![At the bottom of the third inning, the Lions are still scoreless. Rowe stands at home plate, preparing to bat, while Vandenbrink stands off to the side as the next batter up. Despite having the bases loaded, the team was unable to score any runs. “It’s just the beginning of the season. We’re just going to be playing out best by June, [and] that’s where champions are,” Rowe said.](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_3077-1200x900.jpg)
![All smiles. The group poses for a photo with last year’s book, “This is Our House,” along with their award for third Best in Show. Meikle, who was an Editor-in-Chief for the yearbook last year as well, holds both and stands at the center of the group. “That was an amazing feeling, going and grabbing the third place award,” Meikle said. “All of it paid off. I cried so much over that book, being able to receive [the award] was one of the highlights of my high school career, it was like the coolest thing ever.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/8bookpose_philly-1200x800.jpg)
The Mock Trial Team is off to compete on an international stage. The team left Oct. 18 for the Empire City Invitational, held in New York, N.Y. The competition began on Thursday for the Lions, when they scrimmaged opposing teams from Alabama and California.
“These scrimmages will probably give us a pretty good idea of how we will do, but we also never really know until we are in trial mode,” Camille Bradshaw, senior, said. “Our team has been practicing since August, and we are confident in our roles, but like any other sport, we have to wait and see how the other team is playing.”
Joining Bradshaw on the team are seven other senior girls. Ailish Duff, Elena Myre, Emily Axelrod, Tatianna Jungerman, Hannah Beth Gilbert, Carolyn Cruze and Katia Farnbach are all members of the team, led by head coach Matt Kellogg, social studies teacher.
West Linn will see teams from around the world; the Invitational has hosted teams from four different continents and six different countries. Along with the experience that comes with facing off against top notch competition, the team will also gain experience in another area, according to Bradshaw.
“Only a few of us have been to New York, so not only are we competing but we are taking a few days to explore the city as well,” she said.
The Empire City Invitational will run from yesterday to Sunday. Updates will come as they are reported.