The quiz/knowledge bowl teams come immediately to mind when pondering dynasty programs at Chaska High School.

From 1983-2002, CHS teacher Jan Baker molded Chaska’s academic squads into lean, mean fighting machines. It’s a tradition that continues, with coaches Chris Lenius (a Jan Baker/CHS Quiz Bowl alumnus), Krista Hamman and Cheryl Petersen.

These teams, over the past several years, have brought back a wheelbarrow full of first-place trophies in knowledge bowl and quiz bowl state competitions.

Now, one of those former CHS academic team students, Meredith Johnson, 21, will put her experience to work on the TV game show “Jeopardy!”

Johnson, a University of Minnesota student, competes April 11 and 12 at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, for a college-themed show which will be aired in early May.

But Johnson isn’t the only Chaska student who has competed on Jeopardy!

Russ Schumacher, a 1997 CHS graduate, won more than $300,000 on the show in 2003-04. Schumacher now lives in Fort Collins, Colo., although his parents live in Chaska.

Schumaker didn’t forget about the program that helped him get behind the Jeopardy! buzzer. In 2005, he gave a $5,000 donation to help fund a scholarship to one of CHS’s graduating seniors every year for 10 years. The $500 scholarship is awarded to a student on a CHS academic team.

Schumacher recently finished his PhD in atmospheric science at Colorado State University and is now diving into the job market.

I recently e-mailed Schumacher to find out what truly makes a Jeopardy! champ, and why Chaska academic team players keep finding themselves on the program.

What are five tips you’d give to Johnson on winning at Jeopardy!?

1. Watch the show regularly. The writers usually put some sort of hint into each clue that makes it easier to figure out. By watching regularly, you can get used to their writing style and figure out how to find their hints.

2. Don’t take wild guesses, especially on high-value clues. If you aren’t sure of the answer, it’s best to just wait … you can dig yourself in a big hole with too many wrong answers.

3. Review the topics that always come up: presidents, state and world capitals, etc. There’s no way to study for everything that they might ask about, but you can gain a lot by brushing up on certain important subjects.

4. Learn some of the basics of wagering strategy. A good introduction can be found here [1].

5. Have fun! Make sure you enjoy the half-hour or so that you’re on that stage … and hopefully you’ll do well enough to earn another half-hour!

What’s Alex Trebek like in person? 

The contestants don’t get much opportunity to interact with him, since he knows the answers and they don’t want anything like the quiz scandals of the past. But he’s generally funny and really seems to enjoy and work hard at his job.

Explain the buzzer process.

The buzzer (or “signaling device,” as Alex likes to call it) is probably the trickiest part of the show.

Most of the people who make it on the show will know almost all of the easier questions in the top couple rows on the board, but if you can get in first on the buzzer, you have a big advantage.

After Alex finishes reading, a row of lights goes on around the board letting you know that you are allowed to ring in. If you try to ring in early, you get locked out for a fraction of a second.

Rather than actually waiting to see the lights, I tried to time when the lights would go on; I think this helped me to get in first a lot of the time.

Why do you think CHS quiz bowl grads are finding themselves on the program?

Chaska’s program is one of the best in the state, and one of the best in the country, really.

The way that Jeopardy! is played is a little different from quiz bowl or knowledge bowl in high school, but the types of things they ask about are very similar.

If you have the level of knowledge required to be a good high school quiz bowl player, you will be very well prepared for a show like Jeopardy!

Also, what the Chaska coaches have always been good at teaching is to anticipate what the question will be – the quicker you can figure out what they’re asking, the quicker you can come up with the right answer, and this is a really valuable skill to have.

What were the best/worst categories for you when you were on the show?

One that was not very good was in my first game: “salmon fishing.” I wasn’t ready for that!

How much total did you win on the game show?

A grand total of $320,800 (before taxes, of course).

What was the first extravagant purchase you made with the proceeds?

An engagement ring for my then girlfriend (now wife).

How did it change your life?

It made getting through graduate school a lot easier, and mostly it’s a lot of fun to talk with people about what it’s like to be on the show. I also met a lot of great people that were also contestants, some of whom I still keep in touch with.

Do you watch the program?

Yes, almost every day. I look forward to seeing a fellow CHS alum in the college tournament!