The final season of Grant graduate Jonathan Wells’ already decorated college career was a memorable one.
In May, the Illinois senior became the sixth Big Ten Conference athlete to win the long jump and the high jump in the same conference championship meet.
A few weeks later, Wells finished 15th in the long jump with a top mark of 24 feet, 5.75 inches at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, to earn second-team All-American honors. The 25-year-old Wells, who graduated in May with an MBA, also placed 21st in the high jump.
Wells, who recently competed in the U.S. Olympic trials, said he made the most of his final season.
“The decision to come back for a seventh season was more complex than most would imagine,” Wells said. “The balance of my athletic career, along with my business journey, was important to me. I’m thankful for the opportunity to compete at the highest level and obtain a highly respected MBA.”
Wells said the highlight of his season was the Big Ten championships in Champaign in May, when he won the high jump for the second time outdoors.
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“The Big Ten championships was an opportunity for me to compete in front of my family, with the home support and for my team,” he said. “At that time in the season, I was working through injuries, so to be able to execute and bring two championship titles home was definitely a highlight.”
Wells, one of the most accomplished Illini track and field athletes in recent years, said his long career taught him valuable life lessons. He overcame several injuries and left school for nine months to take care of his ailing father. He took advantage of the extra season given to athletes due to the coronavirus pandemic, ending his career as a seven-time All-American.
Wells said he’s motivated to compete in the business world but isn’t not sure he’s ready to close the door on his athletic career.
“I feel I have a lot more that I want to accomplish,” he said. “I wanted to do all I could to compete to the best of my ability, to inspire others through my journey and to represent the University of Illinois on the highest level. I feel a level of satisfaction knowing I did that.
“But I’m excited for the time that I can now invest into navigating and competing in the business realm. … I still feel there’s a lot left in the tank. But if this is the end, these last seven years have revealed my ability to persevere, continuously grow, and serve and help others in many different ways.”
Smith update: In May, Stevenson graduate Justin Smith declared for the NBA draft. The Arkansas senior forward recently tweeted an impressive clip showing him leaping without the ball and his head reaching the height of the rim.
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.