Iowa City native Paul Nelson. (image from Web site for Jeopardy! TV show)

By Diana Nollen/ SourceMedia

Iowa City native Paul Nelson’s quest for the right questions came to an end in today’s (2/22/13) semifinal round of the “Jeopardy!” Tournament of Champions.

Nelson, 24, a former U.S. Senate aide now in the U.S. Navy’s Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I., finished in third place after missing the Final Jeopardy category on Italy, where the correct answer was Umbria. He wagered half of his $4,000 earnings.

He and second-place winner Jason Keller didn’t stand a chance against Keith Whitener, who ran away with the Double Jeopardy round, racking up $32,400 in today’s play. He had the right answer, but bet nothing, so takes the full amount into the Tournament Finals, which begin Monday.

Keller, a tutor from Highland Park, N.J., earned his Tournament of Champions spot with $213,900 in previous winnings, while Whitener, a research chemist from Charlotte, N.C., qualified with $147,597 in prior earnings.

Back in November, Nelson won $54,900 in first-place finishes, plus another $2,000 for finishing second in his final fall appearance.

Tournament of Champions semifinalists win $10,000.

At one point in today’s play, Nelson apologized to his “granny” in Canada for missing the answer Georgia Strait in previous play — since he’s crossed the strait at least four times when going to visit his grandmother. He is the son of Scott and Tracy Nelson of Iowa City.

“Jeopardy!” airs at 11:30 a.m. on KWWL Channel 7 in the Corridor.

"Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek (left) is shown here with Iowa City native Paul Nelson, who won $54,900 playing "Jeopardy!" in November 2012. Nelson is competing in the game show's Tournament of Champions, which begins airing Feb. 13, 2013. (Jeopardy Productions photo)

By Diana Nollen/ SourceMedia

Iowa City native Paul Nelson came from behind to stage a triumphant, yet conservative, win in today’s “Jeopardy!” Tournament of Champions quarterfinal round. He advances to the semi finals with $15,800 in his victory till.

Nelson, 24, who is now in Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I., began his “Jeopardy!” odyssey with six episodes that aired in November. His $54,900 earnings qualified him for the tournament, which was taped in mid-January and began airing today (2/13/13). He actually won another $2,000 in November when he placed second to end his winning streak.

Today’s opponents included Stephanie Jass, a history professor from Michigan, who is the show’s all-time highest winning female, at $147,570; and Jason Shore, a medical student from Plano, Texas, $85,200.

Nelson was trailing at the start of today’s Double Jeopardy round, but rebounded at the end with a Daily Double correct question that pushed him ahead with $15,800. His opponents were tied at $13,000.

They all played it safe with their Final Jeopary wagers, hoping to stay in the running for a wild card position if they didn’t win the match. For the first time, Nelson nailed the final answer, but bet $0. Actually, they all nailed the right question (Who is Ramses, in a Rosetta Stone answer), but Jass bet nothing and Shore bet just $1,000, which wasn’t enough to overtake Nelson.

Nelson, former Senate staff aide for Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), is the son of Scott and Tracy Nelson of Iowa City.

“Jeopardy!” airs at 11:30 a.m. weekdays on KWWL (Channel 7) in the Corridor. Quarterfinal action continues tomorrow (2/14/13).

"Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek (left) is shown here with Iowa City native Paul Nelson, who won $54,900 playing "Jeopardy!" in November 2012. Nelson will compete in the game show's Tournament of Champions, which begins airing Feb. 13, 2013. (Jeopardy Productions photo)

By Diana Nollen/ SourceMedia

Iowa City native Paul Nelson will be back at the button, hoping to come up with the right questions in the “Jeopardy!” Tournament of Champions. Taping started in mid-January and the episodes begin airing Feb. 13, 2013.

Nelson, now 24, had a successful six-episode run on the venerable game show back in November, winning $54,900. (He won another $2,000 for finishing second in his final appearance.) He was a legislative correspondent in Sen. Chuck Grassley’s Washington. D.C., office at the time. He is now in the U.S. Navy’s Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I., and is in a communications blackout, according to his father, Scott Nelson of Iowa City.

Among Nelson’s opponents is Stephanie Jass, a history professor from Michigan, who is the show’s all-time highest winning female, at $147,570. They will be vying for these prizes:

Champion: $250,000

1st runner-up: $100,000 (or the player’s two-day finals total, whichever is larger)

2nd runner-up: $50,000 (or the player’s two-day finals total, whichever is larger)

Semifinalist: $10,000.

