“In case you were wondering, 29 is the 10th prime number, the atomic number of copper, it’s the age of Nick Jonas, it’s the number of days in February in a leap year, it’s the highest possible score in a hand of cribbage, and, most importantly for us today, it is the number of consecutive games of ‘Jeopardy!’ won by our champion Amy Schneider,” he noted. “‘Will she make it to 30?’ is the big question.”
In the interview segment, the Chaminade-Julienne graduate took the opportunity to thank her mother for fueling her curiosity about words.
“I was thinking, like, what it is that contributed to me being here. and my success here, and I was thinking about when she was helping me study for the spelling bee, and we wouldn’t just, like, go over the words, but we would talk about the etymology,” Schneider said. “She said, ‘Isn’t it, how interesting, that ‘stoic’ comes from this architecture term?’ And I think that’s how I know so much stuff. I always want to associate it with something and find interest in the fact and not just the fact itself.”
“This is going to warm the hearts of parents out there,” Jennings remarked. “You’re still making a difference decades later. It matters what you do.”
At the end of Double Jeopardy!, Schneider garnered a whopping $39,200. Her closest competitor was far behind with $9,500.
“An absolutely dominating performance by Amy Schneider today,” Jennings said.
Before Final Jeopardy!, Jennings noted during the commercial break that the judges decided to approve an answer Schneider missed in the Double Jeopardy! round. The clue in the category of Falling: “Sometimes used of the stock market, it’s a plunge by an aircraft with the forward part pointing down.” Schneider answered tailspin, which was originally rejected due to the supposed correct answer of nosedive. After the approval of tailspin, her score increased to $42,400.
“Tailspin is technically correct,” Jennings said. “We’ve given her an additional $3,200 that takes her to a remarkable 41 out of 60 correct responses in this game.”
In Final Jeopardy!, the clue in the category of Broadway Musicals: “Each in a show that ran more than 2 years, Ethel Merman and Sarah Jessica Parker played 2 different characters with this first name.” The correct response was Annie (Annie Oakley of “Annie Get Your Gun” for Merman and the titular role of “Annie” for Parker), but Schneider answered Rose, the ultimate stage mother from “Gypsy.” She wagered $20,000, leaving her with $22,400 for the episode.
Schneider can be seen on “Jeopardy!” weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on WDTN Channel 2.
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