Emily Sands, the only Minnesotan to qualify for this year's Tournament of Champions on "Jeopardy," won't be competing in the final.
The Chanhassen project manager came up short in Friday's episode, coming in third place. Yogesh Raut, a psychologist from Washington state, dominated throughout most of the game and will compete in next week's finals, which starts on March 12.
The only time Sands posed a real threat was when she picked a Daily Double and bet it all. The correct answer would have made it a tight race. But she named the incorrect kind of blue pigment in a classic painting. Despite successfully answering a second Daily Double in the same round, she wasn't able to make up ground.
After being the only contestant to give the right response in Final Jeopardy, Raut thanked Sands for a gift she had given him.
"Your bracelet was my lucky charm, Emily," he scribbled on the screen.
Even while struggling, Sands maintained her signature smile. She had every reason to be happy. She previously won three times in 2021, collecting about $75,000.
In her quarterfinal round, she upset six-time champ Suresh Krishnan. And finishing in the top nine is something to celebrate -- although it's not quite as satisfying as taking home that $250,000 grand prize.
New episodes of "Jeopardy" air at 4:30 p.m. weekdays on KARE in the Twin Cities.
