The Local Girl 
From the dawn of the American Revolution to the Industrial Revolution to today, New Jersey has been the starting point and arena for innovators, sports figures, monumental events, and more. So much history has happened here, some of which is even the first of its kind in the state, country, or even the world. Whether buried in a century-old book or part of recent news, we have done our research to share with you what groundbreaking sporting events and notable athletes hail from the Garden State. Read on to learn about sports’ famous firsts connected to New Jersey.
Baseball
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- The first recorded game of baseball took place in Hoboken. It occurred in 1846 between the Knickerbocker Club and the New York Nine at Elysian Fields.
- Joseph Black became the first black pitcher to win a World Series game in 1952. He grew up in Plainfield and attended Plainfield High School.
- The first woman inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame was Effa Manley. She was a co-owner of the Newark Eagles baseball franchise in the Negro leagues alongside her husband, Abe Manley, from 1935 to 1948.
Football
- The first-ever college football game was played between Princeton University and Rutgers University on November 6th, 1869. It was played on a plot of ground where the present-day Rutgers gymnasium sits in New Brunswick. Rutgers won the game, 6-4.
- The first Vince Lombardi Trophy was created by Tiffany & Co. in Newark. The trophy is awarded to the winning team of the Super Bowl. In 1970, after the passing of Vince Lombardi, the trophy was renamed to honor him. He led the Green Bay Packers to victories in the first two Super Bowls. Vince was the head coach at St. Cecilia High School in Englewood. He is buried in Middletown Township, and a service area along the New Jersey Turnpike is named after him.
Read More: A Guide to Sports Bars in Hoboken, New Jersey
Gymnastics
- Ada Lunardoni competed in gymnastics at the 1936 Summer Olympics. This was the first time American women competed in the sport at the Olympics. She was born in 1911 in West Hoboken (now Union City) and grew up in Hackensack. Ada was a Jersey girl her whole life and later lived in Allamuchy Township, Hackettstown, and Rockleigh.
- Irma and Frank Haubold both competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics, becoming the first married couple to compete in the same Games. They both hailed from Union City.
Ice Hockey
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Art Dorrington became the first Black hockey player to sign a National Hockey League (NHL) contract. In 1950, he joined the New York Rangers. Art later played for the Atlantic City Seagulls of the Eastern Hockey League. After retiring from sports, he joined the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office.
Skiing
Donna Weinbrecht won the first gold medal awarded in Olympic moguls competition in freestyle skiing. Donna was born in Hoboken and grew up in West Milford. She learned to ski at Hidden Valley in Vernon Township.
Swimming
Cullen Jones became the first African-American to earn a world record in swimming. He first claimed the record for the 4×100-meter freestyle relay in 2006 and broke it twice in 2008 alongside his teammates. Cullen moved to Irvington while in elementary school and swam for Metro Express at the Jewish Community Center in West Orange. He later switched to the Jersey Gators Swim Club in Cranford. Cullen attended Saint Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark.
Tennis
Althea Gibson was one of the first Black athletes to cross the color line in international tennis. In 1950, she became the first Black athlete to receive an invitation to the US Nationals, now the US Open. In 1956, she became the first African American person to complete a Grand Slam. The following year, she won Wimbledon and the US Open. After winning at Wimbledon, she became the first champion to personally receive the trophy from Queen Elizabeth. Althea died in East Orange and was buried in Rosedale Cemetery.
Track + Field
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- Milton Gray Campbell was the first African American to win the gold medal in the decathlon at the Summer Olympic Games. He grew up in Plainfield and attended Plainfield High School.
- Catarina Guimarãres was born in Livingston and graduated from Cranford High School in 2022. She was a member of the 2024 US Paralympic Track & Field team and a 2024 Paris Paralympian. She is also a double Parapan American Games bronze medalist. Catarina is the first Cerebral Palsy Sprinter to train and compete at the NCAA Div 1 level as a member of the High Point University Track and Field team.
Ultimate Frisbee
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Essex County’s Columbia High School is the birthplace of Ultimate Frisbee. In 1970, the first competitive game was played between Columbia High School and Millburn High School. Joel Silver, who brought the game to the school, continued to spread the word and grow the sport. By 1972, the first collegiate game took place between Princeton University and Rutgers University.
See More: The History Behind Hudson County Town Names
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