[dramatic music]
- * Here we go, here we go *
* And we're putting on a show *
- Welcome to Los Angeles,
where we're on the backlot at Universal Studios Hollywood,
home for qualifying on "American Ninja Warrior."
Hello, everyone, and thanks for joining us.
I'm Matt Iseman. - And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.
Matt, we are just two weeks away from the semifinals
when it's gonna be head-to-head racing all night.
I can't wait for that.
- Well, this group tonight will be fighting
to get to those semifinal races.
And for a look at who we'll see,
let's go down to Zuri.
- That's right, guys.
This season is all about speed,
and we will see one of our fastest ninjas tonight.
It's Vance Walker, who never lost a race
on two seasons of "Ninja Junior."
[buzzer blares]
- He did it.
- And he's ready for a comeback year on the big show.
Plus, ninja veterans
like the Big Kat, Karsten Williams,
along with the little dynamo from Houston,
the Sparkly Ninja, Barclay Stockett.
And new faces like the Bicep Babe, Clarisa Morris.
- Mommy's got muscles.
- Well, we're gonna lead things off
with the night's youngest female competitor.
It's 16-year-old Anna McArthur,
and she has a very unique life.
She lives and works at the family RV park.
[horn honks]
- Thank you, guys,
for coming out to our 22nd annual Easter egg hunt.
My family business is McArthur's Temple View RV Park.
One...
Whoa.
I'm very involved at the RV park.
We hold a lot of activities weekly,
and I help with organizing those.
- I almost died.
- I started watching "American Ninja Warrior"
when I was about seven years old.
- And here comes mighty Casey!
- First the Quintuple Steps.
- She'd figured out how to record all the episodes.
- Then you come right over here.
- And then she would watch them over and over and over.
- * Whoa-oh-oh-oh *
- * This is your moment, so seize it *
- Many times, she would say to me,
"I'm gonna do this when I grow up, Mom."
- Yeah, a little more this way.
My least favorite job to do at the RV park
is definitely cleaning the bathrooms.
I made a bet with my parents that if I hit a buzzer,
I won't have to work in the men's bathroom anymore,
so I'm really motivated to go and hit that buzzer.
- * You got the strength, so believe it *
* Anything's possible *
[horn honks]
- Lots of folks at the RV park have gathered
to watch their little Anna run the course tonight.
- Come on, girl!
She's got her family down on the sideline.
[countdown clock beeping]
Gonna get it going on Pole Vault.
- Yeah, she's only five feet tall.
She's gonna have to hustle to the top.
There it is. Got it.
When she's not cleaning up at the RV park,
she's doing her schoolwork.
She's got a 4.0 grade point average.
- Well, let's see how she handles the Rollercoaster.
16-year-old rookie.
- So far, she's cleaned up one obstacle.
Going for the second one.
- And watch this, the slide into the cradle.
Good job.
Watched "Ninja" since she was seven years old,
and here she is living out that dream.
[cheers and applause]
Regroups for the balance obstacle.
Tonight: Log Runner.
- Big one. Stay on top! Hey, stay on top!
- Wow!
- Oh, she ain't messing around!
- She's rolling along like an RV!
[cheers and applause]
And look at that smile! She is living her dream.
[cheers and applause]
- Ready now for Kite Surfer.
Has to swing her way across the two kites
with a bungee in the middle.
This is a challenge. Just five feet tall.
Not much wingspan. She's gonna have to throw
a longer lache here.
She's not just gonna be able to get as wide
with those arms. - Nice!
[cheers and applause]
- You can do it, Anna. You can do it.
- All right, watch out. Anticipate that bungee.
And that bungee can really mess with your swing.
- Absolutely.
If you find the momentum, it just tosses you right up,
but that's the challenge.
- Nice. Ooh. - Perfect.
Now watch here.
Gonna have to lache forward pretty far.
- From a narrow grip to a wide grip
away from your center of mass!
- Oh!
[together] Ohh!
- Comes up just short on Kite Surfer,
but a strong debut for rookie Anna McArthur.
- She dreamed of running the course years ago,
and tonight she did it for real for real.
She enjoyed every minute of it
and almost made it through four obstacles.
We'll have to wait and see
if she went far enough fast enough
to move on to the semifinals.
