The show is Jeopardy. The category is West Virginia University alumni. The answer is: “John ‘Edgar’ Mihelic?” The Question? “Which WVU alum will be appearing on Jeopardy?”

Mihelic, a Shinnston native and 2004 WVU grad, will appear on the popular TV quiz show July 25.

“Being on Jeopardy is the pinnacle of trivia shows,” said Mihelic, a medical coding and billing specialist who earned his bachelor’s degree in English from WVU’s Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. “I have always done well at trivia contests, and wondered how I would do on the big stage.”

To get there, Mihelic, who now lives in Chicago with his wife Anita, had to conquer several small stages.

He first had to take two 50-question quizzes, one online and another, which was timed, at a regional audition. The next step was a one-on-one interview with a Jeopardy staff member. After successfully completing these tasks, Mihelic was notified that he would be put in an active contestant file for up to two years.

On Feb. 25, Mihelic received the call telling him that he had been selected as a contestant; he immediately began a month-long trivia review session and booked his flight to Los Angeles. His episode was taped March 23 but Jeopardy’s rules prohibit him from talking about the results before the show airs.

“Everyone will just have to watch ‘Jeopardy’ on July 25 to see the results,” he said.

Mihelic, who is pursuing a master’s degree in literature from Kansas State University, said a lifetime of reading helped him prepare for the show. Further preparation was more specific. He reviewed facts about Shakespeare and opera, read the 2011 New York Times Almanac from cover-to-cover and read a book about game theory to help him make more strategic wagers during taping.

“What a thrill to have WVU represented on Jeopardy—and so capably,” said Mark Brazaitis, former professor of Mihelic’s and director of WVU’s Creative Writing Program. “It’s no small thing to perform under the watchful eye of (host) Alex Trebek much less the entire country. We wish him great success. Regardless of the outcome, we’re proud of him.”

Jeopardy has won 28 Emmy awards since its debut in 1984 and was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for the most awards won by a TV game show. The series is the No. 1-rated quiz show in syndication with nearly 9 million daily viewers.

-WVU-

cam/07/19/11

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CONTACT: Cate Mihelic
(304) 692-9913; Catherine.mihelic@mail.wvu.edu