Peter B. Jones, Jr. '77

Abstract

Three-Sport Captain Broke Cross Country Records.

One of PIngry’s fastest runners and a pitching ace, Peter Jones earned 10 varsity letters for cross country, winter track, and baseball. In cross country, he placed 6th as a sophomore in the STate Prep Meet, helping Pingry finish 3rd—the school’s second team at the time to place in that meet. Peter was elected captain in his junior and senior years, leading the 1976 Team to a 17-1 record. That year, he set the record (12:43) for a Pingry runner on Pingry’s 2.5-mile course and set course records for any runner at both Newark Academy and Hun. As a junior on the winter track team, Peter place 3rd in the 880-yard race in the State Prep and Union County Championships. In his senior year, he was a member of Pingry’s two-mile relay team that set the school record. Peter won 19 games with an ERA of 0.807 during two-plus seasons on the baseball team, threw two no-hitters and six one-hitters, struck out 235 batter, and picked off 31 runners, including four in one game. The Daily Journal and Star-Ledger name him to multiple All State, All Union, and All Metro teams. Peter was also elected captain in his senior year. The recipient of the Cross Country Award, Class of 1935 Graham Churchill Baseball Award, and Centennial Cup, Peter played baseball at Furman University. He pitched another no-hitter, set school records for most pickoffs (16) and appearances (15) in a season, and was ranked No. 1 in the Southern Conference for strikeouts per inning. Peter continued to coach and was Pingry’s pitching coach from 1988 to 1999, when the team won three state championships.