Senior Evan Jones has officially committed to Harper College, where he plans to continue both his academic and wrestling career, while pursuing a future in fire science.
Jones’ commitment will be balancing college athletics as well as military service. Before beginning his freshman year at Harper, he will attend basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He will return home around Christmas before starting his first semester, the timing means he will miss half of his first college wrestling season.
Jones is excited for what lies ahead. “My prediction would be that it’s going to be tough, but that is why I signed up,” he said. “I expect to get what I work for.”
When considering the possibility of wrestling in college, Jones spoke with his coaches, who encouraged him to think about what he wanted to study. That eventually led him toward fire science. He also said counselor Jeff Gale, someone Jones described as “very knowledgeable about wrestling,” for helping guide him in the right direction.
College was not always part of his plan. Before he started wrestling three years ago, Jones admitted he never pictured himself attending college. While the thought crossed his mind, he never believed he was good enough to wrestle at the college level.
That mindset changed after this past season. “At the end of this season I had confidence,” Jones said. “I knew I wanted to continue my wrestling career and be a firefighter later in my life.” While many athletes find the jump from high school to college sports intimidating, Jones views the transition differently. “I believe that the transition would be a breath of fresh air with new people and filled with better opportunities to accomplish my goals,” he said.
Harper College stood out to Jones for several reasons. Close to home, the school offers both a respected Fire Science program and one of the top junior college wrestling teams in Illinois.The environment and people at Harper also made a strong impression.
“When I met the coach, he was one of the nicest people I had ever met and made me not just look forward to the wrestling but to the classes as well,” Jones said. “The other guys on the team are very welcoming and looking forward to wrestling with me alongside them.” Although Harper is a two-year college, Jones already has bigger goals in mind. He plans to spend two years developing academically and athletically before attempting to wrestle at the Division I level.“I see myself staying there for the full two years” he said, “but working my butt off to ultimately become a DI wrestler at a bigger school for my last two years.” Being away from home was never a major concern in his decision. With Harper located less than two hours away, Jones feels confident he can stay close with family while balancing his life at college and the military. He will already be returning home monthly for military drill.
As he prepares for the next chapter, Jones understands the path ahead will not be easy. Between wrestling, military service, and Fire Science, he is embracing the opportunity to challenge himself both on and off the mat.
