Henry Clay junior eliminated in ‘Jeopardy!’ semifinals

Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Gallery (click any photo to view the gallery)
Jay was on a roll early in the game and led with $6,200 after the first round.

Jay was on a roll early in the game and led with $6,200 after the first round.

Jay Schrader's friends howled and cheered when he was introduced along with rival contestants Haley and Sarah.Jay was on a roll early in the game and led with $6,200 after the first round.Jay kicked back in his basement with friends to watch his quarterfinal matchup.About 20 assorted friends and relatives packed the Schraders' basement at the viewing party. Another group watched upstairs in the living room, and a third TV played in the kitchen.

The wrap-up: Jay Schrader tallied an impressive $22,800 in the semifinals of the “Jeopardy!” Teen Tournament, but the Henry Clay High junior came up a dollar short Tuesday night (Nov. 18) and finished in second place. Shelby Malone of Grayson, Ky., was third. The Alpharetta, Ga., teenager who edged them advances to the finals. Jay will receive $10,000 in prize money.

 

Highlights: Jay’s score was in the red at the first commercial break after some early miscues, and he lost $1,000 on a true daily double. But he roared back in the Double Jeopardy round, doing especially well in the sports and classical music categories.

 

The end game: The Final Jeopardy category was “literary characters” and the answer:  In a 1914 novel, as a boy he could “drop twenty feet at a stretch from limb to limb in rapid descent to the ground.” All three contestants had the right question: “Who was Tarzan?”

 
  

The quarterfinals: Jay trailed going into the Final Jeopardy round Nov. 13, but pulled out the win with the only correct response: “Who is Hamilton?” The category was “Washington, D.C.” and the answer: “Unveiled in 1923, the statue of this man (pictured) is located on the south side of the Treasury building.” Jay’s two rivals guessed Madison and Jefferson, and he wound up with $17,000.

 

The buzz: The Schraders hosted a houseful of folks to watch Jay’s first matchup, including extended family, classmates and friends from Henry Clay, Bryan Station and Dunbar high schools. Here’s what a few had to say:

  • “It didn’t surprise me at all when he got picked (to be in the tournament). He was always one of our top players on the academic team.” – Devin Onkst, math teacher at Winburn Middle School who taught Jay in grades 6-8
  • “He loves competition of any kind – anything he thinks he can win. He’s very self-confident.” – Kathy Weaver, Jay’s aunt
  • “Since he was a baby, if he heard it, he could remember it.” – Libby Rountree, Jay’s grandmother
  • “This is right up his alley. He kind of gets in a zone. … I’ve played strategy games with him, and he usually wins those.” – Trey Owens, a Henry Clay senior who has grown up with Jay
  • “It was a really great experience – unlike anything I’ve ever done.” – Jay Schrader, contestant     

Editor's note: The feature below was written and posted before Jay's first game aired on TV. The photos above are from the Nov. 13 quarterfinals viewing party at his house. 

Jay Schrader says competing in the “Jeopardy!" Teen Tournament is all about the reaction time.

“The key to being on the show is the buzzers. You really have to get a feel for it. You have to go with your gut and try to find a rhythm,” said Jay, who can be seen at 7:30 p.m. Thursday Nov. 13 on WKYT TV-27.

Jay, a junior at Henry Clay High School, is among only 15 students from across the country selected for this teen tournament. “It’s pretty wild to watch the show on TV and actually be a part of it,” he said.

The winner of each nightly game and the other four top money-earners will advance to three semifinals next week. Those winners will compete in the two-day finals, with a minimum $75,000 grand prize.

“We watch (‘Jeopardy!’) at dinner pretty much every night. I’ve always been interested in trivia and quiz shows,” Jay said. “I’m kind of absorbent and remember obscure things really well. Some people can hit a golf ball – I can remember things.”

So after an online test at home, a lottery pick, another test, a mock game and interviews, he made the cut. The teens’ matchups were taped in a two-day marathon last month in Hollywood. Jay said the practice runs and TV promos helped him settle down before his turn.

“It’s a huge build-up and really exciting when you finally get to go play,” he said.

Jay, who takes AP art history and plays tennis at Henry Clay, lucked out with some of his best topics. “I really liked the sports categories, arts and music. Those are some of my strengths and kind of my base. I was really happy to see those pop up on the board,” he said.

Participating in academic competitions and being in the Liberal Arts Academy at Henry Clay prepared him well. “That’s helped obviously, with a lot of practice,” he said. “It helps you pick up an instinct for being on quiz bowls.”

So how would he advise other teens who want to compete on “Jeopardy!”?

“For auditions, you have to be fun and outgoing,” Jay said, “and you need to watch the show so you know what you’re up against.”