In follow up to my post from Tuesday,

Congratulations to Raynell Cooper who won big last night in the final match of the Jeopardy Teen Tournament!!

From Jeopardy.com

Here’s an excerpt from the press release on the Jeopardy website, at which you can also watch a video interview with Ray:

CULVER CITY, CALIF. (March 2, 2011) — Raynell Cooper, a senior at Richard Montgomery High School from Rockville, Md., has won the “Jeopardy!” Teen Tournament, earning the $75,000 grand prize.

Regarding his win, Cooper said, “It was unreal. I honestly didn’t think I’d make it that far.” He added, “I’m so happy that all my hard work paid off.”

One of the major highlights for Cooper was seeing Alex Trebek in person. He said, “I don’t get the chance to see celebrities often, so it was pretty amazing.” He also enjoyed meeting his fellow contestants. “We all got along wonderfully. They were excellent players and incredible people.”

Cooper, 16, hopes to attend George Washington University and will use his earnings towards tuition. He also plans to buy a car and donate to charity to help underprivileged youth in his community.

In his spare time, Cooper enjoys participating in his school’s drama club. He is also captain of the academic team and student government vice president.

(more)