The Rhinelander Mock Trial team heads to Madison Wednesday to compete with high school teams from around the country.
Faculty coach Kathy Vick Martini says preparing for the national tournament is a grueling process…because the team has only five weeks to prepare its case.
“The kids basically have to sacrifice everything else that they do for this month and a half to prepare for the national tournament, and to their credit they’ve been working very hard, and they’ve done well.”
Mock Trial pits students arguing a fictional case. This year it has a zombie theme, where the owner of an energy drink winds up dead after enjoying an evening with friends at a zombie run. His business partner is found not guilty at a criminal trial, but his estate pursues a civil claim, the core of the competition.
As part of evening activities, students will also be decked out in a Zombie Costume Contest.
Even with freshmen in key roles this season, Rhinelander won the state championship in March before the state Supreme Court.
The team has won 17 state championships over the years. Rhinelander won the National High School Mock Trial Championship in 1989 and has finished second twice.
