By Mike Pearson
FightingIllini.com

In February, one of the University of Illinois's most talented athletes added his name to an exclusive list on which only five other men in the history of the Big Ten Conference are members.

When two-time Big Ten high jump champion Jonathan Wells captured his long jump title (25-1 ¼, 7.65 meters) at the 2019-20 Big Ten men's indoor track and championships in Geneva, Ohio, he accomplished the ultra-rare double of earning trophies in both of those events.

Based on the confident 23-year-old Illini senior's personal beliefs, his uncommon feat was far more expected than surprising. You see, Wells doesn't believe in luck. He believes in blessings.

"Everything we do, every action that we have, every decision that we make, puts us in a certain situation," Wells said. "Sometimes we find opportunities that may seem coincidental. But all of those coincidences lead to something greater. We can't really see the broad picture of it, the full scope of it. But I'm a man of faith and I do believe that God sees that full scope. I like to have that mentality on the track and in life. When you go into a competition, you want to have some control over the outcome and be able compete to the best of your ability. I want to take ownership over my training, over my diet, over my mindset … everything. I find comfort in the fact that God has control over my life."

Because of an unusual series of personal circumstances, the fact that Wells is a still a member of Coach Mike Turk's Illini track and field squad is remarkable. When Wells' father, Sean Sr., was diagnosed with brain cancer in April of 2017, Jonathan decided after Illinois's 2018 outdoor season that his dad needed him more than his teammates. He left school and returned to his home in Fox Lake to become a fulltime care giver.

"Day in and day out, we spent a lot of time at appointments and chemotherapy," Wells said. "My schedule was booked from morning to night. It was a heavy responsibility."

At that same time, Jonathan, himself, was experiencing lingering pain from a chronic foot injury, so he made a decision to take advantage of his time off and undergo plantar fasciitis surgery.

When Wells' father died in March of 2019, Jonathan decided that it was time for him to return to the U of I and pursue his unfinished athletic objectives. As a result of 7-4 ½ high jump at the 2018 U.S. Championships, he automatically qualified for July's 2019 USATF meet in Des Moines. Wells trained at a highly accelerated pace, assisted by Illini coaches Turk and Jacob Cohen.

"In a strange way, athletically, it was probably a good thing that had forced him to take time off," Turk said. "His mind certainly was not as much on himself as it was his father. Physically, he came back in a lot better positioned than he was before."

Wells' efforts paid off, leaping 7-4 ¼, winning a bronze medal and earning an opportunity to compete for Team USATF in Minsk, Balarus. Proudly wearing an Illini "I" on his chest during the international competition, Wells took fifth place.

Turk calls his sixth-year standout "a very special and unique individual."

"From the very first time I sat down with Jonathan, it was pretty apparent to me that I was talking to someone who was wired a little differently than other kids," Turk said. "He had a very clear plan of what he wanted out of life and how he wanted to challenge himself. Jonathan had a definite vision. He sets his sights on something and then he focuses all of his energy toward it. We're blessed to have Jonathan in our program and not just from a talent standpoint. His presence and character and the person that he is—what he brings to the culture of our program—is absolutely phenomenal. I couldn't be fonder of anyone than I am about Jonathan Wells. I respect him so much for what he's done and the person that he is."

The 6-3, 195-pound Illini star considers high jumping more of a mental challenge than a physical one.

"Confidence is absolutely critical in high jumping," Wells said. "It's definitely one of the most challenging events. You're taking your full body and you're propelling it over a bar. When you stand next to that bar, it's about a foot taller than you are. Except for the hurdles, no other event has an obstacle to go over. But unlike the hurdles, the height of the high jump bar changes. Confidence is huge. Any hesitation might slow you down and take away from your momentum, your flow and your rhythm. The event is a continuous battle because in order to progress, you need to change. You've got to be comfortable being uncomfortable."

Are the Olympics an objective for Wells?

"One hundred percent," he said. "It's going to take 7-7 to advance to the Olympic games, but I am encouraged. I want to put myself in a position to have an opportunity to go to [the Olympics]."

Academically, Wells is in the home stretch of obtaining a master's degree in technology management from UI's Gies College of Business.

"When I think of track and field, I think of everything that's applicable to the business world," he said. "Athletics is about making progress and that's what business is all about. As a track and field athlete, you go through a lot of struggles before you become successful."

Wells' long-range career plan is to become a business owner, yet he's in no hurry to begin that phase.

"Hopefully, life after track isn't for a little bit," he said.