Andrew Chung '10 is on his way to the final round of the “Jeopardy!” 2008 College Championship after a solid win in his semifinal match Tuesday, May 13.

Despite a runner-up finish in the previous week's quarter finals, he nailed down a high scorer wild card that secured him a spot in the semi finals. Matched up against fellow semi-finalists Danny Devries from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and James Grant from Georgetown University, Chung wasted no time and bagged another victory. 

A jubilant standing-room only crowd of students, faculty and staff watching the broadcast in HMC's Galileo Hall let out a cheer as Chung ended the Double Jeopardy round with $12,200 -- more than twice his next-place opponent's $6,000, meaning he had sewn up the "runaway" win without having to wager in Final Jeopardy. A voice rang out across the auditorium: "I hope you did the math, Andrew!" 

He wagered none of his $12,200, and with that, he’s off to the finals—ready to buzz his way into game show history, and to the bank. The "Jeopardy!" College Tournament website features a video of his reflections on his semifinal round and making it to the finals. 

The tournament's third-place winner will take home a minimum of $25,000, while second place guarantees a minimum of $50,000. The champion takes home a whopping $100,000.

“I was excited, but not so much about the extra cash I'd get for continuing on in the tournament,” wrote Chung in his online “Jeopardy!” blog. “I just wanted to play more because actually being on stage and answering questions was one of the biggest rushes I've ever had.”

Chung, a chemistry major from Arleta, Calif., is the second HMC student to appear on the prestigious game show, which has received 27 Emmy awards since its debut in 1984 and been rated number one in syndication for more than 1,000 weeks.

Curiously, 10 years ago, another Andrew made it to the finals: HMC alumnus Andrew “Rif” Hutchings ‘98 was the “Jeopardy!” college champion in 1998.

Will Chung continue Mudd’s “Jeopardy!” legacy?

You’ll just have to stay tuned…

The two-game final match will be broadcast Thursday, May 15, and Friday, May 16, at 7 p.m., on local channel KABC-7. Members of the college community are again invited to watch in Galileo Hall. Refreshments will be served.