![The teams prepare to start another play with just a few minutes left in the first half. The Lions were in the lead at halftime with a score of 27-0. At half time, the team went back to the locker rooms. “[We ate] orange slices,” Malos said. “[Then] our team came out and got the win.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2385-1200x800.jpg)
![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)
The Mock Trial team has begun preparations to compete in a worldwide competition in New York City starting Oct 23. The Mock Trial Team is one of the elite 32 teams that were asked to apply in hopes of attending the Empire Tournament, often dubbed “the tournament of world champions,” Matt Kellogg, Mock Trial adviser, said.
The team was invited to compete in the tournament, beating out 106 applicants for one of the spots. In order to even be asked to apply for the tournament, teams must place within the top five at their state’s Mock Trial competition. Last year, WLHS placed ninth in the world in this competition.
The team began preparing for the tournament in July, starting with a 24-hour marathon practice with the team staying in the school in order to develop an edge leading up to the competition by putting more work in.