Michigan Woman Makes Huge Come-From-Behind Jeopardy Win

Spoiler Alert: A Michigan woman staged an incredible comeback last night (3/27), winning the Jeopardy Invitational Tournament and advancing to the next round of the tournament.

Jennifer Quail looked as stunned as we did in the at-home audience as she stood at the lectern. Quail was trailing her opponents going into the Final Jeopardy round, but a smart wager and the only correct response to the clue paid off with a victory.

Who is Jennifer Quail?

Jennifer Quail is a wine-tasting consultant from Dowagiac, Michigan. Dowagiac is about 45 miles southwest of Kalamazoo, near the Indian state line.

Quail is no stranger to the iconic quiz show. According to TV Insider, she's been live tweeting Jeopardy for years. She was an eight-game champion in season 36 and a first runner-up in the 2021 Tournament of Champions.

Last night's appearance in the 'Jeopardy Invitational Tournament' was her 14th appearance on the show, and it appears that she's a master when it comes to Final Jeopardy, because she's responded correctly 13 of the 14 times she's been on.

Three Outstanding 'Jeopardy!' Players

Quail faced some formidable foes in her March 27 appearance. Alex Jacob was a six-game champ in season 31 and went on to win the Tournament of Champions in 2015, taking home $250,000.

Brandon Blackwell is a former Jeopardy champion who has also appeared on 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire' and has earned the nickname 'The Lightning Bolt' as a chaser on the ABC game show 'The Chase.'

All three players fared well during the first two rounds, with Blackwell and Quail each taking a turn at being in the lead. But Jennifer was trailing her opponents as they headed into the show's final round.

A Stunning, Come-From-Behind Win

Going into Final Jeopardy, the scores were Blackwell $23,600, Jacob $14,200, and Quail $11,000.

Here's the clue they were read for Final, in the category 'Old Words.' “First appearing in an English dictionary in 1623, mesonoxian means pertaining to this word.”

Quail was the only player to respond correctly, "What is midnight?" which propelled her score to $22,000. Alex Jacob bet it all, so his incorrect response took him to $0. Blackwell also responded incorrectly and his hefty wager took him down to $18,799, which put him in second place behind the Michigander.

"How did that happen?" exclaimed Quail as she took a moment to process her surprise win.

Jennifer Quail now advances to the Jeopardy Invitational Tournament's semifinals.

Another Michigan Native to Appear on Jeopardy March 28.

Tonight's show (3/28) features a lawyer originally from Grand Blanc. Chuck Forrest first appeared on the show in 1985. He's the player responsible for creating what is known today as 'The Forrest Bounce' where players reveal clues by bouncing around the game board rather than in sequential order.