NBC’S ‘GENIUS JUNIOR’ CROWNS ITS WINNING TEAM AS ‘GEEKS ON FLEEK’ TAKES HOME THE GOLD

NBC’S ‘GENIUS JUNIOR’ CROWNS ITS WINNING TEAM AS ‘GEEKS ON FLEEK’ TAKES HOME THE GOLD

Jackson (Reidsville, NC), Michi (San Diego, CA) and Ugochi (Atlanta, GA) Earn a “Genius Junior” Prize Fund That Sets the Stage for a Bright Future

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – May 13, 2018 – NBC’s “Genius Junior” crowned its winning team tonight with the kids of “Geeks on Fleek” taking home the winning prize that will help continue their education. 

Jackson, from Reidsville, N.C., Michi, from San Diego, and Ugochi, from Atlanta, prevailed in the competition against 33 of their fellow contestants and some of the brightest children in America. “Geeks on Fleek” received the most correct answers in the finals, which included a test of the constellations, an extreme set of math questions, a rigorous spelling test and a unique quiz entitled “The Cortex,” which is the ultimate test of mental endurance.

In the finale episode, “Geeks on Fleek” faced two other teams, including Ashley, Rodrigo and Shivani of “The Dorkside,” and Treasure, Sebastian and Apoorva from “The Fast and the Curious.” 

Neil Patrick Harris hosts “Genius Junior,” which celebrates intelligence and hard work.

“I was completely awe-struck and inspired by these amazing kids,” said Harris. “I knew we would be dealing with bright, ambitious youngsters when we began casting, but they exceeded all my expectations. Not only are they off-the-charts smart, but they are incredibly well-rounded and sweet. Meeting these kids filled me with hope for the future.”

As “Genius Junior” began, 12 teams comprised of three members each battled it out in an increasingly complex set of quizzes. In each episode, two teams competed in a series of rapid-fire quizzes that tested competitors’ abilities in math, spelling and complex memorization. The winning team got to take on the “The Cortex,” the ultimate test of all-around smarts. 

Michi is a bubbly and precocious 11-year-old who is already doing research at a cancer immunotherapy company, where she is the youngest intern. Michi excels at both math and language arts. Michi earned first place last year in an international math competition, and she is an accomplished poet. Michi is very proud of her doll collection and eventually wants to be a pediatrician. 

Ugochi is 11 years old and emigrated with her family from Nigeria when she was just 5 months old. She is proud of 3 things – her American citizenship, her African culture and that she can beat her own teacher in multiplication tests! Ugochi knows that the key to success is her Christian faith and looking good and that is why she always suits up in presidential attire. 

Jackson is 12 years old and loves playing baseball and basketball. Last summer he beat out many kids in his county to make the Summerfield, N.C., all-star baseball team. He is an encyclopedia of sports stats, facts and history and has a collection of more than 1,000 baseball cards. 

Neil Patrick Harris, Pam Healey, John Hesling, Phil Parsons and Ed Egan executive produce. “Genius Junior” is produced by Shed Media in association with Prediction Productions.