Each month, Montgomery High School Athletic Director Kris Grundy polls local coaches to select a female and male scholar athlete to spotlight on this page. In addition to a feature article, each athlete receives gift certificates to The Tiger’s Tale and Beniamino's Cucina and Pizza. Emma Scrudato and Jacob Chang are The Montgomery News July Athletes of the Month.

Heading into the South Jersey, Group IV finals, Jacob Chang had already solidified his place on the Montgomery golf team. The senior earned the captaincy back in the fall, had regularly shot under 80 for head Coach Joe Bassford’s group, and was the model of honesty. Then Chang shot an 83 at the sectional final, a score most can only fathom but one that bumped him out of Bassford’s top four as they headed to the state championship.

Emma Scrudato thought she had fallen in love with lacrosse too late. Until 8th grade, she played goalie in middle school and for Ultimate Lacrosse in Princeton. After than, she became an avid ice hockey player. However, by junior year, the strain of travel hockey had worn on her (and her car’s tires), swaying the pendulum back to lacrosse. It’s never too late to fall in love.

Montgomery Township NJ Police Officer Troy Gonzalez recognized for his professionalism, teamwork, and commitment while assisting an individual experiencing a mental health crisis earlier this year.

A 15-year-old girl suffered a traumatic injury after a fall from a horse at Princeton Show Jumping in Skillman on July 5 at 9:29 am, according to Somerset County dispatchers. Initial reports stated the patient was unresponsive, and the horse may have fallen on her, according to the dispatch. Montgomery firefighters established a landing zone, but the patient regained conscious when the helicopter touched down. The local EMS transported her to the hospital.

Montgomery Township's annual fireworks display was a little different this year. In addition to the live band, dancing, and colorful explosions in the sky, Gen. George Washington and Comte de Rochambeau attended on horseback. Revolutionary War musician William Stives played his fife while Wonder Woman and Captain America greeted the children in attendance on a cool summer evening at Montgomery High School on June 25.

Students who are training peers to recognize signs of mental health struggles got a warm reception at the Township Committee, a contrast to the debate that accompanied the program's school board launch in the fall. Hope Squad, a national peer-to-peer suicide prevention program, launched chapters across Montgomery schools this year. Faculty advisors and student members presented a progress update at the committee’s June 4 meeting.