virtual platform, it was also necessary to have student alternates and a timekeeper.
In total, the team advanced through five rounds of the competition to reach the Regional Semifinals. MATES students who participated are: defense attorneys, Michael Hudak and Devin Rauscher; prosecuting attorneys Todd Ferry and Kristen Weppler; defense witnesses Alanna Costello, Katherine Elmer, and Rokas Stancauskas; prosecution witnesses Meahan Azmi, Estelle Balsirow, and Bryce Davenport; alternates Aidan Danza, Kyle Cousens, Jon Beck, Brianna Tonner, Maggie Kelleher, Thomas Hagan, Angelo Amato, and Seamus Watson; and time keeper Kathryn Conway.
Another aspect of the competition is the Courtroom Sketch Artist Competition. MATES has had student artists participate for the past seven years; this year’s artists were: Michelle Kagramian, Jennifer Kim, and Mariana Kaiafas. In total, the student artists submitted over twelve sketches that will be critiqued by professional courtroom artists and earn recognition ranging from Honorable Mention to First Place in the state.
The team is extremely proud of its accomplishment and is currently working with the MATES PTSO and Shelter Cove Embroidery to design Ocean County Championship jackets. Coach Hudak would like to thank the students, staff, and administration for all their support over the years. A special thank you goes out to Attorney Coaches Bill and Dave Wright who work with the student attorneys and witnesses to perfect their courtroom skills. This truly has been a team effort!
MATES Win 2022 Ocean County Mock Trial
Jennifer Hudak, Mates Instructor
MARCH 9, 2022