“Jeopardy!” airs at 11:30 a.m. weekdays on KWWL (Channel 7) in the Corridor.

Tournament of Champion contestants are:

Colby Burnett, a high school World History teacher from Chicago, $100,000

David Gard, a retail horticulturist from Jamaica Plain, Mass., $84,700

Stephanie Jass, a history professor from Milan, Mich., $147,570

Jason Keller, a tutor from Highland Park, N.J., $213,900

Dave Leach, a game merchant from Atlanta, Ga., $98,054

Dan McShane, a bartender from West Islip, N.Y., $62,001

David Menchaca, a law student from Long Beach, Calif., $115,503

Kristin Morgan, a NASA strategic analyst from Huntsville, Ala., $69,098

Paul Nelson, former senate staff aide for Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) from Iowa City, $54,900

Joel Pool, a real estate developer from Oakland, Calif., $116,800

Patrick Quinn, a high school German teacher from Chesterfield, Mo., $100,000

Jason Shore, a medical student from Plano, Texas, $85,200

Monica Thieu (college champion), a psychology student from Dallas, Texas, $100,000

Keith Whitener, a research chemist from Charlotte, N.C., $147,597

Iowa City native Paul Nelson. (image from Web site for Jeopardy! TV show)

By Diana Nollen/ SourceMedia

Iowa City native Paul Nelson has done the seemingly impossible. He ended a six-episode run on “Jeopardy!” without answering correctly any Final Jeopardy question.

The key to his success? Conservative wagers. Even on his sixth and final try, he bet no money. He might have won yet again, except opponent Jake Ayers, a law student from San Diego, knew the final question in the popular TV game show where answers are given in the form of a question.

The final category was “Biographies About Authors,” and Oscar Wilde was the answer. Nelson, who has peppered his appearances with humor, wrote: “Who is Dolly Parton?” saying he just wanted to hear host Alex Trebek say that out loud.

Had Ayers missed the question, his wager of $9,301 would have landed him in second place. Instead, that where’s Nelson landed, adding $2,000 to his winnings, bringing his six-day total to $56,900.

Nelson, 23, is a legislative correspondent in Sen. Chuck Grassley’s Washington office. He is the son of Scott and Tracy Nelson of Iowa City.

Scott Nelson is more thrilled with his son’s conduct than with his earnings.

“Aside from Paul exercising his God-given abilities, we are proud of his character and how he presented himself in the national spotlight,” Nelson said. “He was the first competitor to step off the podium and congratulate the others.”

Iowa City native Paul Nelson. (image from Web site for Jeopardy! TV show)

By Diana Nollen/ SourceMedia

Even when he loses, he wins.

Iowa City native Paul Nelson missed today’s (11/21/12) Final Jeopardy question, but so did his opponents. His conservative wager of $1,000 kept him on top of the earnings heap as the others fell lower with their higher wagers in the category, “Opera.”

No one came up with the right question to this answer: “In 1900, the first La Scala performance of this opera was conducted by the man whose last name begins with the opera’s title.” Nelson guessed “Don Giovanni.” But the right question was, “What is ‘Tosca,’ ” since the conductor was Arturo Toscanini.

Only $1,100 separated all three contestants going into the final round, after one of the toughest matches I’ve seen on the popular answer-and-question television game show.

Nelson, 23, a legislative correspondent in Sen. Chuck Grassley’s Washington office, was back to defend his crown after a two-week hiatus while the show ran its annual Teachers’ Tournament.

He jumped out to his usual early lead, only to be eclipsed by Dan Sims, a case manager from Little Rock, and Morgan Kruse, a health economic consultant from Irvine, Calif. But with several missed questions by the opponents, Nelson was in the lead with $800 at the first commercial break, while the others sat at $0.

Nelson then won the first Daily Double, with a correct haiku answer in the Poetry category, to up his total to $4,500. He ended the round with $5,300, while Kruse stayed at $0 and Sims sat at $400. They didn’t even get to the Anagrams category — a phenomenon I’ve never seen happen. Granted, I only watch the show sporadically, but that speaks volumes for the way all three contestants struggled through the first round.

Sims shot ahead in Double Jeopardy with several correct answers about generals. Kruse jumped ahead of Nelson, too, but then fell back with a miss in the Planetary Matters category. Nelson lost $2,000 with a miss on a Daily Double answer about what a tonsorial practitioner does. (I felt very good for knowing the answer: cuts hair.)

