Thiel College moot court team places 7th overall at National Preliminary Tournament finals

GREENVILLE, Pa.-- The Thiel College Moot Court team delivered a standout performance at the 2025–26 Preliminary National Tournament Finals, finishing seventh overall among 32 teams representing 20 colleges and universities nationwide, topping an Ivy League school and several Division I heavyweights.

The tournament, held January 22–24, 2026, was conducted entirely online using virtual courtrooms due to severe winter weather. Despite the unusual format, Thiel distinguished itself by placing ahead of several nationally recognized institutions, including Yale University, Baylor University, Texas Tech University, the University of Michigan, the University of California–Long Beach, the University of Texas–Dallas and others. Thiel also finished first among all NCAA Division II and Division III institutions.

In the preliminary rounds, the Thiel team of Rex Dugan ’27 and Anna Kavulla ’27 earned split ballots against Georgetown University and the University of California–Long Beach, and defeated Texas Christian University by a 2–0 decision. Thiel advanced to the octa-finals, where the team narrowly fell to Patrick Henry College, a perennial powerhouse and 10-time national champion, by just four points out of a possible 1,600.

Both Dugan and Kavulla received individual orator scores of 396 out of 400 in the octa-final round, reflecting the team’s high level of preparation and performance. In the overall team competition, Thiel placed ninth out of 32 teams.

The Moot Court Program will resume formal preparations for the 2026–2027 season on May 1, when the new national case is released. In the interim, the program is collaborating with Thiel College leadership to host United Way student participants for a moot court experience in mid-February.

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