Returning team Platypus Deniability poses for a photo at Pennsylvania State University. Courtesy | Chloe Noller

They’re so back — Hillsdale College Mock Trial just roared into the pre-seasons at their first invitational tournament of the year. 

Two Hillsdale teams competed last weekend at Pennsylvania State University. Platypus Deniability, a returning team of veterans from last year snagged a second-place finish after two rounds of tiebreaks with a final ballot score of 7-1. Koalafied ImNEWnity, the new member team, finished 2-6. 

Platypus Deniability swept Pennsylvania State University’s A Team 2-0, before splitting ballots 1-1 with Maryland University in the second round. The team closed the weekend by defeating Georgetown University and Juniata College, sweeping two ballots in both rounds, according to freshman Joseph Diprima.

“I think what we were really looking for in this first tournament was: ‘Do our cases sound good when they’re actually performed in-round?’” said sophomore and Platypus Deniability co-captain Ty Tomasoski. “We had scrimmage before, but we didn’t know how it stacked up, and I was really happy with all four rounds. Everyone was clearly prepped. We knew our material and it all cohered to sound great. That’s exactly what we were looking for from the first tournament.”

Diprima said he thought  the first round was the most successful of the tournament for Platypus Deniability.

“Something that was very clear the whole tournament was that, because we’ve put in so much work this far, we were very, very prepared to handle things like objections,” Diprima said. “And so I think that was just a testament to how well our captains, Ty Tomasoski and Njomeza Pema prepared us and also our coaches —  they were really, really helpful in making sure that we were confident and ready to go.”

Seniors Abigail Wagner and Abby Davis both won individual awards at the tournament. Wagner was awarded Best Witness, while Davis, a co-captain of Koalafied ImNEWnity, received an attorney award. 

Davis said she was very pleased with the freshman team at their first tournament of the year and the team got to compete against some very good schools. 

“They all had really good moments in trial: like every single one of them, there was something they did throughout the weekend, and I thought, ‘Wow, that’s terrific,’” Davis said. “It’s huge that, from the first tournament, the freshmen are getting to compete against talented and polished other teams the rest of the season.”

Koalafied ImNEWnity split ballots 1-1 against Juniata College and Wellesley College in its first two rounds before losing the third and fourth rounds against Princeton University and Tufts University on Sunday.

Freshman Aali Dobson got her first taste of collegiate mock trial at the tournament as a member of Koalafied ImNEWnity. 

“It was amazing,” Dobson said. “It was very difficult, though. I do think that our coaches did a great deal of getting us prepared for it.”

Dobson said she was nervous for her first college tournament but that the Hillsdale team was very supportive. 

“The community definitely made it better, being surrounded with people who are as nervous as you,” Dobson said. “You know, you radiate energy off of each other, and you’re just very uplifting. Even if you didn’t get an objection sustained, you know, they’re still congratulating us.”

Diprima said Platypus Deniability will be traveling to Emory University next week for the Peach Bowl Invitational. Next week will also be the first invitational tournament for Kangaroo Court, another Hillsdale returner team, who will be competing at the Tufts Mumbo Jumbo Invitational, according to an email from junior and mock trial media liaison Chloe Noller. 

“Of course, we still have growth, you know, we still have a lot to look forward to,” Diprima said. “But it makes us feel so great going into another round immediately knowing all of the work that we have to do, but having done well, in my opinion. It makes me feel really excited to buckle down and get to work, because I know just how good we can make it so that way we can stay on top.”