CULVER CITY, CALIF. (May 13, 2011) - Lori Kissell, a Latin teacher at Liberty High School from Fredericksburg, Va., has won second place in the first-ever "Jeopardy!" Teachers Tournament, earning a total of $50,000.

Kissell was thrilled to be selected for the tournament, and said she wasn't nervous when she stepped onto the "Jeopardy!" stage.  "I was so excited about playing.  I've watched the show for eons, and had auditioned twice for the regular show," she said.  "To be selected for the Teachers Tournament is a privilege and an honor I will be proud of all my life."

One of the best parts of the competition for Kissell was meeting "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek.  "I was impressed by his candor in talking with the audience, and especially his sense of humor," she said.  "He's even handsomer in person.  I've had quite a number of my friends ask to ‘touch the hand that shook Alex Trebek's hand!'"
 
Kissell plans to put most of her winnings into savings and pay off bills.  However, she hasn't decided what she plans to do with all of it yet. "I may travel, start my next degree, do some home repairs," she said.  "I'm not entirely sure I've really accepted that the money is coming my way!"

Regarding her performance, Kissell hopes it will bring some respect to public school education.  "I teach in a school that draws its students from rural and suburban areas.  I hope that being part of this tournament will show that dedicated teachers aren't just in private schools and that a quality education is available all over if students take advantage of it."

Charles Temple, an English teacher at Ocracoke School from Ocracoke, N.C., placed first in the tournament and won $100,000.  Third place winner Larry DeMoss, an English teacher at Edgewood High School from Ellettsville, Ind., took home $25,000. The two-week competition featured 15 of the nation's top K-12 teachers. 

"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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