The University of Iowa Mock Trial team (UIMT) organized and competed in its annual home-turf tournament, the Cornshucker Challenge. Teams from across the Midwest gathered in Phillips Hall on the UI campus to compete Nov. 17-18. With 2012 marking the 12th year of UIMT’s Cornshucker Challenge, it is one of the longest-running Midwestern collegiate mock trial tournaments.

Team 1479, captained by senior Jacob Bogolia and junior Edward Rodriguez, received the fourth place trophy with a record of five wins, two lost ballots, and one tie. They competed against Iowa State University, Washington University, Drake University, and Northwestern University. Team 1479 was also awarded the Brooke Walton Civility Award, an award special to the Iowa teams as it honors a former competitor who lost her life in a car accident.

Juniors Hyder Chowdhry and Michael Tabor led team 1480 to win ballots against the University of Minnesota-Morris, Cornell College, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Team 1481, led by senior Dan Tallon and junior Hannah Graber, competed to win ballots against teams from Grinnell College and Loras College.

Individual awards were handed out to exceptional competitors for their outstanding witness or attorney roles. Senior James Adams left the awards ceremony with an Outstanding Attorney placard. Chowdhry and Rodriguez both received Outstanding Witness awards for their roles.

The Cornshucker Challenge’s traveling corn trophy went to Washington University Team 1164. The trophy returns to the UI campus every year for the engraving of past winners and to be handed out at the award ceremony and the finish of the tournament.

For more information on the University of Iowa Mock Trial Team, visit www.uimocktrial.com.