Dumfries dentist to appear on ‘Jeopardy!’

DUMFRIES — Dr. Mary Kate Moriarty is a contestant in an upcoming episode of Jeopardy!

She’s a dentist at Modern Day Dentistry in Fettler Park just outside Dumfries and has been a resident of Northern Virginia for more than 20 years.

“It was a surreal experience,” Moriarty told Potomac Local. “The first time I saw Alex Trebek, he walked out on stage and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, this is really happening!’”

Moriarty is a lifelong fan of Jeopardy! “I’ve been a fan ever since I was a little girl, so trying out for it has always been in the back of my head,” she shared.

Growing up, Moriarty’s grandmother was an avid fan of the old Jeopardy! with Art Fleming. “She was so invested, we couldn’t talk to her when it was on,” Moriarty recalled.

Moriarty first tried out for Jeopardy! in 2003, when she was living in California. “I was in the contestant pool, but they didn’t end up calling me back,” she said.

As it turns out, that was the year Ken Jennings swept, winning 74 Jeopardy! games in a row and earning himself the record for the longest winning streak on the show. “I was glad in retrospect that they didn’t call me back that year because he was unbeatable,” Moriarty laughed.

Applying to compete on Jeopardy! starts with an online test. About 80,000 people take the test each cycle and that number is whittled down to 400. Every few years, Moriarty would take the test for fun, hoping to get called. This past April, she was informed that she had passed and was invited to Philadelphia for an in-person audition which took place in September.

“You take one written test again and then there’s a mock show where you pretend you’re playing and they have the buzzer set up,” Moriarty explained. “They just want to see if you’d be a good contestant and they look for enthusiasm and personality.”

A week later, Moriarty got the call that she had been selected.

“I was in my car, just leaving my Northern Virginia rowing club practice, and I was so excited I had to pull over,” said Moriarty. Her teammates were the first to hear the news and celebrate with her.

Moriarty started prepping for the big day and her friends were eager to help.

“I’m weak in geography and the day after I shared the news, my friend Jean left books on my porch in geography, world knowledge, and presidents,” she said.

Moriarty said her strongest category is arts and culture.

So what is it like being on Jeopardy! and seeing Alex Trebek in person? Moriarty traveled to California, accompanied by her daughter, and said it was a whirlwind of excitement. “The day goes by so quickly and before you know it, they’re taping. It’s all a blur looking back on it,” she said.

“What it really comes down to is the buzzer,” said Moriarty. “It really is all about who is fastest.”

“The crew and the staff were so kind and made you feel really special,” she said. “This was beyond a bucket list thing for me, I’m just so happy I could do it!”

Tune in to Channel 7 WJLA on Thursday, December 13 to see Moriarty compete.