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Local comic named ‘America’s Funniest’
Township high schools honor Top 10 grads
Audience votes Dan Regan top dog on reboot of classic TV show
BY JOE EMANSKI
BY JOE EMANSKI For a stand-up comedian, an opportunity to do a few minutes of a routine on national television can be the break of a lifetime. Many toil for years traveling from small venue to small venue, telling jokes and hoping to be given a shot on a bigger stage. And when that shot comes, they can only hope to make the most of it. Lifelong Hamilton resident Dan Regan is one such comedian. Regan has been at it for 25 years, although in recent years, he has switched his focus from live audiences in regional comedy clubs to doing bits on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. It was because of Regan’s social media presence that he got a call last year from a television producer who was looking See FUNNIEST, Page 12
Steinert softball players rush out to celebrate with junior Ellie Miller as she crosses the plate with the winning run as Steinert defeated Randolph, 3-2, in the state championship game at Ivy Hill Park in Newark. Steinert trailed 2-0 going into the bottom of the 7th. (Photo by Amanda Ruch.)
Storybook ending as Steinert softball wins state title again BY RICH FISHER In what could safely be called an environment of unbridled frenzy, two people managed to keep cool within it all. Steinert’s softball team was on the verge of making history as Ellie Miller stood on second base, Bianca Walsh clung to first and Addison Hassan was at bat. There was one out in the bottom
of the seventh of a 2-2 game with Randolph that would decide the NJSIAA Group III state champion. The angst running through the crowd at Ivy Hill Park was of epic proportions. Both dugouts were squirming and screaming simultaneously. The Spartans had just scored two runs and had all the momentum before Hassan fell behind on the count
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0-2. Unknown to many, a few minutes earlier in the dugout assistant coach Carli Backlund heard Hassan say to her teammates: ‘I got this girls.’ She had one strike left to prove it. “She stepped out of the box and she was getting all into it,” head coach Jenn Melker said. See CHAMPS, Page 22
Once again, Hamilton Township’s three public high schools have recognized their top 10 graduating seniors for the school year just completed. And as it does every year, the Hamilton Post is here to celebrate the academic achievements of these stellar students. This year, the district has provided only the students names with their future college choices and prospective major areas of study. No GPAs or class ranks were provided. One noteworthy trend among this year’s top graduates is a return, at least a little bit, toward liberal arts as a course of study. In recent years, relatively few students have chosen majors such as psychology or literature. But there are a few this year. Another trend, and a welcome one, is students choosing health science majors including neuroscience and nursing. With the challenges that health-care professionals have dealt with in the post-Covid world, it is heartSee TOP 10, Page 8
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