An 8th grader from Brandon, South Dakota has advanced to the semifinal round of the Jeopardy Teen Tournament in California.

Ryan Presler of Brandon lived to play another day on Jeopardy's Teen Tournament. KSFY TV is reporting the Brandon teens nearly $19,000 total was just enough to land him a wild-card spot on the popular TV game show.

Presler found himself behind in the show's first round and admits he really needed to focus on that money total for the right to keep playing.

Presler told KSFY TV, "I wasn't really sure what the wildcard totals were going to be, but I figured I should go for the win and be aggressive in my wagering, so I just bid enough to beat the leader by one dollar if she didn't get it right in final jeopardy. That move didn't work out, but I got enough to move on."

Presler's Jeopardy journey continues on Tuesday, (June 25) when he will compete once again in the teen tournament.

KSFY will air the next episode that day at 3:30 PM.

Good luck Ryan!

Source: KSFY TV

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