WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — In a game like many others, the pressure was on Purdue professor Adriana Harmeyer going into the final "Jeopardy!" round during Tuesday's game.
And just like those many other games, the super champion couldn't be caught.
In a rare moment for Harmeyer, she was not in the lead going into the first commercial break but rather was in last place with $1,600 compared to fellow contestants Colleen Matthews, a speech-language pathologist from Oregon, and Mark Gagliardi, an actor and podcaster from Tennessee, who stood at $2,400 and $2,200, respectively.
But Harmeyer was able to buzz her way back to the top by the next commercial break, bringing her total up to $6,800 with a doubled lead over Matthews. By the end of the double "Jeopardy!" round, her total had grown to $13,600, with Matthews following closely behind at $10,600 and Gagliardi not far, either, with $7,200.
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In the category of "Geographic Name’s Almost The Same," the final "Jeopardy!" clue read, "Legend says in 1876 a dragon built for the first 'Ring' Cycle had its neck sent to this Mideast capital, not the right German city."
The answer: "What is Beirut, Lebanon?"
Although Matthews answered correctly, her wager of $4,000 couldn't compare to Harmeyer's $10,000 wager, propelling her into the win at a game total of $23,600, bringing her 15-day total to $349,600.
Monday, June 17
"Jeopardy!" host Ken Jennings kicked off Monday's episode by noting Purdue professor Adriana Harmeyer could potentially be overtaken, referencing Friday's game where the super champion found herself briefly in second place entering the final "Jeopardy!" round.
But despite coming close, neither could catch Harmeyer, seeing her streak continue after betting big to keep her lead in final "Jeopardy!"
Entering the first commercial break, Harmeyer found herself with a sizable lead of $2,800 over Ty Patton, a communications specialist from Iowa, who stood at $1,200, while Kelsey Kaunisviita Vockrodt, a stay-at-home mom from Ontario, Canada, stood at negative $200.
While Harmeyer maintained her lead throughout the double "Jeopardy!" round, an uncovered double "Jeopardy!" clue helped propel Patton just beneath her lead, taking Harmeyer and Patton into the final "Jeopardy!" round standing at $16,200 and $13,400, respectively.
In the category of "Two Last Names, Same First Letter," the final "Jeopardy!" clue read, "Born 344 years apart, they are the two real people mentioned by name in the titles of 1990s Best Picture Oscar winners."
The answer: "Who are Shakespeare and Schindler?"
Although Harmeyer and Patton both bet big and answered correctly, Harmeyer's sizable bet of $10,800 kept her just barely in the lead, ending with a game total of $27,000, bringing her 14-day total to $326,000.
Monday's win and sizable total move Harmeyer to No. 13 in rank of all time winnings for champions, pushing her past super champion Ryan Long, who competed in 2022 for 16 games, ultimately ending his streak with $299,400, according to a communications specialist with the "Jeopardy!" show.
Friday, June, 14
In what has been her closest game yet, Purdue professor Adriana Harmeyer came close to ending her streak on Friday, but managed to come out on top in the final "Jeopardy!" round.
Leading into the first commercial break, Harmeyer had the lead at $2,800 over competitors Susan Ayoob, a content strategist from California, and Kaitlin Tarr, an aspiring ceramicist from Colorado, who stood at $2,400 and $1,200 respectively.
While Harmeyer grew her lead by over $3,000 by the end of the "Jeopardy!" round, it was the double "Jeopardy!" where she found herself in a tight competition with Tarr. By the end of the double "Jeopardy!" round, Harmeyer's lead had slipped to second place, where she stood at $12,400 to Tarr's $12,800 with Ayoob not far behind at $10,200.
In the category of "1960s America," the final "Jeopardy!" clue read, "Helping draft an executive order in 1961, Hobart Taylor Jr. almost used the word 'positive,' but instead chose this alliterative phrase."
The answer: "What is Affirmative Action?"
The only contestant to answer correctly, Harmeyer's $8,100 wager propelled her back to the top with a game total of $20,500, bringing her 13-day total to $299,000.
Thursday, June, 13
Unlike the rest of the week's "Jeopardy!" games, Thursday night's episode ended in a near-runaway for Purdue archivist Adriana Harmeyer, winning her 12th episode in a row.
It was a slow start for all three contestants, seeing several uncovered clues left unanswered or answered incorrectly. But despite the low simmer in atmosphere, Harmeyer took the lead going into the first commercial break standing at $1,000.
Finishing the "Jeopardy!" round, Harmeyer's total had climbed to $2,800, with only competitor Hakme Lee, a scientific instructional technician from Washington, able to answer enough correctly to come close to the super champion at $2,000.
Any chance of a competitor overcoming Harmeyer's lead, however, were washed away following the double "Jeopardy!" round, seeing Harmeyer enter the final "Jeopardy!" round standing at $15,800 giving her distance from Lee's $9,200.
In the category of "1960s British Novels," the final "Jeopardy!" question read, "The author of this novel said of the last chapter left off U.S. editions, 'My young thuggish protagonist grows up.'"
The answer: "What is A Clockwork Orange?"
Harmeyer's wager of $4,000 propelled her final game total to $19,800, sweeping the episode and bringing her 12-day total to $278,500.
Wednesday, June, 12
It was another high-scoring, high-stakes game Wednesday night, but Purdue archivist Adriana Harmeyer was able to hang onto her super champion title, winning her 11th episode in a row.
