May 01, 2025
Local News | Kane County Chronicle
Local News

St. Charles mock trial team wins state for 1st time

By CHARLES MENCHACA

The St. Charles North High School varsity mock trial team, pictured with junior varsity members, placed first Sunday in the 32nd annual Illinois State Bar Association High School Mock Trial Invitational in Champaign. Pictured are Kiki McElroy (from left), Charlotte O'Sullivan, assistant coach Robin Roberts, Blake Yang, Zach Furlin, Micky Maganini, Kiersten Aalfs, Shea Seiff, Alana Smith, Tony Maganini, Ryan Fahey, Caroline Blassick, lawyer coach Patrick Crimmins, Mehak Sarang, Justine Shanner and head coach Janelle VanDeSampel. (Photo provided)

ST. CHARLES – Hard work and dedication helped the St. Charles North Mock Trial Team make history over the weekend.

The team placed first in the 32nd annual Illinois State Bar Association High School Mock Trial Invitational for the first time in the school's history. The competition was held Saturday and Sunday at the University of Illinois College of Law in Champaign.

The victory is a long time coming for the team, which placed at state in the top eight in 2011, then third in 2012 and second last year. Tony Maganini was one of six seniors who have been clamoring for the title since their freshman year.

"It was definitely an amazing experience to work hard over those years and train with our senior staff. ... it felt incredible, honestly," Maganini said.

Each competing state team of up to 10 members tries both sides – plaintiff and defense – of a hypothetical case developed by the ISBA Committee. This year's case was Jersey Johnson v. Columbia Broadcasting System. Maganini said the team questioned its performance at first because the judge denied every objection team members had made. When he and his teammates eventually were declared first-place winners, they jumped out of their seats.

Preparation for this year's competition season included working with attorney Patrick Crimmins of Brady & Jensen law firm. Crimmins takes the ideas the team has and helps form them into real, caseworthy arguments, Maganini said.

Another key part of the team's preparations was holding two "Case Camps" on Saturdays earlier this year. The students worked with the coaches for 12 hours, including breaks, to go through the case line by line.

The students did hem and haw a bit about the camps, but clearly they were happy with the result, said Robin Roberts, an assistant coach and St. Charles North English teacher.

"We as a coaching staff are very proud of them," Roberts said. The head coach is St. Charles North social studies teacher, Janelle VanDeSampel.

The team already is in preparation to represent Illinois in May at the National High School Mock Trial Championship in Madison.