Well, up next, another impressive teenager.
This is Hunter Ogden
from tiny Church Hill, Tennessee.
This kid has been through a lot in his 15 years,
but he never let it keep him down.
[gentle music]
- That's the happiest day ever.
- Yeah, this is it. - Right before surgery.
And there you are right after.
My baby.
- I was born with cleft lip and cleft palate,
and because of that,
they had to do surgeries to close the gap.
Since the time I was born, I've had 13 surgeries,
and these surgeries have been
really life-changing and life-saving for me.
* *
- He's an overcomer, and he's ready to fight
from the minute he's born to overcome all challenges.
* *
- I really just started climbing trees
outside in the backyard,
and not just on trees.
I climbed on everything I could,
and that grew to my love of "American Ninja Warrior."
[uplifting music]
The roughness of the trees and just the unpredictability,
it made the transition pretty easy.
- * Whoa-oh-oh, whoa-oh-oh *
- He is one of the most determined,
self-driven people I know.
So many times people have told him, "You can't do that."
And his response is always, "Oh, yes, I can."
* *
- My main goal on "Ninja Warrior"
is to be an inspiration
and a relatable person to give the fans someone to root for.
* *
- Well, how could you not root for this kid?
He'll have his family cheering for him on the sidelines.
[countdown clock beeping]
- I think Hunter can handle himself here
on the Pole Vault.
It's a like climbing the trunk of a tree. Got it.
- 5'4", 125. That was smooth.
Good power. Great upper-body strength.
Great strength-to-weight ratio.
- Yeah, that's right, Matt.
You talk about his upper-body strength,
55 push-ups in 60 seconds.
That boy's got some body control, but uh-oh.
- Uh-oh. Well, he's in trouble.
- He's gotta control this here.
Nice! - Great, great recovery there.
- He stays cool under pressure.
This kid is scrappy.
- And he gets through Rollercoaster.
And look at that smile!
They're going crazy over there!
And look at Mom! Everyone pulling for this kid.
Just getting through two obstacles
is a huge achievement, but Hunter Ogden wants more.
Can he handle Log Runner?
- Uh-oh, uh-oh. - Oh!
- Oh, my goodness! - But he's still alive!
We've seen ninjas save themselves
from this position, but it's not easy.
[all shouting]
- Uh-oh. He's gotta figure this one out.
You talked about it, getting through adversity.
- Come on, Hunter!
Gonna have to try to leap to that final log
and then do a quick-- - No, don't do that.
Don't do that! That's a yoga stance.
- Well, this'll be a test of his balance.
- You just gotta fly. You gotta fly.
- And you can see the body starting to give out.
Gotta go for it, Hunter. Come on, buddy!
- At this point, you're in a awkward position.
You gotta just commit to a plan!
- He's loading up for it.
Push it off!
- Oh! - Oh, my!
What a save!
[cheers and applause]
But now he's getting up slowly.
- Oh, he's limping.
He's limping badly. - Oh, my!
That left ankle seems to be hurt.
Let's go back and see what happened here.
As he's running across the logs,
yeah, right there
he lands awkwardly on that left ankle,
and it just collapsed on him.
- Hunter, are you okay?
- There is no quit in this kid.
He's gonna keep going on only one leg.
What determination!
He can barely walk,
and he still wants to try and finish this course.
Come on.
- Fighting through the pain, makes the first grab.
You talk about someone who is tough,
Hunter Ogden personifies overcoming obstacles.
He's had to endure multiple surgeries in his young life,
but the small-town kid from Tennessee keeps surprising us.
Let's see the forward launch here.
5'4", gotta get that wide wingspan.
Wide grip! - Wide, wide, and hold.
- Yes!
And he gets through!
- Oh, boy, Matt. - What a run!
Everybody rooting for this kid!
And look at him! He's smiling, Akbar!
Despite the pain!
- I see you, Hunter! I see you, Hunter!
- Well, he's shaking his head.
I don't know if he can continue.
- He is not giving up.
Look at that smile.
He said he's gonna keep going!
- You got it, baby!
- He's gonna try to get across Lasso Launch on pure guts.
Launches, gets it! - Nice!
- Now with those hands down low, this is gonna be
a tougher throw, this reverse throw.
That rope is gonna start to drop.
