A calculated move of waging one extra dollar played a deciding factor in this year’s Jeopardy! Teen Tournament. Combining his lead from the first game of the finals with a strong finish in the second game, Sharath Narayan of Madison, Alabama, wagered a savvy $1 greater than co-contestant Alec Fischthal’s leading score in the finals aired last week.
But it wasn’t until Fischthal’s response and resulting score was revealed that everyone realized that Narayan had taken the overall win.
Narayan’s wagering strategy wasn’t an accident. Once he knew he’d be on the show, the 16-year-old junior from James Clemens High School told jeopardy.com that he thoroughly researched the show history and came up with a game plan. “Two of the main things I made sure to prepare for before the tournament were wagering strategy and buzzer technique, because I knew that these two were vital to winning as many games as possible,” he said.
Narayan was chosen out of nearly 300 teenagers to compete in quiz show after an audition.
“It was kind of hard to fathom that I made it to the audition, when they sent the email for the audition and then to the show, which is even bigger,” said Narayan. He admitted to be “definitely” intimidated by the buzzer. “Getting in on the buzzer quickly is difficult,” he told jeopardy.com.
But even with all that preparation, Narayan was humble in victory. “I’m stunned,” he said. “I didn’t even know I was going to get on the show, let alone make it this far,” he said. “I never really imagined I could get to the finals.” Narayan said he kept focused one game at a time. “It was just step after step.” And the first step presented him with his first challenge.
Narayan said he plans to travel and take care of some expenses with his $100,000 winnings.”I’d still like to go on a trip to Europe with my family,” Narayan said, adding that a majority of it will probably go towards taxes and college tuition.
Though it was competitive, Narayan said the tournament created a bond for the contestants. “While we were on stage during the commercial breaks, all three of us (Michael, Alec and I) were very excited to just be in the finals, and we knew that no matter who won, we would all keep in touch,” Narayan told jeopardy.com. “In fact, all 15 of us have kept in touch since then, and we talk to each other on a regular basis.”
Narayan told jeopardy.com that he has found his victory as a source of strength. “I’m definitely more confident now since I won the tournament, and it showed me that I’m able to surprise myself and accomplish things that I never would have thought possible,” he said.
Second place winner Fischthal is a North Woodmere resident and student at George W. Hewlett High School, in Long Island, New York. Third place winner, Michael Borecki, from Darien, Connecticut, was recently named a National Merit Semifinalist and last year won the National History Bee Connecticut State Championship JV level for the second year. As an eighth-grader, he won the state’s geography bee.
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