Iona's "Freshman-Heavy" Mock Trial Team Wins Tournament

November, 2010 - The Iona College Mock Trial team traveled to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA to participate in the 2010 Quaker Classic invitational tournament. The team went undefeated and won the tournament. The field for the four-round tournament was comprised of fifty teams from twenty-eight different schools including teams from the University of Maryland, Cornell, Penn State, Case Western, Brandeis, Gonzaga and Villanova, amongst others.

Results - Round 1: Defense team def. Fordham University - Rose Hill (+7, +5) Round 2: Plaintiff team def. University of Minnesota (+3, +7) Round 3: Defense team def. Penn State University (+5, +8) Round 4: Plaintiff team def. University of North Carolina (+13, +2)

In addition to winning the program's first tournament championship, the program also had an individual award winner. Amy Cassidy (Sr.) was honored as one of the top advocates in the competition.

The coaching staff consists of Michael Gelfand, an attorney in the State of New York, and four Iona College alumni: Allyson Crespo ('04), Ashley Reid ('08), Amanda DeRosa ('09) and Nadia Niazi ('10).

"This was the team's second tournament of the year. Our first tournament was at Columbia University in October, just five weeks after this year's team was formed," said Mock Trial coach Adam Detsky, Esq. The team entered that tournament as the third-lowest ranked team in the field but finished that tournament in a tie for tenth place with a record with 3 wins - 3 losses - 2 ties. In that tournament, Iona faced teams from Harvard University, the University of Richmond, Columbia and St. Johns.

The team's next tournament is scheduled for the end of January at Cornell University. The following competition will be the regional tournament in February, 2011 for a spot in the opening rounds of the 2010-2011 Championship Series.

"Iona continues to be proud of the Mock Trial team's truly exceptional performance. After graduating so many top student participants last year and relying on many students new to the Mock trial experience, this win is even more extraordinary. I am starting to feel sorry for the competing teams who will have to face us this season and beyond." said Dr. Brian Nickerson, Dean of Arts and Science.

The Mock Trial team program is sponsored by the Dean's Office of the School of Arts and Science, the Political Science Department, and the Pre-Law Program.
This year's mock trial team consists of ten members, six of whom are first year members and competing in just their second mock trial tournament. Of the six new members, five are freshmen. The team membership is as follows:

Kristin Badalamenti (Sr.)(3rd year member)(Team Captain) Amy Cassidy (Sr.)(4th year member) Brittni Uhl (Sr.)(4th year member) Giovanna Bove (Jr.)(1st year) Zach Benoit (So.)(2nd year) Anastasia Nitis (Fr.) Mary Ann Gallucci (Fr.) Kimberleigh Costanzo (Fr.) Thomas Savidge (Fr.) Joseph Paciullo (Fr.)