Joe Kealy of Jersey City was inducted to the Athletic Hall of Fame of his alma mater, Saint Peter’s Preparatory School in Jersey City, during a ceremony last month. Kealy, a member of Prep’s class of 1988, is the first tennis player to be inducted. Between 1985 and 1987, he amassed over 70 wins in Hudson County competition, drawing labels like “unstoppable” and “phenom” from observers along the way. He played on the national junior circuit along with future superstars Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Michael Chang, and at one point he defeated Todd Martin, who would go on to be ranked as high as number 10 in the world. Kealy graduated from Prep with over 70 scholarship offers from Division I colleges and universities, as the most decorated tennis player in Hudson County history. One can only imagine the extent of Kealy’s heroics on the court had he not suffered a career-ending eye injury while playing for the University of Virginia. However, he has gone on to considerable success in the construction industry, and currently serves as Chairman of the Jersey City Zoning Board. The Saint Peter’s Prep Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 2004 to honor the most outstanding contributors—including athletes, coaches and teams—to the school’s proud athletic history. As of the 2008 induction ceremony, 42 individuals and three teams have been enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
Our Digital Archive from 2000 – 2016
