Meet Jeopardy!'s Winningest Woman

Answer: She predicted in her eighth grade yearbook that she would someday be a Jeopardy! champion. Question: Who is Julia Collins? Collins, a 31-year-old resident of the Chicago suburb of Wilmette, has made good on her prediction, and then some. On the episode that aired yesterday, she became the third person in Jeopardy! history to win as many as 17 consecutive non-tournament games, earning her a total of $372,700 and making her the show's winningest woman.

"I went into this feeling like I could win a show and put in a good effort ... but this, it's kind of a daydream come true," Collins said. Sworn to secrecy about shows that haven't aired, she won't say if she wins her 18th straight game, which airs today, or whether she will go for the 19th win on tomorrow's show, which would tie her for second all-time in consecutive wins. Her chuckle, however, suggests she hasn't caught the all-time winningest contestant, Ken Jennings, who won 74 straight games. (More Jeopardy stories.)