CLARKS SUMMIT, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A local team brought home a major win over the weekend, and we're not talking sports district titles.
The Abington Heights' Mock Trial Team competed in the National Championship and won for the first time in state history.
Abington Heights' Mock Trial Team has been known within the state for their hard work and dedication.
Now, they've made a name for themselves nationally, winning the Mock Trial National Championship over the weekend and making history in the state of Pennsylvania.
Abington Heights' high school students are no strangers to bringing home championships, but these cheers are for more than just a trophy, a national title came home to Clarks Summit for the first time.
"When it happened it felt like a fever dream, it didn't feel real. The fact that it was us, it was our school, and it was in Pennsylvania, we've never won this before," said student and mock trial member Ava Whalen.
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The Abington Heights' Mock Trial Team not only made history in northeastern Pennsylvania but all of the Commonwealth, winning the state a national championship for the first time.
"We kind of have a joke on the team of them just saying that, 'We want to show them how we do things in the Keystone State,' and so that was their goal. Just to do their absolute best and to be able to say this is Pennsylvania, we represent Pennsylvania," explained teacher and mock trial coach Jen Tarr.
The team wouldn't have been able to take down Texas in the final round without the hard work of every participant.
Just how much work went into the season surprised future lawyer and Abington Heights freshman, Amishi Amit.
"I thought you just had to get up there, talk and you're pretty much good, but they spent hours, days, revising. I know lots of them got, like, sleepless nights," stated Amit.
That sort of dedication builds skills and confidence both in and out of the courtroom.
"It aligns to the core of an educators' philosophy of students becoming great individuals, having strong character and growing their skills that will actually affect everyday life in the future," explained teacher and mock trial coach Amy Kelly.
Senior and mock trial captain, Madeline Herold, intends to go to law school but says what's learned in mock trial goes beyond the court of law.
"These skills are applicable to any path in life, whatever you decide to do. We obviously have the lawyers that come through. The skills that you learn through mock trial will carry you through the rest of your life," said Harold.
Which is the exact reason Ava Whalen signed up. Even though her goal after high school is to join the Air Force, she still competes for life lessons and friendships.
"The amount of trust you build with your team and all the experiences you have with them; it's something you don't really get anywhere else, especially in high school," stated Whalen.
The journey is not over for the mock trial team just yet.
In the upcoming weeks, the Abington Heights students will travel to Harrisburg to be honored in the state capital and also to Washington DC to have lunch with the president.
