Congratulations to the 2016-2017 Caddo Magnet Mock Trial Team for winning the State Championship this past weekend in Monroe, LA.  The team defeated Jesuit in the final round.  Members include Ethan Arbuckle, Jemma Clary, Srikhar Chilukuri, Ankur Khanna, Sunjay Letchuman, Chris Moore, Matthew Pinchback, and Shubhneet Warar.  The team is coached by Mr. Ryan Goodwin, Mrs. Ginger Marks, Ms. Sarah Smith, Mrs. Karen Soileau and Mr. Steve Soileau.  They will now  represent Louisiana as they advance to the Mock Trial National Tournament in Hartford, Connecticut.

This is their second state championship in the past three years.  In 2015, the Caddo Magnet Mock Trial Team won the title in Lake Charles.  This was the first time in 15 years that a school in North Louisiana had won the state tournament.  In 2016 the team was unable to participate due to unsafe travel conditions created by heavy rains and flooding. Attempts by participating schools in North Louisiana to get the tournament rescheduled were unsuccessful.  So they surrendered the championship trophy without having an opportunity to defend their title.

After such a huge disappointment, this year’s team was on a mission to capture the championship again.  Some members attended summer camps to hone their skills.  The team was often found after school in the campus courtroom practicing for hours.  An overall fourth place finish at the prestigious Empire Mock Trial Competition in Atlanta, that included schools from all over the United States as well as a team from China, gave the team a huge boost of confidence.  A first place finish at the Judge Richard N. Ware, IV High School Mock Trial Regional Competition secured the team’s spot in the state tournament.  All the hours of hard work paid off with the return of the State Championship Trophy to Caddo Magnet High School!