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Frontlist | She did it again! Michigan author is two-time ‘Jeopardy’ champion with big payday

Frontlist | She did it again! Michigan author is two-time ‘Jeopardy’ champion with big payday
on Mar 09, 2021

She’s done it again! A Michigan author is now a two-time “Jeopardy” champion as she successfully defended her title on tonight’s game of answers and questions, the first “Jeopardy” show guest hosted by Katie Couric.

Laura Portwood-Stacer was born in Royal Oak and raised in Livonia. She graduated from Livonia Churchill before graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in Telecommunication Information Studies and Media. She then moved to Los Angeles where she got her masters and PhD from USC.

She taught Media Studies at NYU before recently moving back to L.A where she’s a self-employed editor and consultant. She has a book coming out in July called “The Book Proposal Book: A Guide for Scholarly Authors,” which is a handbook that helps people write a book proposal.

JEOPARDY ROUND

Challenger Matt Wierman from Florida got off to an early start with Portwood-Stacer right behind him and Justin Yaeger from California trailing in third place. Portwood-Stacer took the lead later in the round before landing on the Daily Double. She wagered $2,000 and added to her total. After the Jeopardy Round, Portwood-Stacer was in first with $8,000. Wierman was in second with $4,600 and Yaeger in third with $3,000.

DOUBLE JEOPARDY

The game tightened up early in this round with Wierman eventually taking the lead. Yaeger made a nice comeback, too, and was not far behind in third. Wierman was in the lead by about $4,000 and wagered exactly that on the first Daily Double. He guessed wrong giving Portwood-Stacer a small lead. Wierman landed on the second Daily Double, wagering $3,000 and answered wrong again.

Portwood-Stacer took the lead late in the round to end with $15,600. Wierman was in second with $11,600 followed by Yaeger with $10,200. It was anybody’s game going into Final Jeopardy.

FINAL JEOPARDY

The Category: Radio History. The clue: A 1949 broadcast in Spanish of this drama from 11 years before caused mass panic in Ecuador and the destruction of the radio station. What is “War of the Worlds.”

Yaeger was so close, answering “The War of the World.” He lost $5,100. Wierman got it right and added $10,014 taking him to $21,614. Portwood-Stacer also got it right and wagered $7,601 for a total of $23,201 making her the two-time champion with $42,601. She will go for three in a row tomorrow night.