Following their regional win in February, the Hendersonville High School “Cats” mock trial team competed March 8-9 in the North Carolina Advocates for Justice High School Mock Trial Competition at Campbell Law School in Raleigh, N.C. and earned multiple awards.
Operated by the Carolina Center for Civic Education (CCCE) and the North Carolina Advocates for Justice (NCAJ), the NCAJ High School Mock Trial Competition annually involves 90 teams from nine regions in the state, during which students review cases and  create their arguments for the prosecution and defense sides.
At the State competition this month, the Hendersonville “Cats” defeated J.H. Rose High School out of Greenville, N.C., in the first round, and narrowly lost in the second round to Village Christian Academy of Fayetteville, by a combined score on three ballots of 246-240.
At State, the HHS Cats earned three “Best” Awards from the scoring jurors and trial judge – the most ever won by HHS at a state competition under Coaches Jerry Smith and Kathryn Wells. Madelyn Ball and Ellie Stout were each awarded “Best Attorney” awards, and Ball also earned “Best Witness” from the judges.
“Star” Awards, which are given to each other by competing teams for best witness and best attorney, were awarded to Jay Mullinax (Attorney), Stout (Witness) and Ball (Witness and Attorney).
Cats team also included Quinn Albert, Clara Hockenberry, Martha Smith, Miriam Smith, and Mireille Soss. This year’s team was also the sixth team to advance to the State competition under Coach Smith.
