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