By Isa Bartelt ‘26
As the Conestoga Valley Mock Trial team’s season comes to a bittersweet end, Valley Voice would like to recognize the strong young women who participated in this historic season. CV’s Mock Trial team is coached by Conestoga Valley High School’s gifted teacher Mr. Brian Schlee. The team consists of 8 members, each performing a different role in the team. The 3 attorneys are Kaylee Fry, a junior and the lead attorney, Cora Glacken, a junior who gave strong closing arguments, and Jade Flores, a sophomore who questioned the witnesses with ease.
The 6 witnesses on the side of the prosecution were Arsema Siyoum, playing Jayden Kobayashi, Gwen Unruh, playing Robin Lesco, and Sydney Conlin, playing Sam Chestnut. The witnesses for the defense were Natalie Hopta, playing the defendant Addison Booker, Gwen Unruh, playing Pookie Thomas, and Isa Bartelt, playing Phoenix Webb. The team had 2 time keepers: Sydney Conlin and Arianna Baez-Colon.
CV Mock Trial team recently started a streak of winning district championships, having now won the district 2 years in a row. The team has won the district 5 times during the last 10 years, and most of the time CV Mock Trial has alternated wins with their rival in the city, JP McCaskey. This district win is especially special because CV won, for the first time ever, with an all-female attorney team and all-female witness squad. To earn this title, Conestoga Valley just barely beat out JP McCaskey, winning the highest score in the district.
During this season, CV played Lampeter-Strasburg 2 on the prosecution side. This was their first year of competition. CV then played Lancaster Country Day on the defense. CV beat both teams to land undefeated.
CV also competed in 2 invitational tournaments at the University of Pittsburgh and LaSalle University. The team did not place at either of the tournaments but 3 of the members got awards: 2 for achieving the rank of outstanding witness and 1 for achieving outstanding advocate. The 2 witnesses were Natalie Hopta and Gwen Unruh and the attorney was Cora Glacken.
This year’s all-female team made history that they hope to repeat again next year, as most members are returning. The team would love more members, and can’t wait to compete again next year.