Bishop Gorman Nevada champs

The verdict is in.

For the fourth time in seven years, the Bishop Gorman Mock Trial team is state champion, albeit with one more dream: winning the 27th Annual National High School Mock Trial Championship Tournament in Philadelphia on May 6-9.

After handily winning the finals earlier this month in a showdown between the six best teams in the state, the senior-laden Gaels "orange" team awaits the "case" it will spend five weeks learning inside-out. Mock trial coach Sarada Toomey said the state teams trained for five months before the competition.

"The students won't get much of a spring break as we have to work through that time," she said. "We have five weeks."

The mock trial team consists of seniors Brendan Flynn, Ben Nemec, Kaitlin Kellogg, Mary Froehlich, Katie Wells and Rupali Sood. They are joined by junior Kristen Daus, sophomore Phillip Froehlich and freshman Eden Bernstein.

Last year's team was ranked fifth in the nation with Flynn winning recognition as the best lawyer and witness.

Flynn repeated the feat at the state championship March 13 at the Regional Justice Center.

Looking forward, all eyes are on Pennsylvania.

"They hope to perform at that level or better this year as well," said Toomey, who coordinates the mock trial program at Bishop Gorman. Toomey also handles the "drama component" of the program.

Attorney Bruce Dickinson is another coach, along with Deputy District Attorney Chris Lalli. Dickinson trains the team on defense theories while Lalli focuses members on the state's case.

Two members of the school's second team, freshmen Gianna Santoro and Shannon Carson, are going along to gain experience for next year because this is the last year for most of the team.

District Judge Jennifer Togliatti and Deputy Public Defender Sharon Dickinson, who coached Gorman's second team, will help prepare the orange squad.

And they are being true to their school: Lalli and Togliatti are Bishop Gorman alumni and have children in the school. The Dickinsons are parents of a Bishop Gorman graduate.

Toomey said the team and coaches plan to make the most of their trip to historic Philadelphia.

The team is tied with Green Valley as the only high schools with four state championships in the Nevada State High School Mock Trial program's 27 years.