Cape Breton teen pays costume tribute to 'Jeopardy!' champion Mattea Roach

It's been nearly a month since Mattea Roach's magical run on “Jeopardy!” came to an end.

The Halifax native's 23 straight wins — at 23 years old — captured the country's imagination, including that of a 16-year-old student at NDA High School in Cheticamp, N.S.

"When it was TV character show day at school, I was like, 'Who can I dress up as?' And then we thought, ‘Mattea Roach,’” said Emilie Doucet, who's in Grade 11.

When the day came, Doucet showed up to class dressed in Roach’s signature blazer and glasses.

The costume was a hit with her classmates and teachers.

"They thought it was awesome,” said Doucet. “They were like, 'I need your autograph.' They kept saying, 'I want to take a picture with you, this is crazy.'"

Doucet’s mother explained how she and her daughter came up with the costume components.

"We got the outfit from my mother, who is kind of a hoarder,” said Johanne Doucet. “She doesn't throw anything away. So I called her and said, 'Mom, do you have like a red blazer and maybe some glasses?'”

Johanne says Roach is a good role model for young women like her daughter.

"She's strong. She's genuine. She's true to herself,” she said. “She has connections to Cape Breton and Nova Scotia, so there's nothing better than that."

Roach — and her fans in the Maritimes — have been able to take a deep breath since her elimination on the May 6 episode.

But people will get another chance to cheer her on.

The Toronto resident has qualified for the “Jeopardy!” Tournament of Champions coming up in the fall.

Emilie Doucet says she watched “Jeopardy!” religiously even before Roach made headlines on the show. She says it would be cool if Roach got the chance to see her costume.

"I really hope she gets to see it. I would be so incredibly happy if she does."