Beachum took home $100,000 in cash, representatives for the game show said Friday. He was declared the winner after a two-week competition during which he outscored 14 other U.S. undergraduates.

"The experience was nothing short of an amazing once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Beachum said in a statement, adding that a highlight was having his fiancee, Nicole Dilg, in the audience for his moment of victory.

"Right before the final scores were revealed, I looked out into the crowd and saw Nicole watching me live my dream -- I will never forget that," Beachum said.

A native of Tupelo, Miss., Beachum is a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force through AFROTC.

Asked what he'll do with his winnings, Beachum said: "We have a wedding coming up in a couple of years, so I definitely need to save for that. However, we do have a beach trip planned."

Danielle Zsenek, a senior at Marquette University, finished second, winning $50,000. Andrew Chung, a sophomore at Harvey Mudd College, came in third and went home with $25,000.