NIKKI DONOVAN FINISHES 9TH (OF 60) AT GLADIATOR X; FOUR-TIMER JACK SPILLNER FINISHES STRONG; JONAH IMMANUEL GIVES FANTASTIC PERFORMANCE IN FIRST APPEARANCE

On July 19-20, Hillsdale sent Jack Spillner, Nikki Donovan, and Jonah Immanuel to compete in the 10th Gladiator 1-on-1 World Championship -- Gladiator X -- in Atlanta. This year the field expanded to 60 of the best high school mock trialers in the country. In the case, United States v. Kid and Way, two defendants, career criminal Addison Kidd and high-profile billionaire Wyatt Way, were charged with theft of a major artwork for allegedly stealing an Ancient Roman antiquity from the High Museum in Atlanta. It was the first case in the competition's history that included two defendants (pointing the finger at each other) in the same trial. Gladiators were asked to prepare two sides as attorneys and play two of three witnesses.

In the end, Hillsdale rising senior Nikki Donovan, competing for the second time, finished 9th in an extraordinarily tough field. Congratulations Nikki! Jack, a rare four-time Gladiator, finished his high school career as the most decorated Hillsdale mock trialer in the last decade. Jack will continue his mock trial career at Cornell in August. And Jonah Immanuel, competing for the first time, gave some truly fantastic performances as an attorney defending both Kidd and Way, and portraying both defendants as witnesses (and sporting a British accent as Wyatt Way). Fantastic job to all three!