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Saginaw Valley State University

December 11, 2025

SVSU Moot Court team excels at Midwest Regional Tournament

four students standing on steps

Saginaw Valley State University’s moot court team delivered an exceptional performance at the American Moot Court Association’s Midwest Regional Tournament, held November 21-22 at the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio. Four SVSU teams were among the 30 competing in the contest. 

Representing SVSU were:

  • Owen Bacigalupo, a sociology major from Bay City, and Payton Stemmerich, a Spanish major from Clinton Township
  • Memphis Hartman, a political science major from Grand Rapids, and Savannah Lamb, a political science major from Croswell
  • Jason Hoang, a political science major from Saginaw, and Noah Johnson, a political science major from Lake Orion
  • Emily Kozak, a political science major from Midland, and Ethan VanSteenkiste, a criminal justice major from Macomb

All four teams finished the tournament in the top 25. Despite being novice competitors, the teams of Hartman/Lamb and Kozak/VanSteenkiste each secured at least one ballot, a significant achievement in their first year of competition. The duos of Bacigalupo/Stemmerich and Hoang/Johnson, finished in the top 16, advancing to the elimination rounds. 

After meeting Hoang and Johnson in the elimination rounds, the team of Bacigalupo/Stemmerich advanced to the quarterfinals, securing a pre-national bid and finishing in the top eight after a close 2-1 split decision. Hoang and Johnson concluded their run among the tournament’s top 16 teams.

SVSU’s competitors stood out in individual orator rankings, with four Cardinals sweeping the top four spots: Bacigalupo placed first, followed by Stemmerich in second, Johnson in third and Hoang in fourth.

SVSU’s moot court team is coached by Kevin Lorentz, SVSU assistant professor of political science and director of the moot court program, and Amy Hendrickson, SVSU associate professor of law. 

“Amy and I are extremely proud of our teams' successes this weekend. It is a huge accomplishment to secure the top orator spots, and we now have qualified a team for the pre-national competition in January,” said Lorentz.

For more information about SVSU’s moot court, visit https://www.svsu.edu/mootcourt/.