Beginning Wednesday, Feb. 1, “Jeopardy!” will broadcast its 24th College Championship with 15 of the nation’s brightest college students competing for the $100,000 grand prize and a guaranteed spot in the Tournament of Champions.
“As with most things in life, the cost of a college education is steadily on the rise,” said “Jeopardy!” Host Alex Trebek. “With over a quarter million dollars in cash prizes, we want to reward the accomplishments of these incredibly sharp students by investing in their future and helping them reach their full potential.”
More than 12,000 undergraduate students competed for slots in the elite tournament. Harvard University will make its 14th appearance in the competition and has been represented more than any other university. This year also marks the first time that Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Eastern Illinois University and Goucher College will compete in the championship. The colleges in the tournament range in size from the 1,446-student Goucher College to Indiana University with 32,543 undergraduates.
The following students are competing for the coveted “Jeopardy!” title:
| NAME
Sarah Bart |
AGE 22 |
COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY
Goucher College |
HOMETOWN
Philadelphia, Pa. |
| Sarah Bauer | 21 | Indiana University | Carmel, Ind. |
| Tyler Benedict | 21 | Columbia University | Dayton, Ohio |
| Jaime Alayon | 19 | The George Washington University | Miami, Fla. |
| Greer Mackebee | 22 | Duke University | Knoxville, Tenn. |
| Zach McDonnell | 18 | The College of William & Mary | Harrisonburg, Va. |
| Marie McGraw | 21 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | Cleveland, Ohio |
| Weston Mangin | 19 | Cal Poly San Luis Obispo | Arroyo Grande, Calif. |
| Matt Olson | 20 | Stanford University | Berkeley, Calif. |
| Charlie Rooney | 19 | Loyola University Chicago | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| Anne Rozek | 19 | Eastern Illinois University | Cary, Ill. |
| Connie Shi | 19 | University of Michigan | Okemos, Mich. |
| Zack Terrill | 21 | Vanderbilt University | Winter Springs, Fla. |
| Monica Thieu | 18 | University of North Texas | Dallas, Texas |
| Carrie Tian | 17 | Harvard University | Greenville, S.C. |
The second place winner will earn a minimum of $50,000 and third place $25,000. Semifinalists receive $10,000, and contestants eliminated in the first round receive $5,000. Since 1989, more than 150 colleges and universities have been represented in the tournament, with nearly $3 million in cash prizes awarded to the students.