‘I got beat on the buzzer’: UF student comes in last place on 'Jeopardy!'

“What is?” was Jade Ryan’s response every time she answered a trivia question on national television Tuesday evening.

The 25-year-old UF English senior came in last place on an episode of “Jeopardy!,” a trivia television show, aired on CBS.

“I got beat on the buzzer,” Ryan said. “But I had fun. It was my dream.”

The show was filmed Dec. 5 in Los Angeles, but Ryan and her friends gathered at House of Beer, at 19 W. University Ave., with more than 10 people to watch the premiere.

Ryan brought home $1,000 in third place. Second place won $2,000, and the winner advanced with $15,599 to the next round.

Throughout the episode, Ryan’s first correct answer earned her $200. She then hit a low of -$200 and eventually gained her final earnings.

In the future, Ryan wants to earn her doctorate in either film studies or comparative literature. She is currently waiting on graduate school acceptances, but her top choice is the University of Pennsylvania. She plans to one day be a professor.

“She did great,” said friend Stephanie Falcon, 33, of Gainesville. “I imagine it’s super nerve-wracking.”

Being on “Jeopardy!” wasn’t an overnight occurrence but rather two years in the making, Ryan’s dad, Dan Ryan, 53, said. He’s proud of his daughter’s accomplishment.

“She was on ‘Jeopardy!’ with Alex Trebek,” Dan Ryan said. “What’s cooler than that?”

Jade Ryan, a 25-year-old UF English senior, and her friends watch her compete on "Jeopardy!" Tuesday night at House of Beer, at 19 W. University Ave.