MOUNT PLEASANT—Will Dantzler, a senior from Bishop England High School, made it all the way to the finals of the “Jeopardy! Teen Tournament.”
There, he came in second place during a tight competition against Rachel Rothenberg and Aidan Mehigan. Rothenberg won the championship title, but Dantzler, his friends and family were still pleased with his performance. In the end, the teen brought home $31,600 in winnings and a strong sense of accomplishment.
Will started off in a field of 75,000 other hopefuls who tried out for the competition. Finally, 15 players were left to participate in the show.
His parents, Lynn and Mary Helen, cheered him on the whole way.
The teen attended Christ Our King/Stella Maris School in Mount Pleasant and serves on the altar at Stella Maris Church every Sunday. He credited his Catholic education with developing his theological knowledge and said the religion category was his favorite.
His least favorite was pop culture.
Will said he will use his earnings toward college, although he hasn’t decided where to attend yet.
As the winner, Rachel, a senior from Pittsburgh, took home $75,000. Aidan, a sophomore from Virginia, garnered $15,000.