After winning her “Jeopardy! Champions Wildcard Tournament” quarterfinals match, Naperville resident Erin Portman is now semifinalist and advancing in the next round of the game show competition airing this week.
Portman, who teaches English at Plainfield East High School, first appeared on the television quiz show in January 2023, and then again earlier this month as part of the Season 39 wildcard tournament.
During the episode that aired Jan. 19, she won $20,200 to secure a spot in a semifinal match that will air at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday on ABC.
During the quarterfinals, she entered Final Jeopardy in second place, but her correct answer coupled with a $9,000 wager propelled her to a first-place finish over contestants Bryan White, from California, and Rachel Clark, from Washington, D.C.
“My favorite part of being on ‘Jeopardy’ again was meeting all the wonderful, brilliant people who were also there for the Champions Wildcard Tournament,” Portman said. “I’ve never had a chance to have so many nerdy, delightful conversations full of fun facts and stories.”
While she’s not allowed to discuss the upcoming games or how she fared until after they’ve aired, Portman, 30, said she was comfortable being back in front of the camera because she doesn’t suffer a lot of stage fright. She also commended the Jeopardy staff and host Ken Jennings for their professionalism.
“There’s certainly some adrenaline as you walk up onto the stage, and I knew that all of the other competitors were super knowledgeable as well as quick on the buzzer,” Portman said. “But my main goal was to have fun, and just getting to go back again was already a cherry on top of the initial ‘Jeopardy’ experience, which was lovely.”
Portman said her parents and sister helped her practice for both shows, and were in the audience to give her their support.
“It was super fun to have them there, knowing how excited they were for me to return to the ‘Jeopardy’ stage,” she said.
Portman said she prepared for the show by reviewing categories she felt confident about, including geography, history and literature, and trying to expand her knowledge in topics that weren’t as familiar on the off chance she might get a clue that way.
But the preparation has been a lifelong project, she said.
“A lot of what comes up is stuff you’d never think about but somehow have tucked away in the back corner of your brain,” said Portman, who has a master’s degree in English from Boston College.
“I’m the kind of person who likes to know a little bit about a lot of different things.”
Portman’s students and school have been big fans.
The Plainfield East High School Scholastic Bowl Team lent her a buzzer so she could practice her timing. The school newspaper interviewed her for a story, she said, and she was featured on the district announcements.
Her students were excited to hear she was returning to the game, she said.
“We do a lot of trivia in my classes,” Portman said. “It’s something I’m really enthusiastic about so it’s always my hope that by sharing fun facts with them and giving them chances to share their own fun facts, we can build a sense of how great learning can be not just in school but for life.”
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
