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Garwood, NJ native Lisa DiLeo will face off against two-time defending "Jeopardy!" champion Stevie Ruiz from Long Island and retired grant writer Dave Bond from West Henrietta, NY.
DiLeo, 56, a business support analyst, will make her "Jeopardy!" debut, aiming to dethrone Ruiz, whose two-day winnings are nearing $36,000.
Ruiz, who is making his third appearance, recently defeated Maryland minister Kimberley Debus ($3,000) and retiree Gloria Nastas from Michigan ($2,000) in Wednesday's episode.
Bond, 62, who is a retired grant writer, gave up his job in 2020 to care for an elderly parent, according to his LinkedIn account. He currently is seeking part-time and short-term research and business development projects when he isn't preparing to take on the Jeopardy! stage.
Ruiz, a Montauk native, has pocketed $35,987 during his two-show winning streak, doubles as a screenwriter, director, and restauranteur who graduated from Brooklyn's Pratt Institute, is also the owner of Yotte's, a Haitian culture pop-up eatery on Long Island.
Whichever one of the tri-state residents becomes Jeopardy! champion, they will continue on into Friday's contest against North Carolina graduate student Zach DeBoer and Historian Erin Adams, from Tennessee.
Jeopardy! airs at 7 p.m. on weekdays on ABC.
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