Bensalem boy wins big on Jeopardy! Kids Week

BENSALEM, Pa. (WPVI) -- A young man from Bensalem, Bucks County represented the Delaware Valley Tuesday night on Jeopardy! Kids Week.

7th grader Ryan Elkins taped the show back in October and was keeping the secret on how he did ever since.

"Everyone's been so supportive of me and they don't even know how I did," Ryan said.

So how did he do?

Going into Final Jeopardy!, Ryan was leading with $17,000.

The Final Jeopardy! Category was 'Kings & Queens.'

The Clue: 'Technically this monarch is the head of state of 16 countries including Jamaica & New Zealand'

Ryan answered Who is Queen Elizabeth II?

He was correct.

He wagered $100.

Bringing his grand total to $17,100 to win the game.

Earlier in the day Ryan's 7th grade class at Saint Charles Borromeo School was in the spirit as they played Classroom Jeopardy!

As you'd expect, Ryan looked at home with the buzzer.

He had practice leading up to the taping.

"What I did, I stood in front of a TV, I took a clicker pen and I practiced with that as my buzzer," Ryan said.

Kelly Miyahara of the Jeopardy! Clue Crew hosted the class as they played the electronic version of the show which was awarded to the schools of this week's participants.

She's always impressed during Kids Week.

"The knowledge that these kids know, and that you'll see tonight on the show and all this week, it's amazing. I think they absorb every piece of information they ever come into contact with," Miyahara said.

Ryan's school, including the principal, was excited to cheer him on.

"We're so proud of him. Just to be on there. Just to see his picture on Jeopardy! was exciting enough," Sister James Kathleen Cofer said.

Ryan has always loved Jeopardy! While his parents weren't sure if he'd ultimately be selected, they knew he had it in him.

"We weren't surprised at all," Bruce Elkins said.

"He reads all the time. He's on YouTube looking at physics videos. Constantly learning," Erica Elkins said.

During the show, Ryan told host Alex Trebek exactly what he likes about physics.

"I especially like the theoretical aspects such as wormholes and time travel," Ryan said.

To that, Trebek replied with a drawn-out "Right."