Blake Alumni Go Big on Jeopardy!

This past summer, Blake High School alum Isaac Hirsch displayed his mental prowess on national television, winning nine straight episodes of Jeopardy! The Ashton, MD native amassed a whopping $218,390 over his win streak and qualified for the Tournament of Champions, where he has the opportunity to earn even more prize money, competing against other players who also have earned 5+ game win streaks.

β€œI didn’t really prepare for Jeopardy!,” Hirsch told The Blake Beat. Why is this? Well, he actually found out that he would be on the show just about 2 weeks before taping and didn’t know he was still eligible to participate. β€œThere’s a lot of randomness involved in Jeopardy!,” he noted, and was extremely grateful and thrilled for his opportunity to be on the show and win not just a game, but nine in a row.

Obviously, the Blake alum’s historic win streak can not merely be attributed to sheer chance.

Hirsch has always enjoyed trivia. Raised by his parents who were trained librarians and having grown up around reference books, he has always taken pride in learning and knowing things. β€œThere’s nothing I like less than when someone makes a reference that I don’t know,” he mentioned. 

This passion translated into his participation in It’s Academic, the world’s longest-running TV quiz show featuring high schoolers who compete with other local schools in a battle of wits. β€œThere’s an inherent value in knowing about things, and knowing about the world around you,” Hirsch believes. β€œTo be intellectually curious and learn things…makes you a more well-rounded person and it makes your life better, aside from helping you win $200k on TV.”

Additionally, he noted that β€œdoing It’s Academic and quiz bowl at Blake was the biggest preparation for Jeopardy!,” due to the early exposure to televised quiz shows, as well as a significant overlap in questions the two shows ask about.

However, Isaac Hirsch is not the only Blake graduate to appear on Jeopardy!  Three othersβ€”Kara Mohler, in 2009 (who The Blake Beat was unable to reach for an interview), and Casey Retterer and Michael Braun, both in 2004β€”have emerged victorious on the long-running quiz show. Retterer and Braun played in the college and teen tournaments, respectively, with the latter taking home the grand prize as champion.

In an interview with Casey Retterer, he told The Blake Beat that his experience on college Jeopardy! was a positive experience as well. As a contestant representing the University of Maryland, Retterer reached the semifinals of the tournament, took home $10k, and even got a free trip to Pittsburgh.

As someone who enjoys trivia, he also participated in Blake’s It’s Academic program and won National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT) competitions at the state level, and competed at the national level. These activities shaped Retterer into a seasoned trivia participant, which allowed him to be successful on Jeopardy!, and also led him to continue his passion at Oakland Mills High School in Howard County, where he teaches. Retterer has led their It’s Academic program for 17 years, sharing his interest in trivia with high school students in a full-circle style moment.

Retterer enjoys the community aspect of these trivia competitions, noting that he recognized other Jeopardy! players from his quiz bowl experiences in high school. β€œIt was neat to get to hang out with other people who have common interests in knowing things,” he mentioned.

However, like many others, Retterer does not make his TV experience β€œa defining characteristic of [his] personality.” He explained that while in college β€œit was a pretty cool thing,” but now he is focused on teaching and his family, among other aspects of his life. Regardless, Retterer appreciated his experience with the show, noting how fun it was to compete and interact with new people, especially Alex Trebek, the show’s late, long-time host, who he described as a fun, entertaining, personality who made being on the show that much more fun for the students.

Retterer, the UMD alum, also noted, β€œI’m forever grateful to what I’ve learned at Blake, because really, it’s carried me throughout the rest of my life.” His words of wisdom for high schoolers are β€œyou don’t have to win something to gain something.” With his experience, he was proud to be on Jeopardy!, win money, and have fun. Retterer also extended his appreciation to It’s Academic coaches, Mr. Caulfield and Mr. Keegan, who helped him develop further as a trivia contestant.

Michael Braun, an It’s Academic teammate of Retterer in their high school days, appeared in the Jeopardy! Teen Tournament in 2005. In fact, it was none other than Retterer who suggested that Braun enter the competition. It wound up being sage advice, as Braun utilized his breadth of It’s Academic knowledge, capturing first place in the tournament and the grand prize of $75,000.

Just trying out for the tournament wasn’t easyβ€”Braun had to travel all the way to Nashville, Tennessee. When he got there, he had to beat out dozens upon dozens of other challengers in a test, and then in a mock game. But it all became worth it once he received the magic letter, informing him that he would really be a Jeopardy! contestant.

Eventually, he would end up as champion of the Teen Tournament after a quarterfinal, a semifinal, and a two-game final showdown. Braun says his success is largely due to the trivia knowledge he acquired at Blake High School as a member of It’s Academic. Braun notes significant differences between the two quiz showsβ€”It’s Academic is team-based and you can buzz in as soon as you know the answer, while Jeopardy! is an individual competition and the whole prompt must be read before you can buzz. However, the areas of knowledge covered by Jeopardy!, he says, largely overlap with what he studied in practices with his teammates and coach, Mr. Caulfield.

Braun recalls keeping his result in the tournament a secret from his friends before the episodes aired. Although it was difficult, it was worth it to see his friends and family watching alongside him, as he watched his big win on the big screen. Overall, Braun felt his experience on Jeopardy! was a memorable and enjoyable experience, although it has become less important as he’s continued on in life. That being said, Braun lives on in Blake High School legend for his Jeopardy! and It’s Academic success.

Like Braun, although Isaac Hirsch is an avid trivia guy and appreciates the experiences Jeopardy! has given him, he believes that there are greater things to pursue. β€œTrivia is not my whole life,” he stated, β€œit is something I do for fun sometimes.”

However, he does plan to be β€œmore judicious and studious,” as he prepares for the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions, set to air on TV in early 2025.

His game show experience extends beyond his high school days, as well; Hirsch also appeared on β€œWho Wants to be a Millionaire?” in 2017 and β€œThe Chase,” in 2023, where he won a considerable $46,000 prize.

Still, he believes he is β€œa long shot” to win the Tournament of Champions, due to the randomness involved in the show. Hirsch said while he plans to study more, his attitude is β€œto not take it too seriously – whatever happens happens.”

This outlook is something he believes is very important and applicable not only to himself on Jeopardy! but is also useful to everyone. β€œYou perform better without a ton of stress,” Hirsch mentioned, and advises people, especially high schoolers, to have fun and enjoy the present moment. Jeopardy! just as anything else in life, can fly by in the blink of an eye, so it’s important to soak it all in when you can.

Some of Hirsch’s biggest takeaways from being so successful on the show was that β€œit was really fun and delightful to live through.” Reflecting on his entire experience, he wants to show students that β€œJeopardy! is a real-life example of a place where the things you learn in high school can actually come up and add value in your adult life.” Hirsch expressed sincere gratitude for his opportunity to participate and win on Jeopardy!, and regardless of the result, he believes β€œit builds character, experience, [and] it’s all valuable in the end.”