Back-to-back: Rockford man wins Jeopardy! for second straight day

ROCKFORD — The beat goes on for Rockford resident Lloyd Sy after he won another contest on Wednesday's episode of Jeopardy!

So far, Sy has a two-day game show total of more than $50,000 with a chance to win more money on Thursday's show.

Sy said Wednesday's final Jeopardy! question or clue — "This country's territory was on two continents until 1903" — almost had him stumped.

"I honesty didn't know it when I saw the question," he said. "So, I had to think about it and you have 30 seconds to think and write down your answer."

Sy said 18 seconds ticked off the clock before he thought of countries between North America and South America and quickly narrowed his choices between Colombia and Panama.

"I guessed Colombia and wrote it down just in time to slip it in," he said. "I got fortunate."

More:Rockford man is a Jeopardy! game show winner

Those who know Sy will argue luck had very little to do with it.

Sy was Auburn High School's Quiz Bowl team captain and its 2012 class valedictorian before serving as Brown University's Quiz Bowl team captain and graduating magna cum laude. He is back in Rockford on winter break from the University of Virginia Charlottesville where he is earning his doctorate in English literature.

Having to answer clues like, "A state west of Indiana?" Sy and a contingent of family and friends gathered at a viewing party at his parents home Wednesday knew he was in for a good night.

Sy said he is appreciative of the support he is receiving from friends and past and current teachers.

He most likely put a smile on his physics teacher's face when he answered a question regarding "strange quarks," a subatomic particle too small to be seen with the eye.

Sy and his family traveled in late October to L.A. where a week's worth of shows are tapped in one day. Because of game show rules, Sy cannot reveal how well he did on each show until after the show airs.

To see if Sy can keep his winning streak going, watch Thursday's airing of Jeopardy at 4:30 p.m. on WREX, channel 13.

Chris Green: 815-987-1241; cgreen@rrstar.com; @chrisfgreen

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford man Lloyd Sy wins second game of Jeopardy!