Stony Brook University alumnus Stephen Webb ’11 is the latest contestant to post an epic run of victories on the game show Jeopardy!
Webb, who received his PhD in physics at Stony Brook, posted eight consecutive nights as Jeopardy! champion last week, winning a grand total of $184,881 in the streak.
Webb is a data scientist from Longmont, Colorado, who won three straight contests without the help of Daily Doubles. His streak has already qualified him for the 2023 Tournament of Champions. He won his first night with $38,401 and took off from there.
According to his hometown paper, the Longmont Leader, Webb is a longtime fan of the show who has watched for 25 years before becoming its latest sensation. He took the show’s online “Anytime Test” — the qualifying exam — in Spring 2020 at the behest of his wife. Three years later, after several interviews and Zoom meetings, he was invited to the set in Culver City, California.
He told the paper that potential contestants should stick with the process, even if it seems daunting.
“Life is a lot better when you just say yes to possibilities,” Webb said.
