SAYREVILLE – A Sayreville native has won $62,800 and three episodes of the game show “Jeopardy!”
Kate Timpson O’Connor, a graduate of Sayreville War Memorial High School, and the daughter of Gary and Catherine Timpson, won three episodes of “Jeopardy!” that aired from Dec. 18-20. Her winning streak concluded in a Dec. 21 episode.
“If I remember correctly, I didn’t go into any Final Jeopardy leading,” O’Connor said. “I also think the only Daily Double I got was in [Dec. 18]’s show, highly improbable for a three-time winner. I took large gambles in each Final Jeopardy in order to win, but that also led to my demise.”
As noted by O’Connor, her three victories were also considered improbable due to her not being in first place when Final Jeopardy occurred and only winning one Daily Double. She said that according to thejeopardyfan on Twitter, the probable winning streak that was calculated for her was 1.6 days – lower than her actual streak of three days.
Currently living in Florence Township with her husband John and children Anna and John, O’Connor studied biology at the College of New Jersey and has been employed by Halberstadt Insurance Services of Princeton since 2010.
By appearing on “Jeopardy!” O’Connor said she fulfilled one of her lifetime goals. Her recent run on the trivia competition also marked her first appearance on a game show.
“Once you appear on ‘Jeopardy!’ you are prohibited from trying out or appearing again, unless they invite you back, like for a Tournament of Champions,” O’Connor said.
For anyone interested in the game show, O’Connor recommends auditioning.
“It doesn’t hurt to try out, if you want to get on, and read and learn wherever you can,” she said.
“Jeopardy!” airs weekdays on ABC at 7 p.m.
