The TV show “Jeopardy” has a loyal fan base in the Rothenberg family of Squirrel Hill.

Rachel Rothenberg, 17, is one of 15 American teenagers who will be competing during the next two weeks in the “Jeopardy!” 2009 Teen Tournament. She will make her initial appearance on the show at 7 p.m. Thursday on WPXI. Rothenberg is not allowed to say how she performed during the August filming in Los Angeles, but she can’t wait for it to be revealed on television. The tournament concludes Nov. 13.

“It will finally be a relief to be able to talk about it and say, ‘Here’s how I did,'” says the senior at Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts school, Downtown.

“It was so intense,” Rothenberg says, recalling her trip to the “Jeopardy!” studios. She went with her mom, Susan Rothenberg; her best friend, Kate Sweeney; and Kate’s mom, Kathy.

Rachel Rothenberg was selected for the “Jeopardy!” tournament after taking an online test, then auditioning in Washington, D.C., after her scores qualified her.

Susan Rothenberg says she is extremely proud of her daughter. “Rachel is just a wonderful student,” she says. “She loves trivia, and she loves just learning fun facts.”

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