[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the Friday, February 21 episode of Jeopardy!]
Love was within the air within the newest Jeopardy! Invitational Match sport when contestant Roger Craig revealed that he’s obtained married to one of many present’s all time greats!
Craig is a Season 27 six-game champion, 2011 Match of Champions winner, Battle of the Many years 2nd runner-up, and 2019 All-Star Video games participant. On JIT on Friday, February 21, Craig confronted Maya Wright, a graduate pupil from Atlanta, Georgia. She is a 2018 Teen Match second-runner-up and 2023 Excessive Faculty Reunion Match 2nd runner-up. John Focht, a Season 37 four-game champion and a 2022 Match of Champion semi-finalist, was the opposite competitor. He’s a baseball software program staff lead initially from El Paso, Texas.
Craig, an utilized scientist from Arlington, Virginia, is a winner not solely on Jeopardy!, but in addition in love. He gave an replace on his life throughout Friday’s present and revealed that he’s now married to Julia Collins, a 20-day champion. Throughout her run from April 21 to June 2, 2014, Collins received $429,100. On the time, it was the third-highest complete in Jeopardy! historical past. It’s now the ninth highest. She had essentially the most consecutive wins of a girl till Amy Schneider handed her in 2021.
In the course of the introductions, host Ken Jennings requested Craig what was new with him since he final performed with him within the All-Star Recreation in 2019 and Craig talked about getting married.
“Properly, on the All-Star Recreation, I reconnected with Julia Collins. I first met her in New York about 10 years in the past and we’re married now,” he mentioned.
“Wow. Jeopardy! energy couple,” Jennings mentioned because the viewers clapped. “Congratulations!”
“Yeah. It’s the very best factor to ever occur to me,” Craig responded.
“However, you’re right here as a substitute of Julia. Are you guys not going to ever play one another on Jeopardy!?” the host puzzled.
“Oh! We’d like to. She would like to be right here, however the logistics simply didn’t work out, so hopefully subsequent time,” Craig mentioned.
“Possibly subsequent time we’ll see you each,” Jennings informed him.
Compulsory pic of me and a really critical @KenJennings throwing gang indicators. pic.twitter.com/XkLW1dpRh7
— Roger Craig (@rogcraig) April 11, 2014
Reddit customers have been shocked to listen to that the Jeopardy! gamers are a pair.
“Woah Roger and Julia are married that’s an fascinating truth,” one fan mentioned.
“Caught me off guard ngl,” mentioned one other.
“That was actually a shock to study! (pleasantly although). Maybe which will clarify why Julia declined the invite. Somebody who is aware of higher than me: is there some kind of battle of curiosity with spouses taking part in in opposition to one another on Jeopardy?” a fan inquired.
In the course of the first spherical, Craig was in third place with solely $800 till answering the Every day Double accurately. “Consider the 4-letter acronym describing Muhammad Ali & it is sensible this was his signal,” the DD learn.
“What’s Capricorn?” Craig answered, which was right, bringing him as much as $1,800, and second place.
By the top of the primary spherical, Craig and Wright have been tied for second place with $2,200. Focht was manner forward with $7,800.
Craig skyrocketed to first place in Double Jeopardy! by discovering the entire DD’s in that spherical. Accurately answering all of them and making outrageous wagers, he earned $30,000. Craig dominated the remainder of the spherical answering a lot of the questions accurately. He ended with $36,000. Focht was in second with $13,800 and Wright had $1,400.
The Last Jeopardy! query decided the sport and led Craig to the win. It learn, “Yale takes credit score for beginning a graduation custom when it gave this composer an honorary doctorate in 1905.”
Wright answered accurately with “Who’s Elgar?” wagering solely $47, making her ultimate complete $1,447. Focht answered the identical, including $915, ending with $14,715. Craig additionally wrote Elgar and wagered nothing, ending with $36,000. He advances to the semi-finals. Possibly Collins will present up within the viewers throughout the subsequent spherical.
Monday’s sport will function Avi Gupta, 2019 Teen Match winner, fan-favorite Amy Schneider, 2022 ToC winner, and Luigi de Guzman, five-day winner.
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