MAPLE — Northwestern’s Logan Jones looked to the crowd in admiration as the referee lifted his arm in the air.
The senior captain had just pinned Luck/Frederic/Grantsburg/Siren’s Joseph D’Jock at the 41st annual Spartan Classic to capture the 100th win of his career, a threshold only 13 other Northwestern wrestlers have ever achieved.
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Jones basked in the moment as a crowd of his closest friends and family erupted in applause. It was a euphoric feeling of achievement, one that turned bittersweet as it marked the first major milestone without his late mother, Kelli Jones, there to see it.
“I’ve been handling it as best as I can because I know what she wanted,” Jones said. “She wanted me to get back in my groove. I’m doing this for her. Everything that I’m doing right now, it’s what she wanted, and that’s what I’m going to do. It’s all for her.”
The last month-plus has been the most emotionally taxing period of Jones’ life. In early December, his mother, Kelli, unexpectedly fell ill. Her condition quickly deteriorated and shortly thereafter, Kelli died at the age of 44.
Jones, seeking any semblance of normalcy, returned to school a couple of days after Kelli’s death. His whole life was turned upside down in such a short time and for a while, wrestling was the furthest thing from his mind.
“It was tough,” Jones said. “I spent the first part of my season in the hospital, actually. I missed my first couple of tournaments.”
Between hospital visits and coming to grips with the finality of the tragedy, Jones took an extended hiatus from wrestling. Northwestern head coach Tim Kaufman kept in contact with Jones, while simultaneously giving him space and time to begin healing.
“I haven’t seen anything like this before while coaching,” Kaufman said. “When his mom passed away, he was gone for quite a while, several weeks or around a month.”
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When Kaufman checked in with Jones throughout his time away from the sport, he offered support and reaffirmed that his Tigers wrestling family would be there for him, regardless of when he would return to the mat.
Jones understood at heart that his mother wanted him to go back to one of the sports he so dearly loves. So when he put that iconic black and gold Tigers singlet on in mid-December for the first time since she died, he vowed to compete the right way.
“The most important thing about coming back was getting here and doing it the right way,” Jones said. “I wasn’t just going to jump right into it.”
Upon returning to the sport, Jones admittedly struggled. He wasn’t in first-class wrestling shape and it impacted his ability to compete the way he wanted.
“My first couple of matches back were really tough,” Jones said. “Conditioning-wise, I had to really persevere through that.”
Jones remained resolute, despite being behind the 8-ball against his competition. It was grit and determination in the weight room and every afternoon at practice that led to him feeling normal again — at least physically — and it opened the floodgates of victory.
Win after win came pouring in, even against some of the best wrestlers in Wisconsin. At the Northern Badger Wrestling Classic over the holidays in River Falls, Jones placed in a highly competitive 144-pound bracket full of statewide talent.
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One week later, Jones finished runner-up in the same weight class at the Spartan Classic while notching his 100th career win in the process. Kaufman has seen a lot of wrestlers persevere through adversity, but nothing like what Jones has faced this year.
“With everything he’s gone through, it’s pretty remarkable,” Kaufman said. “His attitude has been great. To see him go through hard times and come out on top, he has shown you don’t have to go backwards. It’s by no means easy, but he has shown you can do it.”
Jones may not have noticed, but his teammates were in awe of his resilience. Bryer Burkhart, a junior, said watching Jones show up day after day sent a message to the team, even if he never said a word about it.
“It says a lot about who he is for him to be here,” Burkhart said. “It’s kind of crazy how much perseverance he has shown. He has come back and kept pushing through, even when life keeps throwing things at him.”
As steadfast as Jones has been, he couldn’t have done it alone. His father, Ryan Jones, grandparents Gayle and Scott Jones, along with many other extended family members and friends have always been a steadying presence, but particularly in recent months.
“He has a very supportive family,” Kaufman said. “They go everywhere for him. His grandparents come to everything — every football game, wrestling match, they’ve been to all of them.”
The support system has been vital for Jones, who has already set some lofty goals for the remainder of his senior campaign. In addition to winning a conference title, he has set his sights on a trip to sectionals, which he achieved as a freshman and sophomore.
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Kaufman indicated that Jones has always been a technically sound wrestler who uses his competitive fire to manufacture success on the mat.
“He’s just really competitive,” Kaufman said. “He’s got that attitude about him, too. All of that helps.”
Having Jones back in the wrestling room has been a blessing for Kaufman because the senior grappler is one of his best leaders this year. Whether it’s getting practice started on time or teaching kids new techniques, he does a little bit of everything to help the Tigers grow.
“Logan goes in there and gets the kids going until I get to practice,” Kaufman said. “He’s one of our leaders, our captains. It helps that he’s a four-year varsity wrestler and is just a really good kid.”
Working with a young Northwestern roster is something Jones has loved about the last several weeks back with the Tigers. Burkhart said it’s not uncommon to see Jones working with a freshman or sophomore refining technique.
“He’s a great friend and teammate,” Burkhart said. “He’s always picking you up at practice and is helpful, always showing moves and teaching right from wrong with little technique stuff. He has dressed all four years, and that’s big for us.”
Jones didn’t return to the Tigers just as a feel-good story. He wants to compete and win at the highest level, and Kaufman believes he’s capable of that and more — potentially even a trip to Madison for the state tournament.
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“If he stays focused and wrestles well, I think he could go to state this year,” Kaufman said. “Just seeing him get that 100th win on Saturday was neat, too. It was good to see some good news for him, especially with everything that he has gone through.”
Jones holds a 15-8 record with just over two months left in his senior season. There is no telling when he will put on that singlet for the final time as a Tiger, but whenever he does, he’s going to be wrestling in honor of Kelli.
“I’m going to keep going for her,” Jones said. “I know she wanted me to wrestle, and that’s why I’m doing all of this – it’s for her.”
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