The 2026-2027 Rhodes College mock trial season has begun, and two teams finished in first and second place after competing in the Boro Brawl invitational tournament Oct. 17-18 hosted by Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN.
In addition to Rhodes taking the top two spots, captains Yasmeen Abunasrah and Mark Cole, along with senior Sienna Collier, received Top Attorney Awards. Sophomore Greta Christianson was named a Top Witness.
The teams are coached by Anna Eldridge, who directs Rhodes’ mock trial program. Preparation for competitions builds public speaking skills, teamwork, critical thinking skills, and analytical abilities.
American Mock Trial Association teams across the nation compete in invitationals in the fall. They compete in a series of regional and open-round championship tournaments in the spring, hoping to make it to the nationals in April.
The 2026-2027 academic year marks the 40th anniversary of mock trial at Rhodes. Emeritus Professor of Political Science Marcus Pohlmann joined the Rhodes faculty in 1986, and that fall, he selected six students from his constitutional law class to participate in a tournament held at Drake University in Des Moines, IA. Rhodes alumnus and attorney Mike Cody ’58 gave the students a quick rules review before the trip, and the tournament provided them an opportunity to experience the dynamics of a mock trial competition firsthand. In 1987, Pohlmann formed an official mock trial program, which has since achieved great success.
Rhodes holds the record for national championship tournament appearances.
Learn more about Mock Trial at Rhodes.