people watching.
Ryan was chosen to com-
pete by the show’
s producers 
from about 10,000 appli-
cants, who each sent in audi-
tion videos and answered 
questions. There also are 
9-10 and 11-12 age divisions. 
The show is a spinoff of the 
popular competition show 
American Ninja Warrior.
“I enjoy the American 
Ninja television shows,” Ryan 
said. “I think they’
re cool.
“I thought I had a chance 
to be picked for American 
Ninja Warrior Junior, but I 
didn’
t expect it. I think they 
were looking for a ‘
back 
story’
 from applicants. For 
me, it was being so happy 
that my grandfather is recov-
ering from lung cancer.”
Ryan’
s grandfather, David 
Benigsohn of Farmington 
Hills, was among several of 
Ryan’
s family members who 
made the trip to Los Angeles 
to watch him compete.
Also in Ryan’
s corner 
on his application was his 
background in Ninja ath-
letics. He’
s been involved 

in the sport, which features 
obstacle courses challenging 
strength and agility, since he 
was 9.
He trains and competes 
out of the Edge Training 
Center in Commerce 
Township and Gripz Gym in 
Southfield, and he teaches 
younger Ninja athletes at 
Gripz.
He’
s competed at state 
and world Ninja competi-
tions in New Mexico and 
Connecticut and will com-
pete this month in North 
Carolina.
“I wouldn’
t say the TV 
show obstacle course was 
more difficult than my other 
Ninja competitions, but it 
was different,” Ryan said. 
“The TV show course was 
faster with less obstacles. My 
other competitions are more 
about endurance.”
The obstacles in American 
Ninja Warrior Junior are 
modified versions of those 
used on the other American 
Ninja show to make them 
age-appropriate.
Carrie Krauthamer, Ryan’
s 

mother, hopes her son’
s 
appearance on American 
Ninja Warrior Junior will be 
an inspiration to other area 
children.
“Not a lot of people know 
about the Ninja sport,” 
Carrie said. “Hopefully, kids 
around here will see Ryan on 
the TV show and be inspired 
to give the sport a try. It’
s a 
great sport for active, ener-
getic kids.”
Ryan said his friends 
understand he can’
t say any-
thing about the show, so they 
don’
t ask him about it.
He’
s been going about his 
business since returning 
from Los Angeles, patiently 
waiting for the show to air.
In addition to training and 
competing in Ninja athlet-
ics, he played on the West 
Bloomfield freshman boys 
soccer team this past fall and 
he’
s playing club soccer for 
Liverpool Football Club.
He’
s a goalie in soccer.
Ryan’
s father is Roy 
Krauthamer. Ashley, 17, 
is Ryan’
s sister. The family 
attends Temple Israel. 

Michael 
Hartman has a 
perfect record 
in weight-
lifting at the 
Michigan Senior 
Olympics.
The West 
Bloomfield 
resident won a 
gold medal Feb. 
9 at the Senior 

Olympics Winter Games in Plymouth, 
bench-pressing 265 pounds to win 
the age 60-64 275-pound division.
It was the first time Hartman com-
peted in weightlifting at the Senior 
Olympics. The podiatrist won a silver 
medal in the shot put at the Senior 
Olympics a few years ago.
“I was very nervous (at the Winter 
Games) because everything in the 
weightlifting competition was new 
to me. I lifted a lot more a few days 

earlier,” Hartman said. “But I enjoyed 
competing, mainly because the 
weightlifters there were like a band of 
brothers. I’
m surprised I won.”
Hartman, 60, said he’
s been 
weightlifting for many years but doing 
it seriously for only about four months, 
often with longtime friend and 18-time 
Senior Olympics weightlifting gold 
medal-winner Jeff Ellis, “and that’
s 
made a difference.”

Jackson 
Ross is doing 
well against 
the “big boys” 
in collegiate 
wrestling.
The 
Michigan State 
University 
redshirt soph-
omore from Brighton was 12-5 with 
11 straight wins through last week, 
competing in the 285-pound weight 
class in tournaments.

He finished in first place in the 
Alma Open and he was fifth in the 
Storm Open.
“I weigh 245 pounds, so I’
m on 
the lighter side in this weight class,” 
Ross said.
The 6-foot-3 Ross hasn’
t compet-
ed in any dual meets for MSU, but he 
is traveling with the team.
Ross was 5-11 in his first two sea-
sons with the Spartans, again com-
peting in tournaments. Off the mats, 
the 3.5 grade-point average student 
majoring in finance was an Academic 

All-Big Ten honoree last season.
“I didn’
t have a lot of confidence 
wrestling when I first came to 
Michigan State, mainly because I only 
started in wrestling in high school, but 
I’
m wrestling with confidence now,” 
Ross said.
A football and wrestling standout 
at Novi Detroit Catholic Central High 
School, Ross was a 2017 Jewish 
News Male High School Athlete of 
the Year.

Stats

H

ere’
 
s how Michigan 
State University 
wrestler Jackson 
Ross and Tulane University 
tennis player Benji Jacobson, 
each a former Jewish News 
High School Athlete of the 
Year, has fared this season.

JACKSON ROSS

MSU Open
• Lost 3-2 to Connor Webb (Oklahoma)
• Beat Michael Leyland (Oklahoma) 3-2
• Lost 8-2 to Max Ihry (Northern Illinois)

Storm Open
• Pinned by Gary Traub (Ohio State) 
1:01
• Beat Ryan Weitz (Alderson-Broaddus) 
15-5 
• Beat Jared Burgoyne (Alderson-
Broaddus) 6-1 
• Beat Gehrig Hutchison (Gannon) 11-8 
• Beat Travis Schmeling (Gannon) 5-0

Cleveland State Open
• Beat Gaige Willis (unattached) 3-2
• Beat Will Leonard (Buffalo) 8-2

Alma Open
• Pinned Peter Nicaj (Alma) 32 seconds
• Beat Marcus Deren (Lourdes) 19-3
• Beat Alex Trimm (Muskegon 
Community College) by forfeit 
• Beat Jackson Schenk (St. Clair 
Community College) 6-2 
• Beat Nicholas Cooper (Michigan 
State) 2-1

BENJI JACOBSON

(Jackson State match with doubles 
partner Luis Erlenbusch; other matches 
with doubles partner Ewan Moore) 

• Led Fritz Jacobs/Agustin Leguizamom 
(Jackson State) 5-2 (unfinished) 
• Lost 6-0 to Boris Kozlov/Nick Watson 
(Louisiana State) 
• Lost 7-6 (7-5) to Ryan Kros/Matthis 
Ross (Virginia Tech) 
• Led Alberto Colas/Gregor Ramskogler 
(Mississippi State) 6-6 (3-1) unfinished 
• Beat Bjorn Thomson/Ilgiz Valiev 
(Texas Tech) 6-4. 
 

 FEBRUARY 20 • 2020 | 35

