‘Wheel of Fortune:’ Line Dancing Teacher Has Right Code for Hefty Win

Brittany Sims February 25, 2025, 1:23 pm

Eureka! A Michigan teacher scored a big paycheck on Wheel of Fortune despite not winning the game. Eureka McCormick, a teacher for Swartz Creek Community Schools in Flushing, Michigan played against Ryan Bast, a competitive tablescaper from San Diego, California, and Michelle Randall, a cheerleader and volleyball player from Texas, on the Monday, February 24 episode of the game show.

McCormick wasn’t having much luck at the beginning of the game but picked up a $10,000 wedge during the fourth puzzle. She solved the “What are you doing?” puzzle, which was “Sitting at a standing desk.” That puzzle was appropriate for McCormick, as she spends her day job at a desk all day. Solving the puzzle earned her $14,550.

During the show, she told host Ryan Seacrest that she has a passion for teaching code to her students. McCormick noted that she especially loves teaching it to girls and girls of color because coding is often seen as a skill that males primarily dominate. In her free time, the teacher loves to line dance and do ballroom.

Wheel of Fortune via YouTube

However, McCormick didn’t maintain the lead for long. In the next round, Bast solved the puzzle and gained a whopping $18,790. McCormick stayed at her $14,550. Randall was in third with $1,000. Bast pulled substantially ahead when he solved all three of the triple toss-ups, adding $10,000 to his bank.

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Randall stepped up during the second to the last puzzle, solving it. She then guessed a multitude of letters before the Final Spin happened, raising her bank to $2,600. Bast wound up solving the puzzle – “Ladybugs and Butterflies” – adding even more money to his prize pot.

By the end of the game, McCormick didn’t win, but she took home a hefty paycheck – $14, 550. Bast was the winner with $32,190. Randall ended with $2,000.

When Seacrest greeted McCormick at the end of the game show, he told her to “keep up the wonderful work.”

Bast advanced to the Bonus Round, picking the category of “What are you doing?” After being given “R,S,T,L,N, and E,” Bast guessed “H,G,P, and O.” His puzzle then looked like this: “_ _ _ _NG _N _ _ L_.” Bast did not guess “Buying in bulk” in 10 seconds, making him lose out on an extra $40,000.

Many Wheel fans on YouTube said that it was a “tough” puzzle and couldn’t solve it themselves.

“That was hard to solve with the letters he chose. So sorry Ryan you didn’t win the bonus but CONGRATULATIONS on winning over 32,000!! Great game you played,” a fan said.

“That was tough – but congrats Ryan!” wrote another.

“That was difficult to solve,” said a third.

“Tough solve,” commented a fan.

McCormick’s appearance comes just one day after a teacher from California won $89,000, after screaming in Seacrest’s ear.

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