Kicking off the first round with "The Photographs of Mathew Brady," Harmeyer nearly swept the category, but competitor Enzo Cunanan, a student from Florida, proved early he would be giving the super champion a run for her money.
But Harmeyer was able to hold her lead going into the first commercial break, standing at $3,600 over Cunanan's $2,600. Although she found herself with a slower start kicking off the double "Jeopardy!" round, Harmeyer found her footing once more, answering the majority of the "Rivers of Europe" category.
Leading by $4,200 in the final "Jeopardy!" round, the chance of a loss was on the table, given Harmeyer's total of $20,600 over Cunanan's $16,400 left room for risky wagers. In the category of "Famous Names" the clue read, "Vying with Eiffel, this engineer wanted to create big; an admiring account said the Obelisk of Luxor is too short to be a spoke."
The answer: "Who is Ferris?"
While Cunanan risked big and answered correctly, it wasn't enough to overtake Harmeyer, who also answered correctly, bringing her day's winnings to $33,000, with an 11-day total of $255,700.
Tuesday, June 11, recap
In another close game, Purdue archivist Adriana Harmeyer managed to rise to the top of her fellow "Jeopardy!" competitors, claiming her 10th win in a row and also earning the title of "super champion."
Throughout much of the game, Harmeyer, a clinical assistant professor and archivist for University History in Purdue's Archives and Special Collections, found herself and fellow contestant Scott McCann, a math teacher from Tennessee, battling for the lead. Although it was a slow start for Harmeyer, she buzzed in quickly enough to regain the lead going into the first commercial break.
But by the second commercial break prior to the double "Jeopardy!" round, Harmeyer's lead had slipped behind McCann, trailing at $3,400 to McCann's $5,000.
Harmeyer had a strong presence in the double "Jeopardy!" round, however, answering majority of the "Historic Decedents" and "Authors Before Authoring" categories, despite missing a daily double clue.
Going into the final "Jeopardy!" round, she led the three contestants at $14,400, with second place claimed by McCann at $10,200. In the category of "U.S. Geography," the final "Jeopardy!" question read, "Of the 10 U.S. states with 2-word names, this one stretches the farthest south."
The answer: "What is New Mexico?"
All three contestants answered correctly, but Harmeyer's wager of $6,600 kept her in the lead, ending the episode with daily winnings of $21,000, bringing her 10-day winnings to $225,700.
Monday, June 10, recap
Monday's "Jeopardy!" episode proved to be another close game, seeing Adriana Harmeyer win once again with a slim lead going into the final round, claiming her ninth win in a row.
Harmeyer kicked off the episode with a sweep of the category "Bunny Lit," answering questions relating to rabbit characters in modern literature.
Going into the first commercial break, Harmeyer had taken the lead at $3,800, just $1,000 ahead of Josh Fry, a software developer from Georgia who stood at $2,800.
But by the final "Jeopardy!" round, Harmeyer's lead would grow to $12,100, giving her a slim margin above Fry, who stood with a total of $10,700.
In the category of "New York Times Book Reviews," the final "Jeopardy!" question read, "In 1958, a review of this book now considered a classic called it repulsive, disgusting and 'highbrow p*rnography.'” The answer: "What is 'Lolita?'"
After being the only competitor to answer correctly, Harmeyer's wager of $9,500 was revealed, moving her game total to $21,600 and bringing her nine-day winnings to $204,700.
Friday, June 7, recap
Despite a close finish during Friday evening's game, Adriana Harmeyer once again rose to the top, claiming her eighth "Jeopardy!" win.
Harmeyer took the lead early on despite missing a double "Jeopardy!" clue, costing her $2,000.
But that small miss didn't slow her game, bringing Harmeyer to $19,600, just $3,000 ahead of competitor Kevin Stuhlmann, a pastor from Michigan going into the final round.
In the category of "World Leaders," the final "Jeopardy!" question read, "During a 1972 presidential visit, Richard Nixon discussed a poem by the leader called 'ode to the plum blossom.'" The answer: "Who is Mao Zedong?"
After answering correctly, Harmeyer's large wager of $7,800 shot her above her competitors to a game total of $27,400, bringing her eight-day total winnings to $183,100.
She will compete on "Jeopardy!" again on Monday at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, June 6, recap
Despite a slow-burn start to Thursday night's game, "Jeopardy!" champion Adriana Harmeyer rose to the top once again, bringing her seven-day winnings to $155,700.
Before the first commercial break, Harmeyer briefly found herself in the negative after two wrong answers.
But following that introductory break, Harmeyer found her footing once again, slowly regaining higher ground before turning the game into another runaway.
Harmeyer nearly swept the category "double 'r' words" in the double "Jeopardy!" round but was out-buzzed by competitor Shira Gluck, a New Jersey rabbi.
By the final round, Harmeyer found herself with a significant lead at $18,800, with fellow competitors Gluck and Benjamin Nelson, a theater producer from South Dakota, standing at $8,800 and $8,000, respectively.
In the category of "U.S. History," the final "Jeopardy!" question read, "Challenged in a courtroom that same year, 1925’s Butler Act in Tenn. outlawed this activity & wasn’t repealed until 1967." The answer: "What is teaching evolution?"
Only Harmeyer could find the correct answer, and after making a small wager of $800, brought her game-day winnings to $19,600.
Jillian Ellison is a reporter for the Journal and Courier. She can be reached via email at jellison@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @ellison_writes.
