HELENA — It’s not every day you see teammates go head-to-head for a state title, but that’s exactly what happened for Helena High's mock trial teams, and now they are being honored by the Montana Supreme Court for that standout finish.
“I started crying, and I was just so proud of my team and how hard we work,” Gabbi Lavoie said.
Senior and club president Gabbi Lavoie says the moment was emotional but not surprising.
“The community that we have at Helena High, and it’s also the work ethic we put towards getting the championship.”
That dedication has paid off—because this marks Helena High’s seventh straight state championship.
Montana Supreme Court Chief Justice said, “that training and that engagement and the ability of caring about how our system works is really great to see at the high school level.”
Even facing teammates in the final round, students say the experience was unforgettable.
Student Glacia Lucchetti shared, “It was kind of like a fun surprise because we knew what their case was, but it was fun to see our teammates and how well we were all doing.”
Beyond trophies and recognition by Montana’s Supreme Court, the program is building lifelong skills.
“This is a very valuable skill for them to learn—the ability to think, analyze, to critically examine and then respond to arguments,” Swanson said.
Now the team will head to the national championship in Des Moines, Iowa, next month.
