CULVER CITY, CALIF. (Nov. 19, 2010) - Sam Spaulding, a 19-year-old computer science major at Yale University, placed second in the "Jeopardy!" College Championship, taking home $50,000 in cash winnings.  Spaulding competed against 14 undergraduates from across the country during the two-week competition. 

"Playing on the College Championship was unbelievable - truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Spaulding said.  "I met so many interesting people, got to play fun games, and, of course, meet Alex Trebek."

Yale has had a total of seven students compete in the "Jeopardy!" College Championship, but Spaulding is the first to place during the competition.  "It was an honor to be chosen and a dream to make it as far as I did," he said.

Spaulding admits he was a little nervous about playing, but was relieved when he saw the category Comic Book Villainy.  "I really like comics, but that information is rarely useful in any way," he joked.  His least favorite category was French Anatomy quiz.  "I don't know a word of French, so it was pretty rough," he added.

Originally from Wilmington, N.C., Spaulding works in a robotics lab at Yale and is actively involved with the Quiz Bowl and the Student Activities Committee.  He plans to use his earnings to travel, pay off tuition and save whatever is left over.

Erin McLean, a sophomore at Boston University, finished first in the competition, winning $100,000.  Third place winner Hans von Walter, a junior at Southern Adventist University, earned $25,000.

"Jeopardy!," the winner of 28 Emmy awards since its debut in 1984, was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records for the most awards won by a TV Game Show. The series is the #1-rated quiz show in syndication with nearly 9 million daily viewers. "Jeopardy!" is produced by Sony Pictures Television, a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company. It is distributed domestically by CBS Television Distribution and internationally by CBS Television International, both units of CBS Corp. 

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