When the dust settled on that round, Kruse had $4,400, Nelson had $4,500 and Sims led with $5,500, before they all surrendered their wagers in Final Jeopardy.

Nelson’s winning payoff of $3,500 brought his four-day earnings to $48,900.

I’m not sure I’ll be able to follow the action over the holiday weekend. It depends on figuring out when “Jeopardy!” airs in southeast Iowa (I think it’s in the afternoon), then being near a TV. I may have to wait until Monday, Nov. 26, to see if he’s still in the lineup.

“Jeopardy!” airs at 11:30 a.m. weekdays on KWWL Channel 7 in the Corridor.

If you catch the show Thursday or Friday, let me know how he fares.

Paul Nelson. (image from Web site for Jeopardy! TV show)

By Diana Nollen/ SourceMedia

Third time is still a charm for Iowa City native Paul Nelson, as his “Jeopardy!” winnings climbed to $45,400 Tuesday morning (11/6/12).

He’ll have a two-week break while the popular answer-and-question game show goes into its Teachers’ Tournament. After that, Nelson, 23, a legislative correspondent in Sen. Chuck Grassley’s Washington office, will be back to defend his crown.

He jumped to a huge lead Tuesday, racking up $4,800 by the first commercial break. He amassed $7,400 by the end of the first round and took $18,100 into Final Jeopardy.

It seemed like a given that he’d clean up in the Final round, with the category Cabinet Departments. He tripped, however, on which department launched a Spanish-language television campaign. He guessed the Department of Commerce, but the answer was the Department of Homeland Security.

No worries, with a conservative wager, his total fell to $16,200 — enough to remain Jeopardy champion.

'Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek (right), joins Iowa City native Paul Nelson in the winners circle on the television game show. Nelson's two-day earnings total $29,200. (Jeopardy Productions Inc. photo)

By Diana Nollen/ SourceMedia

Iowa City native Paul Nelson did it again.

He defended his “Jeopardy!” crown in an episode that aired at 11:30 a.m. Monday (11/5/12) in Eastern Iowa. With a $15,200 win, his two-day total jumped to $29,200.

Nelson, 23, a legislative correspondent in Sen. Chuck Grassley’s Washington, D.C., office, again knew most of the questions to political answers in the long-running game show where contestants supply their replies in question form.

He was in the lead with $18,600 going into the Final Jeopardy category: Broadway Musicals. With a conservative wager, he managed to pull out a $15,200 win even though he erred by writing down “Les Miserables” instead of “Chicago” for the longest-running American musical in Broadway history.

His formidable opponents were law school student Shari Dwoskin of Montreal and retired paralegal Bobbi Hiltibidal of Topeka, Kan.

To see how Nelson fares on Election Day, tune in to “Jeopardy!” at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday (11/6/12) on KWWL Channel 7.

Breath of Soul, featuring Cedar Rapids native Jesse Upah (second from left), won an online contest to open for Lady Antebellum on Dec. 3, 2012, in Nashville. Upah's bandmates are (from left) Tony Marx, David Kempton and Jake Black. (Breath of Soul photo)

By Diana Nollen/ SourceMedia

Three Eastern Iowa natives are making waves nationally.

Iowa City native Paul Nelson, 23, a legislative correspondent in Sen. Chuck Grassley’s Washington, D.C., office will be a contestant on “Jeopardy!” on Friday (11/2/12). The show airs locally at 11:30 a.m. on KWWL, Channel 7.

Nelson, son of Scott Nelson and Tracy Nelson of Iowa City, was home-schooled all the way through high school, finishing in 2007. He then graduated summa cum laude from Wheaton College in Illinois in 2011. He majored in political science. Should serve him well on the popular answer-and-question quiz show!

Cedar Rapids Jesse Upah and his a cappella group Breath of Soul, won the online contest to open for Lady Antebellum. Upah’s quartet, based in Nashville, will perform during Lady A’s “On This Winter’s Night” concert Dec. 3, 2012, at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

Upah is a 2002 graduate of Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School.

Cedar Rapids native Adam Hoffman and his band, The Shadowboxers, will open for the Indigo Girls’ sold-out concert Sunday (11/4/12) at the Englert Theatre in Iowa City. The Shadowboxers, based in Atlanta, is serving as the Indigo Girls’ band on the current tour.

Hoffman is a 2007 graduate of Cedar Rapids Washington High School.