Michigan State University faculty member Pete Johnston fulfilled a lifelong dream when he first appeared on a July episode of “Jeopardy!” While Johnston came in second place in July, he took first place in the “Jeopardy!” Second Chance Tournament game Dec. 17 and also in the resulting two-game finals Dec. 18-19. He next competes in the Champions Wildcard game airing Jan. 8, 2026.
“Getting to have another chance on ‘Jeopardy!’ is just mind blowing,” he said. “I couldn’t have imagined doing it once, and even though I didn’t come out on top the first time, I still had the absolute time of my life. Being given a second chance to go back and do it again just leaves me speechless.”
In the “Jeopardy!” episode Dec. 17, Johnston once again showed off his high school quiz bowl experience and arts and humanities background playing strong and in close competition much of the game with contestant Chris Turner-Neal.
It all came down to the Final “Jeopardy!” round in the Art and Artists category with the question: “He once said, ‘A hole can have as much meaning as a solid mass.’” All three contestants answered incorrectly. (The correct response was: “Who is Henry Moore?”) Johnston’s final score was $12,800 narrowly beating out Turner-Neal by $100.
With Johnston’s Dec. 17 win, he advanced to two-game finals Dec. 18-19 in the first round of the Second Chance Tournament.
In the first game Dec. 18, Johnston zeroed out in Final “Jeopardy!” along with contestant Dave Widmayer. However, Johnston secured the win in the Dec. 19 game, which again came down to the Final “Jeopardy!” round.
The category was Movie Inspiration, perfect for the filmmaker and film studies educator. The question was: “A store’s mingling of displays of two different holidays inspired a poem and years later a 1990s film with this name.” The answer was: “What is ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’?” Johnston and contestant Eugene Huang answered correctly. Johnston bet all $13,400 and doubled his score to $26,800, which was also his combined score from the two-game finals, narrowly beating Huang’s final score by $1,000.
Looking back at the final two games Johnston said: “Eugene and Dave were both incredible competitors, whip smart and so fast on the buzzer. Eugene and I were really struggling to buzz in against Dave especially, but I just tried to keep in the game and not get discouraged, even when my score dipped into the negative. Having a film category come up in Final Jeopardy was such an amazing coincidence. I had to go all in with my wager, and I was thrilled and surprised that it worked out.”
There are two more Second Chance Tournament rounds before Johnston next competes in the Champions Wildcard Tournament in the game airing Jan. 8, 2026. If he wins, he has the chance to then appear in the “Jeopardy!” Tournament of Champions.
As an educator and filmmaker, Johnston earned a bachelor’s degree in Photography from Alma College and a master’s degree in Digital Media Technology from MSU. He is currently a faculty member in the Department of English where he teaches digital media and film production to MSU students.
Johnston said the first time competing on “Jeopardy!” built his confidence and gave him a better understanding of what goes on behind of the scenes of the game show.
“I learned that I could do it. I could go out, control my nerves, use my knowledge, and not make a fool of myself on national TV,” he said. “Having that under my belt, I felt so much more confident and just able to be myself this time. The imposter syndrome was a little quieter knowing that I’d already been through it once.”
Johnston said that winning this second time on “Jeopardy!” and in the finals was a rollercoaster.
“Of course winning was an awesome feeling, but what has really stuck with me has been meeting the other contestants and staying in touch after the tournament. That, and getting to share the experience with my partner, my family, the MSU and Lansing communities, and my hometown of Alma. It felt like my whole world was along for the ride.”
By Beth Bonsall
