UPDATE: LITH Woman on Jeopardy Today

UPDATE: 9 a.m. on Jan. 20

Self-proclaimed trivia buff Lynn Hammerlund of Lake in the Hills put her knowledge to good use. 

Hammerlund, a Judson University associate professor and Algonquin Area Public Library Board president, won Thursday's episode of Jeopardy and $22,500. 

Hammerlund is expected to compete again in Friday's episode of Jeopardy, which will air at 3:30 p.m. on ABC Channel 7. 

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Lynn Hammerlund is known as a bit of a trivia buff.

In fact, her friends and family refer to her as the “Trivia Queen.”

The Lake in the Hills resident, who also serves as president for the Algonquin Area Public Library Board, even appeared 11 years ago on the “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” show. Unfortunately, she never answered her way into the “hot seat.”

And, as exciting as that opportunity was, there was still one dream on Hammerlund’s bucket list: To appear as a contestant on Jeopardy.

Hammerlund realized that dream in November.

After trying on two previous occasions to compete on Jeopardy - the first in September of 2001 and the second in 2008 - Hammerlund finally was called into the spotlight. While she is not allowed to disclose how well she did during her appearance, viewers can find out for themselves by tuning in at 3:30 p.m. on ABC Channel 7 starting the week of Jan. 16.

“I finally had a chance to fulfill a lifelong dream,” Hammerlund said.

Hammerlund was unsure if that dream would ever become a reality. The show producers called her to compete in the fall of 2001, but after the World Trade Center attack on September 11^th, she could not get a flight out to California.

“The only contestants they could get had to be driven in,” Hammerlund said.

Then in 2008, after taking a pre-test and participating in a Chicago area Jeopardy audition competition, Hammerlund once again earned her way into the “contestant waiting pool.” Unfortunately, when she was finally contacted to appear on the show, there was a death in her family.

“Well, I just couldn’t go then, and I figured if it’s meant to be some day, it’ll be,” Hammerlund said.

About a year ago, Hammerlund gave it a third try. She completed the show’s online pre-test, and didn’t think she had done very well.

“There were a lot of questions about reality TV shows, and I don’t really watch those so I didn’t think I did very well,” Hammerlund said. “But, then I got the call to come audition.”

Hammerlund traveled to a Kansas City audition as there was none held in Chicago. There, she competed very well, she said, and once again her name was added to the contestant pool. In October, she finally got the call.

“I was so excited,” she said. “Last month, there was a contestant on the show whose name had been in the pool for 16 years. Some people wait a long time for this opportunity.”

Hammerlund is not giving any hints on how she did during her 15-minutes worth of Jeopardy fame.

However, she does have a history of success with trivia competitions.

Hammerlund works as an associate professor and librarian at Judson University in Elgin. She’s part of team that annually competes in the university’s triva bee, which promotes literacy. Her team has won six times out of the past 13 years.

“I’d say that’s pretty good, “she said, with a laugh.

 Viewers will have to tune in next week to see how the LITH resident does