Smart South Dakota Student to Compete on Jeopardy!

It's not every day that South Dakota is highlighted on a national television game show. One senior from Brandon Valley High School has the chance to represent the state and maybe win some money too.

Ryan Presler from Sioux Falls is going to appear on the first-ever " Jeopardy! High School Reunion Tournament Friday, February 24th. It seems like Ryan is going to be one of the younger contestants on the program. In his Jeopardy! episode, Ryan will compete with two contestants from respected universities in the country.

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Dakota News Now is reporting Ryan's competitors are "Jackson Jones, a junior at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and Isabella Pagano, a first-year student at CalTech in Pasadena, California." The grand prize of the Jeopardy! High School Reunion Tournament? $100,000 and a chance to appear on Jeopardy! The Tournament of Champions. Wow!

Ryan has been preparing for this moment since he auditioned in 2019. A representative from Jeopardy! explains the show "had so many excellent teen contestants that the show hosted two Teen Tournaments. Now, those bright young minds are older, wiser, and ready to return to the stage for a first-of-its-kind twist on the traditional College Championship format, according to producers for the show." It's finally time for Ryan to shine on TV!

This is how the tournament goes: Jeopardy! High School Reunion Tournament will feature nine quarterfinal games, three semifinals, and a two-day, total point affair final. Here's the schedule from Dakota News Now:

Monday, Feb. 20 – Friday, Feb. 24: Quarterfinal Games 1-5

Monday, Feb. 27 – Friday, March 3: Quarterfinal Games 6-9; Semifinal Game 1

Monday, March 6 – Thursday, March 9: Semifinal Games 2-3; Finals Games 1-2

Make sure you watch Ryan next Friday for his Jeopardy! debut! Break a leg, Ryan! South Dakota is cheering you on to victory.

13 Times Sioux Falls Made it into a 'Jeopardy!' Question

If the world was divided into Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune people, I would be down for Jeopardy! all the way. It's a lot more fun, it makes me feel smart because I can retain lots of trivia, and I am a horrible speller. So Wheel is out, no whammies.

Recently I discovered (I mean wasted a lot of time on) a website that is an archive of clues that have been on Jeopardy!.

While digging around the archive, I wanted to find out how often Sioux Falls came up in a question (Answer) on the show. Since 1990 Sioux Falls has been part of a question or an answer 13 times.

Source: j-archive.com

Birthday Freebies You Can Get at Sioux Falls Businesses

We've added even MORE birthday freebies from Sioux Falls businesses.

Everyone loves free stuff, especially on your birthday. Most of the freebies require you to sign up for their rewards program, e-mail list, or mobile app, so make sure you plan ahead. Some of the offers are good just on your birthday, while others are good for a week or longer.

Of course, this is just a small list. There are many more businesses that offer free stuff for your birthday right here in Sioux Falls. You just need to ask! Or, choose your favorite business, check out their website, and sign up for their e-mail club. All offers are subject to change at any time. Call ahead or check their website for more details.

*List updated 12/28/2022 - Individual businesses may change their policies at any time.