Student from Philly advances in ‘Jeopardy!’ college tourney

A Central High grad is in the semifinals of the annual College Championship on Jeopardy!

Sarah Bart, whose family lives in West Mount Airy, will get her next turn Thursday (locally at 7 p.m. on 6ABC), against dudes from Duke and George Washington University.

Don't expect to see her "dream category" come up, though.

"If they could somehow combine geography, mascots and beer, that would be perfect for me," said Bart, a senior history major at Goucher College in Baltimore, on a Jeopardy.com video.

Watching, of course, will be younger sister, Allison, who goes to Penn, and their proud parents, attorney Jonathan Bart and Mary Kennedy-Bart, an associate director of finance at Penn's med school.

By amassing $18,600 on Friday's show, Sarah earned one of four wild-card slots to join the champs of tournament's first five shows.

She added a crucial $7,000 to her total by correctly questioning the Final Jeopardy clue: "A biosphere reserve, this southern national park is the largest in the lower 48 completely within one state." (For answer, take quiz at right.)

On each of the next three shows, three contestants will compete to earn a spot in the finals, with the ultimate winner getting $100,000 and a berth in the Tournament of Champions.

Bart's guaranteed to win at least $10,000. (That $18,600 was more her score than cash.) If she makes the finals, the minimum would be the third-place money: $25,000. A second-place finish earns $50,000.

For more, go to www.jeopardy.com.