David Jones

As a member of the Bridgetown Legion and Bridgetown Regional High School track and field teams, David Jones dominated the field events in the early to mid- 1960s. His performances broke
records at the local, provincial and national levels in the shot put and discus: some of these records still stand today. As well as his accomplishments in track and field, David excelled in basketball,
volleyball and softball as a member of provincial winning teams in all of these sports.

David’s potential in field events became obvious as he began to dominate the shot put and discus events in the younger age classes of high school track and field. In 1963, at the provincial
championships at Acadia, David won both the shot put and discus in Intermediate “B” Boys against the best athletes in the province. In the summer of that year, he was dominant once again at the
Nova Scotia Age Class Championships in Greenwood. David placed first in the shot put with a throw of 43 feet 2 inches and first in the discus with a toss of 124 feet 3 inches.

At the Acadia Relays High School Provincial Championships in 1964, David was the most outstanding athlete in the field events. Competing in the Senior “A” Boys’ division, David won the shot put with a throw of 50 feet 3 ¼ inches. He went on to win the discus with a distance of 137 feet 8 inches. David’s efforts helped the Bridgetown Senior “A” Boys win the provincial title that year. During the summer of 1964, David competed in the Antigonish Highland Games where he placed first in the 16- pound shot put with a throw of 45 feet 7 ¼ inches. This toss was 7 ¾ inches off the Canadian Junior record. David also won the discus event with a distance of 113 feet 8 inches. As a result of his performances, David was selected to represent Nova Scotia at the Canadian Olympic Trials in St. Lambert, Quebec. Competing against the best athletes in Canada, David placed second in the 16-pound shot put with a distance of 44 feet 6 ¾ inches, just a few inches short of first place.

David’s performances in 1965 were among the most outstanding of his athletic career. He was once again victorious in the shot put and discus events at the Acadia Relays. His greatest accomplishment occurred at the Antigonish Highland Games that summer. He won the Junior Division shot put with a throw of 49 feet 1 ½ inches, setting a new Canadian record for that event.

In the fall of 1965, David went to Acadia University to further his education. He quickly became a valued member of Acadia’s track and field team, once again dominating the shot put and discus events. David played a major role in helping Acadia win the Maritime Intercollegiate Track and Field Championships in 1965 and 1966.

The community of Bridgetown is intensely proud of the accomplishments of its athletes. It is particularly proud of David’s performances in the many sports in which he competed. The Bridgetown Area Sports Hall of Fame is fortunate to have David Jones as an inductee.