NEW JERSEY RESIDENT VIJAY BALSE WINS QUARTER MILLION DOLLAR GRAND PRIZE IN THE 'JEOPARDY!' TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

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CULVER CITY, CALIF. (May 21, 2010) - Today, Vijay Balse, a chemical engineer from Chatham, N.J., won the prestigious "Jeopardy!" Tournament of Champions, taking home a quarter million dollars in cash winnings. Balse emerged victorious by outscoring 14 elite players from recent seasons.

"Winning a Tournament of Champions game is definitely much more gratifying than winning a regular game," Balse said. "Any 'Jeopardy!' contestant would agree that getting the opportunity to match your playing skills against the best of 'Jeopardy!' is very rewarding in its own right."

Balse competed in the two-day final competition against Jason Zollinger, an engine assembler from South Dayton, N.Y., and Stefan Goodreau, a video game tester from Los Angeles.

Host Alex Trebek said, "It was a really close match up of players throughout this tournament. Vijay did an incredible job and consistently played well."

When asked about plans for his winnings, Balse said, "My wife and I plan to use some of the winnings for travel and perhaps a second automobile. However, we hope to use the bulk towards a down payment for a new home."

Originally from Bombay, India, Balse currently resides in New Jersey with his wife Jayshree. The four-day champ first appeared on "Jeopardy!" in March 2010, accumulating $82,400.

Zollinger came in second, earning $100,000, and Goodreau placed third, winning $50,000. The six players eliminated in the semi-finals each took home $10,000; players eliminated in the first round received $5,000.

"Jeopardy!," the winner of 28 Emmy awards since its debut in 1984, was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records for the most awards won by a TV Game Show. The series is the #1-rated quiz show in syndication with nearly 9 million daily viewers. "Jeopardy!" is produced by Sony Pictures Television, a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company. It is distributed domestically by CBS Television Distribution and internationally by CBS Television International, both units of CBS Corp.

For more information on the "Jeopardy!" Tournament of Champions, click here.