LATROBE, PA – Saint Vincent College’s Mock Trial team participants showed vast improvement during the school year as they built strong logic and debate skills and fared well in competitions.
“I’m proud of the way this group of students competed together,” said coach Michael Arabia, C’10, director of operations, logistics services at United States Steel. “They have fun with the case but at the same time learn the appropriate skills and knowledge that will aid them in law school and beyond.”
The team’s first tournament of the season was Nov. 15-16, 2025, at the Steel City Invitational hosted by Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh in the City-County Building Court of Common Pleas courtrooms.
Saint Vincent finished the invitational with a 3-5 record, scoring two wins against Monmouth University, an offsetting win and loss against Roanoke College, and two losses against Lafayette College and Villanova University.
Junior Mary McConville, a corporate finance and business economics double major from Alexandria, Virginia, won a Best Witness Award for her portrayal as a medical expert. She tied for second place out of 108 witnesses in the field.
The following weekend, the team traveled to Saint Bonaventure University in Olean, New York, for the 14th annual Friar Faceoff Invitational.
Saint Vincent finished with a 4-3-1 record, scoring two wins against Saint Bonaventure, an offsetting win and loss against both Duquesne University and the University of Texas at Dallas, and a loss and tie against the State University of New York at Buffalo in the final round.
After three rounds, the team was in second place and advanced to the championship trial against Buffalo before falling short.
“Saint Vincent continues to build on its strong performances at Saint Bonaventure University, having won the competition in 2021 and was only three points away (out of 540 points for the weekend) from winning it a second time in five years,” Arabia said.
Sophomore Marti Farabaugh, a criminology, law and society and political science double major from Latrobe, won a Best Attorney Award for her role as a prosecutor during the Friar Faceoff Invitational. She tied for third place out of 60 attorneys in the field.
During the new year, the team participated in the Feb. 13-15 American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) Regional Tournament hosted by Penn State University and held in State College. Twenty-four teams competed for six spots, which advance to the Opening Round Championship Series of the AMTA National Championship.
Saint Vincent’s team squared off against the University of Pittsburgh, LaFayette College, Juniata College and Bucknell University two times each, and came away with a 2-6 record, scoring wins over Bucknell and Lafayette. The rounds were close and competitive as two Saint Vincent losses came by a combined four points out of 280 possible points.
McConville won an All-Region Witness Award, presented to the top 10 student performers, for her portrayal as a medical expert. She tied for eighth place out of 144 witnesses in the field.
“This program is a unique experience where students compete directly against their peers from colleges of all sizes,” Arabia said. “It’s a great atmosphere, allowing students to think logically and deliver sound arguments that develop both public speaking and presentation skills.”
Reflecting on the school year, Arabia said the highlight was having the team compete in the championship trial at Saint Bonaventure.
“Our students always compete well at that invitational,” Arabia said, “and we look forward to attending it every year.”
He also recognized and thanked coach George Miller, Esq, C’10, who resigned from coaching after the season.
“[Miller] and I spent 11 seasons together coaching this program,” Arabia said, “and I know the students benefited from the vast knowledge and experience he shared with them each week.”
In addition to Farabaugh and McConville, other team members include Emilia Capasso, a freshman criminology, law and society major from Pittsburgh; Brady Johnson, a junior finance and accounting double major from North Huntingdon; Alex Kuzmkowski, a junior accounting and political science double major from Murrysville; Ben Poole, a senior finance and accounting double major from Murrysville; and Leo Sun, a junior management and aviation management double major from Greensburg.
