Month: July 2025

The “American Ninja Warrior” announcers never tire of saying it: Kai Beckstrand, a teenager from St. George, Utah, is one of the most formidable competitors on the show.

Beckstrand is fast — really fast.

Every single year he has competed on “ANW” — Seasons 13, 15 and 16 — he has completed the qualifying obstacle course that puts balance and upper body strength to the test with the fastest time of all the ninjas competing in his episode.

Going into Season 17, his fastest time for the qualifying round was a little over 54 seconds.

But if Beckstrand wanted to keep up his fastest ninja streak, he was going to need to be even faster this time around due to a super tough competitor: his younger brother.

Luke Beckstrand cruises through ‘American Ninja Warrior’ course

Luke Beckstrand made his “ANW” debut last year, and returned this season 3 inches taller and with 20 pounds of muscle.

During the most recent episode of “ANW,” which aired Monday night, the 17-year-old cruised through the course in 54.92 seconds, putting some pressure on his older brother.

“His brother Kai is one of the top competitors, but Luke may be just as good,” the “ANW” announcers said.

But Kai Beckstrand, for his part, insisted that he is “definitely stronger and faster than last season.”

“I believe that I can win this whole thing,” the 19-year-old “ANW” veteran said.

The brothers insist there is no rivalry, though.

Kai Beckstrand was cheering for his younger brother from the sidelines and appeared to be in disbelief at Luke Beckstrand’s fast time, which even accounted for missing a first attempt to run up the 14.5-foot wall to hit the buzzer at the end.

But Kai Beckstrand didn’t have too much time to marvel at his brother’s accomplishment.

It was soon his turn to see if he could turn in an even faster performance.

Kai Beckstrand dominates on ‘American Ninja Warrior’

Before Kai Beckstrand took off on the course, “ANW” sideline reporter Zuri Hall noted that the teen is “considered one of the fastest ninjas on the planet.”

And he lived up to that Monday night.

Beckstrand completed the Season 17 qualifying course in a staggering 52.90 seconds — the fastest time of the night (for the fourth time in a row) and his personal record for that course.

Completing the course in under a minute gave Kai Beckstrand the chance to attempt a run up the 18.5-foot Mega Wall for $10,000 — a feat that only two competitors (so far) had achieved this season.

Beckstrand raced up the wall to hit the buzzer and claim the 10 grand — his third time conquering the Mega Wall.

Kai and Luke Beckstrand ended the night with the two fastest times (it’s worth noting that if Luke Beckstrand hadn’t missed his first attempt at running up the wall, he likely would’ve had the fastest time of the night).

The brothers join their younger sister Baylee Beckstrand, who competed earlier in the season, in the semifinals.

Utahn Mady Howard also advances on ‘American Ninja Warrior’

“ANW” veteran Mady Howard, who is a nurse from St. George and frequently trains for the show with the Beckstrands at the family’s ninja-themed gym The Grip, competed for her sixth time Monday night.

She became just the second mom in the show’s history to complete a course and hit the buzzer, the announcers said.

Howard, who was a gymnast at Southern Utah University, previously competed on the show when she was six months postpartum. Now, her son Beckham is 3 and enthusiastically cheering from the sidelines with his dad.

“I think that ‘Ninja Warrior’ is a great outlet for me,” Howard previously told the Deseret News. “It’s my fun outlet where I can play like a little kid on a playground, where I can go and be competitive and kind of chase my own dreams. It challenges me to be a better person and a better mom. I seriously just love it.”

Several other Utah ninjas competed during Monday’s episode but didn’t advance to the semifinals, including:

• 40-year-old artist Jenedy Paige, from Pleasant Grove
• 38-year-old photographer Josh Ferguson, from American Fork
• 20-year-old Bryton Myler, a Ninja Kidz sibling from Draper
• 16-year-old Payton Myler, a Ninja Kidz sibling from Draper

What other Utahns have advanced on ‘ANW’ Season 17?

Earlier in the season, six teens from Utah advanced to the Season 17 semifinals, which will begin airing later this summer.

Per the Deseret News, that includes:

• 16-year-old Baylee Beckstrand, from St. George
• 16-year-old Paxton Myler, from Draper
• 17-year-old Violet Kepo’o, from Pleasant Grove
• 18-year-old Ashton Myler, from Draper
• 18-year-old Anna McArthur, from St. George
• 19-year-old Colton Skuster (who completed the qualifying course in just a little over 52 seconds), from Salt Lake City

The “American Ninja Warrior” semifinals premiere Monday, July 14, on NBC.

The sight of pastures of cows in the Spanish Fork area — a Utah County city steeped in farming and ranching history — is not uncommon.

But, a field of unusually fluffy bovines originally from Scotland being cuddled by humans? That’s rare.

Utah Cow Cuddle at Fold of Liberty Farms in Lakeshore started a year and a half ago, according to Vernon Stout, whose family has owned the 50-acre farm since 2021. The attraction started off as pure happenstance, according to Stout.

“We just were out here working with the cows and petting them ourselves … People would come stop by the edge of the fence and say, ‘Hey, can we take pictures?’” Stout said.

Neighbors, he found, were drawn to the cows for their cuddliness. The family started hosting sessions for people to feed and cuddle the cows for $5 a piece. When interest picked up even more, they raised it to $10 a person. Now, for just over $17, visitors can spend half an hour with the cows.

The cow cuddles are a form of agritourism — where the agricultural lifestyle meets tourism. For the Stouts and other farmers across the state, it’s also a way to bring a steady stream of extra income into what can be a rocky business.

“Agritourism is great because it diversifies your abilities,” Wade, Vernon Stout’s son, said. “So if we couldn’t do agritourism here, then we’d just be limited to, well, how much beef can we sell? Can we have chickens? How many eggs can we sell?”

Stout said the income the farm earns from customers cuddling cows helps pay for the farm’s operations, but “most importantly” they use the income to buy food for the cows in the winter.

At the end of April, across the sprawling green field, with mountains so close they feel touchable, the Stout’s 25 Highland cows soak in the spring time weather. They’re big and fluffy, in shades of brown, red, black and white. Their wisps of fur dance in the slight spring breeze as they chew on grass.

Running the farm is a family affair, with Vernon, his wife Rhonda, his two sons Wade and Kaleb, and Wade’s wife Sariah. The cows take to the Stout family easily, nudging their arms for cuddles and to get the Stouts to rake their fur with the combs. Sariah makes friends with the smallest of the clan, Iagan, who is skittish, whereas Kaleb captures the attention of Clementine.

Each of the cows have a distinctive personality, too, according to the attraction’s website.

The Stouts know specific things about each cow. There’s Oatmeal, whose real name is Gwenevere but her cream coat color inspired her nickname. And Nan, a bright red one who loves to have treats and get petted. Finn is a little white bull with a penchant for following people around the field when he wants pets. Bailey, the newest addition to the farm, is super friendly.

Agritourism and food production

The benefits that come from agritourism have caught the eye of the state.

A 2024 law sponsored by Utah Rep. Carl Albrecht, R-Richfield, allowed the state to establish a voluntary registry of agritourism businesses to support the industry across the state.

Agritourism, Albrecht said, helps give Utah’s farmers and ranches “a little extra income during the off season.”

Albrecht said some aging farmers in the state are looking to hand over operations of the farms to their children. The problem, he said, is that more and more of the farmers’ children aren’t keen on taking over.

“It’s hard work, and they can maybe do better elsewhere by getting an education and working an 8-to-5 job or starting their own business,” he said. “It was just something that we thought would help younger farmers who were taking over the family farm … be able to help make ends meet for them.”

Albrecht says he predicts that agritourism will continue to grow in Utah as the state’s population increases and people continue to be curious about the rural lifestyle. And he hopes it can help people better understand the link between the farms and their food.

“A lot of people think we get milk and beef steaks at the grocery store, and they don’t really understand where it really comes from,” he said.

The state Legislature is also set to study agritourism during this year’s interim session.

Caroline Hargraves, the director of marketing and economic development at UDAF, said Albrecht’s 2024 bill also helped provide “additional protections” for agritourism operators, such as liability protection.

The online farm directory has all types of farms from all over the state — from Elwood’s Enchanted Hollow Alpacas to La Finca Flower Farm in Pleasant Grove.

“Several generations ago, we were all connected to a farm or more connected with our food supply,” Hargraves said. “Now a lot of people never get to set foot on a farm, so for businesses, it adds that economic impact, but also it helps provide that community connection, so that people can have a better understanding of how the food supply works.”

She said that her department has spoken with many farmers who say the added traffic from tourism is “what allows their multi-generational farm to stay in operation.”

“It helps them diversify their revenue streams, add income to their farm,” Hargraves said. She added that her department is working on creating “best practice guides” as well as resources for local municipalities.

While these agritourism activities draw people to these farms, the work of a farm also continues. Fold of Liberty Farms is a working farm, and they don’t shy away from that, even as they’ve heard concerns from people who “don’t like the fact that you cuddle a cow and then you’re going to eat that cow,” as Stout puts it.

Stout said that the farm harvests old cows “when they get too old to breed or have muscular or skeletal issues that makes them have a poor quality of life.”

“We will harvest them and turn them into [a] burger rather than letting them suffer,” he said. “We are a farm after all and we produce human-consumable food.”

Hargraves said “it’s important for people to see the full life cycle” of how their food is raised.

“That’s where agritourism really shines, is you get to come out here and experience the farm life,” Wade Stout said. “Whether you’re on a conventional farm or regenerative agriculture farm like ours, it’s a very positive thing to see how your food is produced.”

“After much consideration, I am now prepared to rule” – When Utah judge ruled Michael Jordan pushed off in his final shot in ’98 originally appeared on Basketball Network.

The Utah Jazz faithful are among the most loyal fans in the NBA. They are passionate about their home team’s legacy, and in fact, some even still argue that Michael Jordan pushed off Bryon Russell in the 1998 Finals.

Advertisement

That’s exactly what Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew Durrant stated when discussing the treatment of convicted drug abusers in his state back in 2017. While talking to a group of reporters, the judge joked about Jordan’s alleged push-off in his iconic game-winning shot in Game 6 of the ’98 NBA Finals.

“I know that some argue he did not push off; most of them live in Chicago,” Durrant jokingly said via Lee Davidson of the Salt Lake Tribune. “But after much consideration, I am now prepared to rule. He pushed off. And if you think I don’t have the power to decide that, you haven’t read the Utah Constitution.”

NBA referee commented on MJ’s alleged push off

A judge’s ruling carries a lot of weight inside the courtroom, but not on the basketball court. That job belongs to the referees. As it turns out, one of the officials of Game 6 of the ’98 Finals also once shared his thoughts on Jordan’s alleged push-off.

Advertisement

Former longtime NBA referee Danny Crawford was alongside his fellow seasoned officials, Dick Bavetta and Hue Hollins in Game 6. Though he had witnessed the play up close and personal as it happened, Crawford still admitted that it was hard to tell if Jordan really pulled off a dirty play on Russell.

According to Crawford, the play could go either way and it ended up being a no-call. Moreover, Crawford argued that judging by how things played out after Jordan made the shot, perhaps it was meant to be that way.

“There’s a thing we talk about in refereeing; call what you see, see what you call,” Crawford once said before weighing in on whether or not Jordan pushed off. “And that play is difficult. And it’s a debatable play. So, you can put that play in front of 100 people, and you’ll go 50-50 on that play.”

“And you can’t base it on what happened to Russell,” he pointed out.

Advertisement

“Because if you blew the whistle based on what happened to Russell, easy call to make. You have to call what you see, what Jordan does, and you don’t see it. And when you see it, I don’t know if that was a clear-cut push. So, you’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t. And that play has left all these sports fans to debate, and it’s a beautiful thing,” he added.

Related: “God, I hope I don’t get into this game. I’m not ready for this stuff” – Steve Kerr said watching Michael Jordan for the first time made him feel he didn’t belong in NBA

That shot is etched in NBA history no matter what

Jordan’s illustrious NBA career is filled with a myriad of iconic moments that have left an indelible mark on the sport. Among these unforgettable highlights, his game-winning shot in Game 6 of the ’98 NBA Finals stands out prominently, often regarded as one of the most talked-about plays in basketball history.

Advertisement

Even years later, the debate surrounding that crucial moment continues to ignite intense conversations among fans and analysts alike. Many still argue that Jordan indeed pushed Russell off just enough to create the space.

Whether one believes this to be true or not, the lasting impact of that play remains undebatable. It has been forever etched into the annals of NBA history and celebrated as one of the greatest shots of all time.

Related: Pippen once missed a layup to prevent MJ from getting a triple-double in the 1997 Finals: “I didn’t want him to tie me”

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.

The post Utah football beats out Oregon, Michigan for 4-star O-Line recruit appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Utah football team earned a massive recruiting win on Tuesday as the Utes landed one of the top offensive lineman in the 2026 recruiting class. Four-star offensive tackle Kelvin Obot was getting heavy interest from Oregon and Michigan, two of the best programs in college football right now. However, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham found a way to earn the commitment from the prized prospect.

Advertisement

“BREAKING: Elite 2026 OT Kelvin Obot has Committed to Utah, he tells me for @rivals,” Hayes Fawcett said in a post. “The 6’5 285 OT from Fruitland, ID chose the Utes over Oregon, Michigan, & Nebraska.”

Kelvin Obot had a short message for Utah football fans upon his commitment:

“Go Utes!” He said.

Obot a four-star recruit according to 247Sports. He is the #131 player in the 2026 recruiting class, the #9 OT and the #1 player in the state of Idaho. Obot currently attends Fruitland High School in Fruitland, ID. This is a big-time pickup for Utah.

“Athletic offensive tackle that has proven to be no match for Gem State-based competition over the years,” Obot’s scouting report reads. “Displays favorable reaction skills and body control as he’s light on his feet and frequently in balance. Quick out of a two-point stance as he tries to establish a wide base in his run sets. Patient in pass protection as he gains depth before engaging targets with well-timed strikes. Can get to his spot on backside cutoffs and has the range to climb and reach linebackers on zone blocks.”

Advertisement

Obot is one of the top offensive lineman in the 2026 class for a reason. He is good enough to quickly make an impact at Utah if he can continue to improve certain areas of his game.

“Size has not been third-party verified, but looks to be lean and pushing 6-foot-5 with plenty of room to fill out,” the scouting report continues. “Must improve clamp and anchor strength in the coming years, but state titles in both the shot put and discus as a junior suggests that he’s already adding some much-needed power in the lower half. Will have to be a sponge in meeting rooms as he adjusts to the speed and physical demands of big-time Power Four football, but should be viewed as a high-upside corner protector that’s got a chance to man the left side of the line with his slick movement patterns.”

This is a big commitment for the Utah football team as prior to Kelvin Obot joining the class, the Utes only had commitments from three-star recruits. We’ll see if this addition leads to some momentum on the recruiting trail for Kyle Whittingham.

Related: Jeremiah Smith fires Ohio State football fans up with ‘different’ Julian Sayin take

Related: Arch Manning earns ludicrous Tim Tebow comparison from Paul Finebaum

One of the most captivating aspects of college football is the schematic diversity that proves there are multiple ways to win. Nick Saban and Kirby Smart built dynasties out of pattern-matching coverages. Some teams throw it all over the yard, others don’t throw it at all, and each team’s idiosyncrasies play into recruitment and the transfer portal.

The Utah Utes are trying to win in the trenches, allowing a wave of transfers to create big plays with vast rushing lanes and comfortable pockets.

Advertisement

Utah’s offense will look vastly different in 2025, largely due to a transfer class providing new starters at quarterback, running back, and receiver. But their identity will remain the same. For that, they have left tackle Caleb Lomu and right tackle Spencer Fano to thank.

Utah’s tackles could be headed to Round 1

Fano will enter his junior season already introduced to the national spotlight. He is firmly in the conversation to be the first tackle taken in the 2026 NFL Draft and is a consensus top-10 prospect early in the cycle.

Likewise, ESPN insider Matt Miller made Fano the 10th pick in his way-too-early mock draft, pairing him with the Seattle Seahawks.

Advertisement

“Fano has played both left and right tackle at Utah, but his size (6-foot-5, 304 pounds) has some scouts projecting him as an NFL guard,” Miller wrote. “Fano enters 2025 as one of the nation’s best linemen after allowing one sack in 2024, and his movement ability and understanding of angles and leverage make him an ideal NFL right tackle.”

Fano was the third tackle taken in his mock draft, behind Miami bookend Francis Mauigoa and Alabama mauler Kaydn Proctor.

MORE: Three Nittany Lions named Preseason All-Americans

Perhaps more surprising was Lomu, who landed just two picks later to the Cleveland Browns.

Advertisement

“Lomu is a player with considerable growth potential,” he said. “He performed well as a redshirt freshman, allowing three sacks and committing one penalty. Lomu should break out further in 2025, with his easy movement ability in the run game and quick reaction time in pass protection. While Lomu isn’t currently OT1, he has top-five potential if he expands on what he showed last season.”

Lomu is less refined than his partner in crime and isn’t viewed as a lock for Round 1. He’s bound to have more issues with leverage than Fano and allowed pressures at a higher rate, but the potential Miller noted is real, and his positional value at left tackle serves as a boost to his stock.

The particular picks and team fits aren’t important in June. Summer mock drafts are meant to introduce fans to the best player in the country. Merely being in that conversation is a win for Utah, and having two first-round tackles is a promising foundation for an offense in desperate need of improvement.

MORE NCAA NEWS