'Everyone loses eventually': Purdue prof reflects on 'Jeopardy! run

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Adriana Harmeyer's Super Champion streak ended on Wednesday at Game 16, where viewers watched her lead slip away to Michigan player Drew Basile.

But her loss came with one upside for the Purdue professor: no more secrets.

"I knew it was coming, I knew how it would wrap up, but having that finally air and go out means no more secrets," Harmeyer said. "I've been able to keep all the secrets that came with my 'Jeopardy!' run, but now it's all out there and I can share the entire experience with people."

Ending her streak with total winnings of $351,600, Harmeyer said she and her husband plan to tour Europe with some of the windfall. But her time with "Jeopardy!" isn't over yet. Harmeyer will be a featured player in the game's annual Tournament of Champions still to be filmed later this year.

More: Purdue prof Adriana Harmeyer's 'Jeopardy!' streak ends at 16th game; winnings total $351,600

Looking back at Episode 16, Harmeyer said she can admit that she was tired, as 13 of the episodes that recently aired were filmed in the span of two and a half days, with matches back to back.

After hitting the five-game champion milestone along with the 10-game Super Champion mark, Harmeyer said each episode that followed felt like a bonus moment.

"I wanted to keep going for as long as I could, but after I hit those two big goals, I felt like anything I could do past that was just going to be a wonderful experience," she said. "I loved playing, and I had played several games in a row. I knew it wasn't going to go on forever, and I was tired."

More: 'Survivor' alum Drew Basile topples 15-day 'Jeopardy!' champ Adriana Harmeyer

Harmeyer's streak carried her far up into the ranks of "Jeopardy!" game historical statistics, placing her in 11th place for longest winning streak and 13th for total prize winnings. Having those notches on her belt, she said, are simply amazing.

"Things like this are what you dream about when you hear you'll be on the show, but how could you possibly assume that you could actually do that?" she said. "There are so many people who play this game and do well, and to have my name in rankings like that is just unreal."

But Harmeyer said she can't be sad that her time on "Jeopardy!" has come to an end. Even historic players like now-"Jeopardy!" host Ken Jennings ultimately lost.

"Everything comes to an end. Everyone loses eventually in this game, and that's what makes it exciting," Harmeyer said. "I'm just really grateful for all the support I've gotten through this entire experience."

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: 'Everyone loses eventually': Purdue prof reflects on 'Jeopardy!' win streak