Christian College Beats Yale for Its 14th National Championship
Purcellville, VA, February 25, 2025 --(PR.com)-- Patrick Henry College (PHC) students Sarah Fox and Trinity Klomparens just earned the College’s 14th national championship in the American Moot Court Association (AMCA) National Tournament. Sarah and Trinity rose to the top from approximately 495 teams, representing nearly 1,000 students to defeat Yale University in the final round. Also, PHC’s James Staub won 1st place for Individual Orator in the National Tournament hosted by Texas Tech University School of Law in Lubbock, Texas on February 14 and 15.
“Our students have the advantage of competing in our in-house moot court tournament as part of the core Constitutional Law class,” explains Program Coordinator, Sue Johnson, “which gives them a foundational understanding of what moot court is about.” It is largely from that tournament that students earn a spot on the varsity travel team. After a series of regional and super-regional level tournaments, 6 PHC moot court teams qualified to compete at the AMCA National Tournament. Institutions are only permitted to send a maximum of 4 teams, so two qualifying PHC teams could not compete. A total of 32 teams competed in the National Tournament, including teams from Yale, UC Berkeley, Morehouse, and USC.
In addition to Fox and Klomparens winning first place in Oral Advocacy, Jason Chahyadi and Ainsley Stellman were quarterfinalists. Mark Epstein and James Staub, along with Wyatt Trull and Allie Satterfield were Octafinalists. For written briefs, Ryan Olson and Zach Barnes earned 7th place and Caleb Helsing and Rebecca Phillips earned 13th place from a field of over 300 competitors.
“Our students work very hard to prepare, and they work collaboratively to help each other succeed,” says Johnson. “They compete as one team and are intentional about keeping a culture of ‘iron sharpens iron.’ … We are blessed with a dedicated Head Coach, Peter Kamakawiwoole (’08), who won Nationals in 2005. We have alumni who serve as assistant coaches or judges at ‘boot camp’ (PHC’s in-house tournament). PHC’s founder and Chancellor emeritus Michael Farris also continues to assist with team preparations.”
Forensics competition trains students in the art of advocacy, honing skills in research, critical thinking, and communication. PHC has the strongest forensics program in the nation. In Mock Trial, PHC consistently ranks in the top 1% in the nation. PHC’s Civic Debate team has had significant national success, winning gold and silver in the same year in The George Washington University Lafayette Debates and placing 1st in the Transatlantic Dialogues in Paris last summer, beating the U.S. Air Force Academy in the final round.
About Patrick Henry College
PHC exists to glorify God by challenging the status quo in higher education, lifting high both faith and reason within a rigorous academic environment; thereby preserving for posterity the ideals behind the “noble experiment in ordered liberty” that is the foundation of America.
The unique fusion of three distinctives sets Patrick Henry College apart from any other college in the world.
1. High Academic Rigor
2. Fidelity to the Spirit of the American Founding
3. Unwavering Biblical Worldview
PHC equips Christian students to excel in their sphere of influence because they carry the truth for the glory of God. PHC has a brief but celebrated history of outcomes—in existence for only 25 years. Patrick Henry College’s pre-law advising program and its students’ LSAT averages are among the best in the nation with graduates accepted and thriving at top-tier law schools and is a top feeder school for White House and Capitol Hill internships. Last November, PHC’s Rep. Gabe Evans (’09) became PHC’s first graduate to be elected to Congress of the United States. 2019 grad, Chris Baldacci, became PHC’s 6th graduate to clerk for a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. In January 2022, PHC alumnus Simon Sefzik (’21) became the youngest senator on record in Washington state history.
Contact: Stephen Allen
540.441.8722
communication@phc.edu
Patrick Henry College
10 Patrick Henry Circle
Purcellville, VA 20132
“Our students have the advantage of competing in our in-house moot court tournament as part of the core Constitutional Law class,” explains Program Coordinator, Sue Johnson, “which gives them a foundational understanding of what moot court is about.” It is largely from that tournament that students earn a spot on the varsity travel team. After a series of regional and super-regional level tournaments, 6 PHC moot court teams qualified to compete at the AMCA National Tournament. Institutions are only permitted to send a maximum of 4 teams, so two qualifying PHC teams could not compete. A total of 32 teams competed in the National Tournament, including teams from Yale, UC Berkeley, Morehouse, and USC.
In addition to Fox and Klomparens winning first place in Oral Advocacy, Jason Chahyadi and Ainsley Stellman were quarterfinalists. Mark Epstein and James Staub, along with Wyatt Trull and Allie Satterfield were Octafinalists. For written briefs, Ryan Olson and Zach Barnes earned 7th place and Caleb Helsing and Rebecca Phillips earned 13th place from a field of over 300 competitors.
“Our students work very hard to prepare, and they work collaboratively to help each other succeed,” says Johnson. “They compete as one team and are intentional about keeping a culture of ‘iron sharpens iron.’ … We are blessed with a dedicated Head Coach, Peter Kamakawiwoole (’08), who won Nationals in 2005. We have alumni who serve as assistant coaches or judges at ‘boot camp’ (PHC’s in-house tournament). PHC’s founder and Chancellor emeritus Michael Farris also continues to assist with team preparations.”
Forensics competition trains students in the art of advocacy, honing skills in research, critical thinking, and communication. PHC has the strongest forensics program in the nation. In Mock Trial, PHC consistently ranks in the top 1% in the nation. PHC’s Civic Debate team has had significant national success, winning gold and silver in the same year in The George Washington University Lafayette Debates and placing 1st in the Transatlantic Dialogues in Paris last summer, beating the U.S. Air Force Academy in the final round.
About Patrick Henry College
PHC exists to glorify God by challenging the status quo in higher education, lifting high both faith and reason within a rigorous academic environment; thereby preserving for posterity the ideals behind the “noble experiment in ordered liberty” that is the foundation of America.
The unique fusion of three distinctives sets Patrick Henry College apart from any other college in the world.
1. High Academic Rigor
2. Fidelity to the Spirit of the American Founding
3. Unwavering Biblical Worldview
PHC equips Christian students to excel in their sphere of influence because they carry the truth for the glory of God. PHC has a brief but celebrated history of outcomes—in existence for only 25 years. Patrick Henry College’s pre-law advising program and its students’ LSAT averages are among the best in the nation with graduates accepted and thriving at top-tier law schools and is a top feeder school for White House and Capitol Hill internships. Last November, PHC’s Rep. Gabe Evans (’09) became PHC’s first graduate to be elected to Congress of the United States. 2019 grad, Chris Baldacci, became PHC’s 6th graduate to clerk for a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. In January 2022, PHC alumnus Simon Sefzik (’21) became the youngest senator on record in Washington state history.
Contact: Stephen Allen
540.441.8722
communication@phc.edu
Patrick Henry College
10 Patrick Henry Circle
Purcellville, VA 20132
Contact
Patrick Henry College
Stephen C. Allen, Assistant VP and Director of Communication
(540) 441-8722
https://www.phc.edu
Stephen C. Allen, Assistant VP and Director of Communication
(540) 441-8722
https://www.phc.edu
Contact
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