Substitute Teacher Sam Kavanaugh Wins $250,000 in Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions

Ashley Boucher

28 May 2021 at 8:00 pm·2-min read

Carol Kaelson/Quadra Productions, Inc. Jeopardy contestant Sam Kavanaugh

Jeopardy!'s Tournament of Champions has named its winner!

Sam Kavanaugh, a Minnesota substitute teacher, won the $250,000 grand prize on Friday after 10 days of competition against Michigan wine tasting consultant Jennifer Quail and Oregon reference librarian Veronica Vichit-Vadakan.

Quail won the $100,000 prize, while Vichit-Vadakan won $50,000.

Kavanaugh's prize will be matched by Jeopardy! and donated to Hope of the Valley Trebek Center for the Homeless in honor of late host Alex Trebek, who died in November of pancreatic cancer.

Carol Kaelson/Quadra Productions, Inc. Jeopardy contestants Veronica Vichit-Vadakan, Jennifer Quail, Sam Kavanaugh

Trebek's wife, Jean Trebek, called Jeopardy!'s donation "wonderful" in a statement.

"The show's generosity continues to reflect Alex's desire to assist underrepresented communities," she said.

Jeopardy! All Star Buzzy Cohen hosted the tournament, but Mayim Bialik will take her turn as the game show's next guest host on Monday.

Amanda Edwards/Getty Alex Trebek

Previous guest hosts since Trebek's death have included Aaron Rodgers, Anderson Cooper, Bill Whitaker and Katie Couric, who was the show's first woman host. LeVar Burton was named as an upcoming host last month alongside Good Morning America co-anchors George Stephanopoulos and Robin Roberts, CNBC journalist (and former Celebrity Jeopardy champion) David Faber and sportscaster Joe Buck.

Jeopardy! airs weeknights in syndication (check local listings).

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