If there’s anything you can count on, it’s someone from Utah being on “American Ninja Warrior.”
A few years ago, one of the show’s announcers declared that “Utah is becoming a hotbed for ‘American Ninja Warrior.’” That appears to remain the case for Season 17: During the most recent episode, which aired on Monday, six teenagers from Utah ended up advancing to the semifinals after navigating a tricky obstacle course that puts balance and upper body strength to the test.
One of those teens ended up having the fastest time of the night.
Here’s a look at the six Utahns (so far) who are making a splash on the show this season.
6 Utah teens dominate on ‘American Ninja Warrior’
Colton Skuster
As Colton Skuster got ready to compete on his third season of “ANW” Monday night, the show’s hosts Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila noted how he had a “breakout season” last year, making it all the way to Stage 2 of the national finals.
“He looks stronger than he did last year,” they said, also calling Skuster “America’s fastest frat boy.”
The 19-year-old college student from Salt Lake City — whose “ANW” persona is centered in part on being a member of the fraternity Beta Theta Pi — didn’t disappoint.
He cruised effortlessly through the obstacle course — “He is flying!” the announcers exclaimed at one point.
Skuster went on to hit the buzzer and earn the fastest time of the night, completing the course in 52 seconds.
According to bio information “ANW” shared with the Deseret News, a big part of Skuster’s motivation on the show is his mother, who has been diagnosed with May-Thurner Syndrome, a condition that causes blood clots in the arteries and veins that circulate blood to the legs.
“His mom’s resilience in dealing with her condition is a huge motivation for Colton to keep pushing,” reads the bio from the show.
Ashton and Paxton Myler
Ashton and Paxton Myler make up one-half of the Ninja Kidz, a YouTube sensation out of Draper, Utah, that has billions of views and more than 40 million subscribers across all of their channels.
The Myler siblings formed the Ninja Kidz several years ago when their dad, who is a fight coordinator, filmed a martial arts scene with them that ended up getting more than 100 million views in the first year.
“That’s the reason we started, we want to see people grow, and get off the couch and do something awesome,” Ashton Myler said during the “ANW” episode.
The Ninja Kidz have a robust touring schedule — which included a recent show at the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City — where they show off their blend of action sports and physical challenges. But despite the name, they’ve never competed on “American Ninja Warrior.”
Until now.
This season, all four siblings are competing on “ANW,” the show noted Monday night.
Ashton Myler, 18, was the first to navigate the course. As he breezed through the obstacles, the hosts praised his “tremendous athleticism.”
In his “ANW” debut, Myler completed the course in 1 minute and 11 seconds.
“Oh, I’m so happy,” he said after hitting the buzzer.
Paxton Myler, 16, also made it through, though the show didn’t air his entire run. Myler ended up hitting the buzzer in 2 minutes and 37 seconds, joining his brother in the semifinals.
Violet Kepo’o
Violet Kepo’o made her “ANW” debut when she was 15, with a run that had her visibly emotional as she cleared each obstacle.
In her second season, the teen from Pleasant Grove made it all the way to Stage 1 of the national finals.
Now, at 17, Kepo’o has even more confidence in her abilities.
On Monday night, the announcers noted that Kepo’o has never cleared the fifth obstacle of the show’s qualifying round. That changed this season, as the teen successfully navigated the Ferris Wheel obstacle, which challenges the competitors to work their way up and across two large wheels — separated by a few feet — using swinging handles.
Kepo’o made it past the fifth obstacle, but wasn’t able to make it up the 14.5-foot Warped Wall to hit the buzzer and officially complete the course.
Making it past the Ferris Wheel, though, guaranteed her spot in the semifinals (the show takes the top five female competitors from each episode).
Baylee Beckstrand
Sixteen-year-old Baylee Beckstrand is the fifth member of her family to make a splash on “American Ninja Warrior.”
The Beckstrands, who are from St. George, operate and train at two “ANW”-themed gyms in the area called The Grip.
And the years of preparation have paid off.
Baylee Beckstrand’s dad, Brian, hit the family’s first buzzer on “ANW” back in Season 7. Her mom, Holly, made her “ANW” debut three years later. Her older brother, Kai, made his debut in Season 13 and quickly became a formidable competitor. Her brother, Luke, also made a strong impression last year.
“I’ve been watching my family from the sidelines for about 10 years,” she said on “ANW.” “And I finally get my chance.
“My brothers set a pretty high bar, so I feel a lot of pressure because I just know I wanted to be just as good as them,” she continued.
As Baylee Beckstrand — who was 15 at the time of her run but is now 16 — prepared to run her first “ANW” course, the announcers noted that “‘Ninja’ runs in the Beckstrand blood.”
And Baylee Beckstrand proved she could compete right alongside her brothers.
She almost fell on the third obstacle, called the Log Runner, which tasks competitors with running across a series of logs that are separated by 4 1/2 feet. She was able to save herself at the end, pulling herself up on the landing platform instead of splashing down into the water.
“She fought with fire right there,” the announcers said.
Beckstrand came close to hitting the buzzer but lost her grip near the end. Her run qualified her for a spot in the semifinals, though.
Later on in the episode, Beckstrand’s mom, Holly, also competed but ended up splashing down on the Log Runner.
Kai and Luke Beckstrand will both compete in a few weeks, the show noted, calling Kai “one of the favorites to win it all.”
Anna McArthur frequently trains for “ANW” with the Beckstrands and “ANW” veteran Mady Howard at The Grip in St. George.
This season marks McArthur’s third run on the show.
The 18-year-old, who is a student at Utah Tech University, made it to Stage 1 of the national finals last season before getting eliminated.
Now, the 5-foot ninja is seeking to go even farther, and she had a huge cheering squad on the sidelines.
McArthur was visibly shocked after she survived the Log Runner, her mouth wide open as she hit the landing platform.
The show’s hosts noted that she had never made it past the fifth obstacle before. McArthur wasn’t able to clear it this time around, either, but her run was enough to secure a spot in the semifinals.
“You’ve got to love her joy on the course,” the show’s hosts said.
McArthur has been watching “ANW” since she was 7, and used to be a gymnast and violinist but gave up both to focus on training for the show at the age of 11, the Deseret News previously reported.
In her spare time, McArthur works at her family’s business, McArthur’s Temple View RV Resort in St. George, where guests now recognize her from “ANW.”
The campground has been in the family since her grandfather bought it in 1984, and she hopes to run it herself one day.
McArthur balances college, coaching, training and managing events at the campground. To prepare for her third run on “ANW,” she has been watching and analyzing her runs from the last two seasons and listening to podcasts that dive into the mindset of elite athletes, according to bio information the show shared with the Deseret News.