CAPTION: The 2025-2026 HBA Mock Trial team in Des Moines, Iowa. (Back row, left to right) Luke Maas, Jordon Tam, TJ Koki, Andy Fang; (Middle row) Emma Lee; (Front row, left to right) Kylie Kono, Ava Ortega, Lily Ames, Vivien Wong. Photograph courtesy of Ryan Frontiera.
HBA’s Mock Trial team—back-to-back Hawai’i state champions for 2025 and 2026—traveled to Des Moines, Iowa to compete in the 2026 National High School Mock Trial Championship from May 7 to 9. Representing Hawaiʻi, the HBA team (informally known as the “Legal Eagles”) competed against high school teams from more than 40 states. While the Eagles did not secure a win in their matches, they won the Larry Bakko Professionalism & Civility Award, which recognizes a team for their professional behavior inside and outside the courtroom throughout the competition.
This year’s team is made up of the following students:
Seniors Jordan Tam, Andy Fang, Lily Ames, and Vivien Wong; juniors Emma Lee and Ava Ortega; sophomores Kylie Kono and TJ Koki; and freshman Luke Maas.
Here’s what the team had to say on their return from Nationals:
Senior Jordan Tam, the 3rd-year team captain, shared his thoughts about how the trip was a profound and important experience for him. “I will say that in all my four years in Mock Trial, the team we have is truly extraordinary. We built each other up and looked out for each other while also competing with our full strength and that made all the difference. We were there for each other and showed up even though some of us may not have felt well or prepared, we showed up and tried our best,” he said.
Tam also values the opportunity they had to meet students from other teams. “The experience we gained from talking to others and building relationships with others was great. We gained a lot of new friends and I think that really helped us in the end. Also, even though we lost [at Nationals,] we had the chance to compete with other champions from across the nation,” he said.
Ava Ortega, a junior, enjoyed the group’s visit to the Iowa State Fair, where there was food, games, and cultural exhibits. Their time at the fair was a nice break from the stress of the competition. “I realized that the connections made during the mixers [at the competition] truly enrich the Mock Trial experience, reminding all competing members that we all share the same passion and are here to present it,” she said.
Emma Lee, also a junior, was pleasantly surprised by her Iowa experience. She explained, “I thought Iowa would be boring and there would be nothing there, but it was actually really fun and pretty.”
Robert Weismantel, one of the team’s faculty advisors, said that beyond the competition, the purpose of the trip was to improve students’ improvisation skills, becoming better than how they were last year, and bonding as a team. “Though individuals can work on their own role,” he said, “having your partner there is important to practice questions and build a positive rapport. Next year, I hope the students can use their experience to mentor the club members and improve the overall program.
