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Jonathan Rice discovered his talent for long jump after leaving basketball behind, earning him a spot at Iowa State University.
For the first three years of his high school career at Palmer Ridge, Jonathan Rice focused on basketball, but after his junior season he lost his passion for the sport and felt compelled to make a change.
Rice turned to track and field, motivated by a friendly rivalry with his older brother.
"I'm just trying to do better than my brother. My brother is two years older than me, so I kind of just came out doing long jump and trying to do better than him," said Rice.
He quickly discovered a natural talent for long jumping and began setting ambitious goals for himself.
"I did not have crazy expectations. Like I said, I just wanted to jump further than my brother and once I got to that point, it was like, 'I'll see what I can do next.' Maybe I can go for that school record and maybe eventually the outdoor record," said Rice.
The Iowa State Cyclones noticed his rapid rise to success and offered Rice a spot on their Division I team.
"For me, it was special. All credit to my coaches and my family supporting and helping me get here. I feel like it was just a moment for all of us," said Rice.
Accomplishing this feat in such a short time has Rice thinking big about his future in track and field.
"I just want to be good. I want to be able to compete and score for my team and eventually get to the Olympic trials. That's the final goal," said Rice.
Going to college in Iowa will be a family affair for the Rice family. His sister attended Iowa State, and his older brother Chris plays football for Drake University, which is also located in Iowa.
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