"We were on different teams that merged," she recalled as she joined some 12,000 players on about 450 teams who wrapped up the 36th annual competition late Sunday. "We never knew each other before."

Now their four children, ages 3 through 14, are part of the next generation of trivia buffs and maybe future members of her team - "Norm's Stool: The Return of Tecumseh," which finished in 10th place this year with 7,380 points.

A team called Work the Net finished first with 10,630 points.

The 54-hour marathon of the mind involves eight questions read every hour on WWSP, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point radio station. Contestants search books, the Internet, movies and other sources for answers to obscure questions.

The contest also includes music questions with sound bits from songs, and a "Trivia Stone" treasure hunt that sends players through the city looking for various clues visible in road signs, yards and landmarks to retrieve stamps worth points.

This year's contest - dubbed "Trivia 36: Keep on Trivia" - was a tribute to Robert Crumb, a cartoonist famous for the comic book Zap Comix that introduced popular icons such as Mr. Natural, Fritz the Cat and Mr. Snoid.

Three teams got skunked in the competition, tying for 433rd place with zero points.

Ken Jennings of Salt Lake City, who won nearly $2.5 million during a 74-game winning streak playing "Jeopardy," visited the contest over the weekend to witness the competition in his research for a new book about game shows and trivia.

Jennings signed autographs and posed for pictures but declined interview requests from local media. A film crew was also on hand for a documentary on the contest.

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