Virginia priest is three-time ‘Jeopardy!’ winner, could qualify for Tournament of Champions

[Episcopal News Service] All this Virginia priest wants for Christmas is the chance to compete in the “Jeopardy!” Tournament of Champions.

The Rev. Kevin Laskowski just might get his wish. Laskowski, priest-in-charge at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Centreville, competed on the popular TV game show last week, won three times and racked up a prize total of $52,999, possibly enough to qualify him for the show’s annual tournament next year.

“I’ve been thinking about this since I was a kid,” Laskowski said in a Facebook post before his first TV appearance. He later thanked his fans for their support in a comment on a Diocese of Virginia post about the show. “It was an amazing experience, and I’m thrilled to share it.”

Laskowski joins a growing list of Episcopal clergy who have found success in giving their responses in the form of questions on the long-running show. “Jeopardy!” fans and many Episcopalians may remember the Rev. David Sibley, the priest from Walla Walla, Washington, who was a four-time winner in 2022 and competed in the Tournament of Champions in February and March 2024.

Previously, the Rev. Kit Carlson, a priest in East Lansing, Michigan, appeared on the show in September 2008, and the Rev. Scott Russell was a contestant in December 2011. Russell, then a chaplain at Virginia Tech, now serves as a chaplain at New Jersey’s Rutgers University.

Laskowski generated some buzz for the categories where he scored big – and one biblical category that contained a couple stumpers.

In the Nov. 25 episode, Laskowski’s first appearance, he picked up $4,800 in a category about rap music by giving three correct responses.

“Wow, you got it,” host Ken Jennings said after Laskowski closed out the category. “Rap fan!”

Laskowski, however, was not so successful two days later, on Nov. 27, in the category “Quoting the King James Bible.” He got two responses correct in the category, but neither he nor his fellow contestants knew “this 4-letter thing” – the mote – “in thy brother’s eye.” The last clue in the category was another stumper, about God forming man by breathing “this phrase” – the breath of life – “into his nostrils.”

Laskowski recovered in the Final Jeopardy! round to notch his third and final win. The clue: “Its 15 official state songs include 2 that mention moonshine & 3 played in 3/4 time. He correctly responded, “What is Tennessee?”

Whether Laskowski will be invited to the next Tournament of Champions remains a bit of a guessing game. He fell one win short of the four wins that guarantee a “Jeopardy!” contestant eligibility for future tournaments, though he still could qualify for one of the upcoming tournament’s 21 slots based on his total prize winnings. His total last week nearly matched the lowest-earning four-time winner, according to the show’s official tracker.

An unofficial “Jeopardy!” fan page ranks Laskowski 16th among all contestants who appeared during the current qualification period. When the show’s official “Inside Jeopardy!” YouTube channel announced on Nov. 18 an initial 2025 Tournament of Champions roster, it was too soon to reflect the results from episodes featuring Laskowski.

That said, three tournament spots remain unannounced, and the initial roster included several past contestants who earned less than Laskowski’s $52,999. Could that signal that an Episcopal priest again will play for the biggest “Jeopardy!” prize? Stay tuned.

– David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service based in Wisconsin. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.