The Agathos Classical School mock trial team received a standing ovation from Maury County’s elected officials and celebrated members of the local bar association on Monday as the students were recognized for their national championship victory.

Josiah Burns, Ella Seago, Samuel Whatley, Asher Black, Luke Epley, Rebekah Epley, Fern Green and Annie Kelley were all applauded for representing Maury County on a national stage.

In May, the students from the small Christian institution with less than 300 students made local history as they surpassed the competition to take home the National High School Mock Trial Championship.

The victory marked Agathos as the second school in the state to earn the title. During the weekend tournament, the young Columbia lawyers beat out students from North Dakota, Illinois, Massachusetts, Georgia and then a championship round against Nebraska, losing only a single ballot in the entire competition at the University of Georgia in Athens.

With 15 jurors in the final round, the Maury County team won the unanimous approval of the entire panel in an unprecedented victory preceded by two state championship titles.

Inside Columbia’s memorial building on Monday, the championship team and their coaches were celebrated by prominent local attorneys, judges and elected representatives.

Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder, Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles and Mt. Pleasant Mayor Bill White presented a joint resolution honoring the young men and women for their achievements. The mayors proclaimed the day to be Agathos Classical School Mock Trial Team Day.

Rep. Scott Cepipkcy, R-Columbia, followed the presentation with a second proclamation signed by state leaders and Maury County’s representatives at the Tennessee Capitol.

“These Agathos students have reached the very pinnacle of competition,” said Cepicky, reading the state proclamation. “These incredible young men and women displayed strength, fortitude and an incredible work ethic to push themselves and their coaches to obtain their ultimate goal.”

The victory marked the first national competition title for the school of less than 300 students.

“You won’t find better students anywhere,” said Coach Jason Whatley. “They are not only strong academically, but they are just good people and their achievement was made possible through hard work and comradery. It is a testament to their character.”

Fellow team coach and local attorney Cory Ricci said the national victory proved that the team was able work in unison and put each member’s best strengths forward to achieve their absolutes best.

“They came better prepared to win a national championship than any team that I have ever coached in ten years,” Ricci said.

The national title comes four years after the two Columbia lawyers launched a mock trial program at Agathos when a total of 18 students where enrolled at the school.

When the freshman team attended their first mock trial tournament in 2015 they saw another Tennessee team that had an asterisk printed next to their name on an official list of the competition’s participating institutions.

After the Agathos students learned that the embellishment marked that the team had earned the title of national champions, then and there, the young attorneys decided that they too would earn the same attention for their school.

On Monday, the community thanked them for setting the goal and achieving it.

Ogles said the championship team serves as a symbol for the county’s improving public education system and celebrated private schools.

“Agathos Classical School doesn’t teach people what to think,” Ogles said. “It teaches them how to think. These students are empowered by their environment. When there is problem solving and team building, they thrive.”

The county mayor commended the young lawyers for continuing to strengthen a growing reputation for the county, embodying the skills that will help the next generation move the community forward in the years to come.

“We are the fifth-fastest growing county in the state we have a lot to offer from an economic standpoint,” Ogles said. “We have a school system that is improving year over year. We have three great private schools, and now we have national champions.”

Mark Seago, one of the founders of the private school, credits the national victory to Agathos’ ability to teach young people to become successful team members ready to adapt in any situation.

“I think the mentoring process was such a key,” Seago said. “I think that helped in more ways than we can appreciate and understand. The more experienced students have been helping those younger students, pushing them hard and keeping their focus. On the national level, our students demonstrated that ability to think outside of the box and adjust on the fly and be very natural in that process. That contrast was pretty stark. That is what we want to equip them with. That is what distinguishes the good teams from the great teams.”

The students shared a deep appreciation for being recognized by some of the region’s most powerful individuals.

“We all love Columbia so much and seeing all of these people who are such a big role in the community — it is an honor to see it all come together like this,” said Ella Seago, a rising senior who served as an attorney for the team.

Seago says she will take on a leadership role serving as a peer coach to the incoming team members.

“It is really nice to see all of our hard work pay off and to see that we have impacted so many people,” Rebekah Epley told The Daily Herald. “It is very humbling.”

She took on the role of a witness during the championship competition.

“It is definitely a great honor to have state representatives honoring our team,” said Samuel Whately. “It is a once in a lifetime honor.”

Alongside the national championship team, former Agathos student Luke Worsham was also recognized at the memorial building. Named by his coaches and teammates as a “mock trial powerhouse.” Worsham, who graduated from the school the previous year, returned to help coach the team to the championship title in May.

“I think the skills we have learned here are applicable to other work outside of law,” Seago said. “With any job that we have, this experience will help us.”

Fern Green, a graduating senior who plans to study art, says she will use the skills that she honed in mock trial for the rest of her life.

“I think it teaches us how to articulate,” Green said. “Now we understand how to work through an argument. Now it is fun.”