'Jeopardy' champ comes from behind to win by $1

Lisa Mueller was a returning champ, having won $16,800 on Monday's episode. (ABC)

Is Lisa a mind reader?

That was the question “Jeopardy” watchers were asking after the game show’s reigning champ came from behind to beat her challenger by a single George Washington.

Technical services librarian Lisa Mueller was trailing retired high school English teacher John Bizal with $14,200 to his $22,400. (Just for the record, customer solutions advisor AJ Freeman was hanging around with $8,000, too.) The Final Jeopardy category was Roman History, and the clue:

“Of this battle in 31 B.C., Virgil wrote, ‘Neptune’s fields grow red with fresh slaughter.'”

Technical services librarian Lisa Mueller was trailing retired high school English teacher John Bizal with $14,200 to his $22,400. (ABC)

Easy one, right?

Third-place AJ went first and was way off with “Rome,” dropping him to $1,000 after wagering and losing $7,000.

“Of this battle in 31 B.C., Virgil wrote, ‘Neptune’s fields grow red with fresh slaughter.'”
— The Final Jeopardy question

Second-place Lisa was next, and got the answer right, “The Battle of Acium,” wagering $2,200, and bringing her total to $16,400, still well behind John.

All John had to do was get this right, and he would be back tomorrow. His answer was … Salerno. Wrong!

But his wager would be even more crushing.

John bet $6,001, taking him down to $16,399

All John had to do was get this right, and he would be back tomorrow. His answer was … Salerno. Wrong! But his wager would be even more crushing. (ABC)

One dollar less than Lisa.

“Way to go young lady!” host Alex Trebek exhorted, as Lisa stared in disbelief — and John began the rest of his retired high school teacher days wondering what might have been.