Nibir Sarma has become the first winner of the “Jeopardy!” College Championship from the University of Minnesota.
Sarma, a sophomore from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, won the two-week tournament in an episode airing Friday night, earning $100,000 and a berth against regular “Jeopardy!” winners in the annual Tournament of Champions.
Sarma beat second-place finisher Tyler Combs, a senior at Indiana University who wins $50,000 and Xiaoke Ying, a sophomore at the University of Southern California who came in third and took home $25,000.
Sarma, a chemical engineering major, became the first winner of the tournament from a public university since 2014.
Get San Diego local news, weather forecasts, sports and lifestyle stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC San Diego newsletters.
“I’m so proud and happy to represent the state of Minnesota, and also represent students at large public universities who sort of get viewed in a different way than, say, some private colleges,” Sarma said in a statement. “I really love representing my hometown college and my community.”