‘The battle of Utah’ just played out on ‘American Ninja Warrior’: Who won?
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The Utah showing on “American Ninja Warrior” has been strong this season, with six competitors in the Season 15 premiere alone hailing from the Beehive State. Five of those ninjas ended up advancing to the semifinals.
Now, another two ninjas from Utah competed for a spot in the semifinals Monday night, navigating a tricky obstacle course that put balance and upper body strength to the test.
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Two more Utahns compete on ‘American Ninja Warrior’
Ally Tippetts Wootton
Ally Tippetts Wootton began training for “American Ninja Warrior” in 2019, “when she was going through a tough divorce and needed new friends,” according to information “ANW” provided to the Deseret News.
The physician assistant from Vineyard has been invited to compete on previous seasons of “ANW” but couldn’t for various reasons — including discovering ahead of Season 14 that she was pregnant with her son, Greyson. Now, Tippetts Wootton is ready for her “American Ninja Warrior” debut.
“American Ninja Warrior is finally happening for me!!” Tippetts Wootton recently shared in an Instagram post. “I’m so excited to have been able to compete this year and have baby G watchin momma compete!”
In preparing for her debut, Tippetts Wootton found ways to keep active when she’s on the clock, like doing flips down the halls, or lunges and pushups in the back offices. Tippetts Wootton is a physician assistant in Orem, focusing on family practice and women’s health. She graduated with a master’s degree in physician assistant studies from Provo’s Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in 2018.
Kyndal McKenzie
Season 15 marks Kyndal McKenzie’s second run on “American Ninja Warrior.” The photographer from Hyrum first appeared on the show last season but was unable to advance to the semifinals, according to information provided by the show.
McKenzie is a photographer for engagements and weddings and loves to shoot in Utah’s great outdoors — the Salt Flats are one of her favorite locations.
At 5-foot-4, McKenzie sometimes gets creative to photograph her taller subjects, including climbing trees, balancing from ledges and jumping — all skills that have helped her prepare for “ANW.”
She received a bachelor’s degree in dietetics from Utah State University, inspired by having tackled eating disorders as a teen.
How did Ally Tippetts Wootton and Kyndal McKenzie do on ‘American Ninja Warrior’?
The top four women from each qualifying round of “American Ninja Warrior” advance to the semifinals. In each episode, the fourth and fifth-place female competitor go head-to-head in a run-off to secure the fourth spot.
“ANW” didn’t show either Tippetts Wootton or McKenzie’s individual runs Monday night, but the two ended up competing against each other in a run-off, meaning only one could advance to the semifinals. What hosts Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila described as “the battle of Utah” played out in the hourlong episode’s final three minutes.
Ahead of the run-off, McKenzie noted that Tippetts Wootton was “a strong athlete” and that she would pose a challenge for her. The two Utah competitors were neck and neck for a good portion of the obstacle course, but McKenzie ended up losing her grip and splashing down into the water. She cheered Tippetts Wootton on as her fellow competitor navigated the rest of the course and hit the buzzer, securing her spot in the semifinals.
Tippetts Wootton, who has been trying to get on “ANW” for four years, did a flip to celebrate her big finish.
“After training and waiting for 4 years it seems surreal to actually be there amongst so many amazing humans ♥️ I feel so blessed and overwhelmed by the support from my family and friends,” Tippetts Wootton said in a recent Instagram post that featured a picture with some of her fellow Utah competitors. “Thank you all so much 🥰 It really means the world to me!”
Who else from Utah has competed on ‘American Ninja Warrior’?
Seventeen-year-old Kai Beckstrand is a top contender this season. The teen from St. George finished his qualifying course in a little over 54 seconds — more than 20 seconds ahead of the second-fastest time of the night, the Deseret News reported.
This season, Beckstrand is also one of the few competitors (so far) to earn $10,000 for running up the 18.5-foot Mega Wall and hitting the buzzer.
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His father, Brian Beckstrand, is also in the semifinals. The two previously made history for being the first father-son duo to advance to the semifinals.
Other Utah competitors in the semifinals include Josh Ferguson, a photographer based in American Fork; Mady Howard, a nurse from Washington; and Violet Kepo’o, who is from Pleasant Grove and at 15 is one of the show’s youngest competitors.
Larissa Cottle, a competitor from Lehi, made her seventh “ANW” appearance this season, but was unable to advance to the semifinals after losing a run-off to Jaelyn Bennett.
