It's a puzzle

Erik Agard, who won the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in March, didn’t disclose how he did on during the “Jeopardy!” taping but said he had to “really rack my brain for one pretty easy answer.”

Erik Agard thinks fast on his feet.

He must — Agard, who creates the Star’s crossword puzzles in Caliente, won the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in March when he solved a complex puzzle in just under five minutes, beating out the former champ by about three minutes.

So that quick-thinking skill should serve him well when he appears on “Jeopardy!” Oct. 19. He is mum about how he did, but he did share a few observations:

  • That Jeopardy board is huge in real life.
  • He had to “really rack my brain for one pretty easy answer.” He had to rack it on the harder ones, too.
  • And this: “(Host Alex) Trebek should appear on the show the way he showed up to my audition in D.C. — full beard, T-shirt and jeans, looking like a snack.” (For those unfamiliar with the phrase “looking like a snack,” it means he was looking good.)

Catch Agard on “Jeopardy!” at 4:30 p.m. on ABC, Channel 9.


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Contact reporter Kathleen Allen at kallen@tucson.com or 573-4128. On Twitter: @kallenStar