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The 22-year-old senior biology major at Saint Mary’s University appeared on the popular CBS game show in mid-March and won a canary yellow 2008 Jeep Wrangler.
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She was sworn to secrecy about her big win until the show aired Tuesday. Giannini did tell her parents back in River Grove, Ill., however.
“They didn’t believe me,” Giannini said.
Giannini is the catcher with the SMU softball team and was in California for a tournament. She and her teammates wore their red Cardinal warm-up attire to the show.
Audience members weren’t allowed to bring purses, backpacks, cell phones or anything else in the studio. Last year’s “Big Brother” reality show winner Evil Dick chatted up the audience.
Giannini was determined to get on the show.
“I was being my normal loud, obnoxious, outgoing self,” Giannini said. “I made sure they knew who I was.”
Giannini’s bid of $1,100 was good enough to win her a large area rug. Next up was a chance at the Jeep Wrangler. Giannini played The Money Game, in which players get five chances to pick the two sets of numbers that represent the Jeep’s cost. She picked “20” correctly right away. The next half of the Jeep’s price was trickier.
“Jennifer, you’re killing me,” host Drew Carey said as Giannini made her fourth incorrect guess. But she got it on the last try. Giannini immediately started jumping up and down and gave Carey a big hug.
“He’s not Bob Barker, but he’s funny,” Giannini said.
Giannini is working with a car dealership in her hometown and will get her Jeep in three weeks. The Jeep will replace her 2003 yellow Mustang which she plans to give to her younger sister, who is getting her license. The rug is being shipped.
She got to spin the big wheel but came just one wheel-click short of the “Showcase Showdown.”
Giannini couldn’t watch the full episode of “The Price is Right” on Tuesday. She had to skip out to take a test in human genetics.
She won’t be able to be a contestant on the game show for 10 years, although she can be a member of the audience.
“It was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Giannini said.
Contact Käri Knutson at kknutson@winonadailynews.com or (507) 453-3523.
jackson wrote on Apr 16, 2008 8:40 AM: