Eric Middleton, who earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Utah, has found success in two vastly different fields: entomology research and competitive obstacle course racing. Currently a graduate student at the University of Minnesota, Middleton is studying the impact of pollinator plantings on agricultural sustainability while also competing on the popular television show American Ninja Warrior.
Middleton's interest in insects began during childhood trips to southern Utah with his mother, a geologist. He has since focused his academic career on entomology, specifically researching how plantings at the margins of agricultural fields might attract insects beneficial to crops. He stated that his goal is to combine his interest in insects with research that can impact world sustainability.
In addition to his academic pursuits, Middleton has become a known figure in the American Ninja Warrior community. After discovering a local gym with specialized equipment, he auditioned for the show and appeared for the first time in 2016. He reached the American Ninja Warrior finals in Las Vegas in both 2016 and 2017, and competed again in 2018.
Known in the ninja community as the human dung beetle, Middleton has embraced the comparison, noting that the male Onthophagus taurus can pull approximately 1,100 times its body weight. Upon completing his Ph.D., Middleton intends to pursue research in conservation and food sustainability while continuing his participation in American Ninja Warrior.