- Yeah, concentrate on this obstacle.
And it takes the mind off of the pain.
Here we go.
See it? Up and out, up and out, up and out!
- Building up.
- Up and out!
- Oh, boy, Matt. - Come on.
- Oh! - Oh.
- Hunter finally taken out by Lasso Launch
but not before one of the great runs we've seen all year!
And this crowd giving him a well-earned round of applause.
Getting some help from the family,
he'll get that ankle checked out
and we'll see if that earns him a spot in the semifinals.
Tonight we've got the former "Ninja Junior" champ,
Vance Walker,
one of our top women competitors,
Barclay Stockett,
and the 42-year-old fan favorite,
Karsten Williams.
- Whoo!
- Plus a Tennessee teen who's got something cooking.
- All right, what can I get you started with?
- And up next, she's a mom of two with a killer nickname.
- I got the name Bicep Babe because of these babies.
- All that and more on "American Ninja Warrior."
- We're having some fun tonight at Universal Studios.
Kentucky's Derek Doublin works at a nuclear waste plant,
and he nearly had a meltdown at the start line.
- Matt, is this safe to be here?
- No.
And he dropped it. Way to go, Derek.
With his HAZMAT suit off, the 39-year-old dad
had a different kind of accident on the course.
- Oh! Come on! Come on! Oh, oh!
Hit him right in the face!
- Oh!
[bluesy music]
Michaela Holman is known as the Blues Ninja,
and she got in some guitar licks at the start.
[bluesy guitar music]
- Ooh, that's funky.
- The Massachusetts teenager has been accepted
to the prestigious Berklee College of Music,
but she couldn't find the rhythm on Rollercoaster.
- Oh, no!
We look good, though, Matt. We look good.
- Actor Chris "Action" Adkins signed autographs
before his run and promised a good show.
Get your popcorn ready! - I knew it!
- Get your popcorn ready!
- The thespian from Dallas looked good at the start
and got strong reviews for his performance on Rollercoaster.
- Action Adkins, he's in action.
- But at 5'2", when he reached Log Runner...
- Oh, no! - The show was over.
[cheers and applause]
Next up, out of Spokane Valley, Washington,
27-year-old fitness trainer, Clarisa Morris.
- She is jacked.
- Matt, I see why they call her the Bicep babe.
- She is definitely one strong mother
and gets that strength from her two daughters.
- So we're gonna cook dinner.
And you're gonna help chop this.
Okay, watch your fingers.
There you go.
That was perfect.
- I had my first daughter when I was 19 years old.
I don't know if I was really ready
to take on that responsibility,
so I was actually considering putting her up for adoption.
* *
But then I just knew in my heart that
becoming a mother was what I was supposed to do.
Can you believe I'm gonna be on "American Ninja Warrior"?
Is that so cool?
Becoming a mom so early,
I always felt like there was something missing in my life,
and I've always been into working out.
[uplifting music]
And someone told me about Sandy Zimmerman,
that she lived close by and she had this backyard course.
* *
- The moment I saw her,
I could tell immediately she was a phenomenal athlete.
Yeah.
That's Vegas-bound material.
I stopped her dead in her tracks,
then I said, "You will be able to do
"whatever it is you want to achieve in this sport
if you're willing to put the hard work and the time in."
Pop. Yeah, beautiful.
- When I see my mom on the obstacles,
I want to be just like her when I grow up.
* *
- Mommy's got muscles.
* *
- I'm definitely hoping to represent
the moms out there on the ninja course.
* *
I'm gonna be the next mom to hit a buzzer.
* *
I love you, babies.
I love you.
- And those daughters are watching back home tonight
with other family members.
And he training partner, the first mom to hit a buzzer,
Sandy Zimmerman, will be on the sideline.
[countdown clock beeping]
Has a background in gymnastics.
Ooh, a little slip, but quick ascension.
- Keep going, keep going.
- Yeah!
- She can bench press 175 pounds
despite being only 118 pounds!
That's almost 150% of her body weight.
- Oh, she's strong-strong.
- She's been going to ninja competitions
around the country and doing well.
- I saw her at the Arnold Classic,
and she was crushing the course there!
- What did Arnold have to say about her?
- He said, "Yeah, it was excellent command,
but let's see you do it on the big course."
- Well, she's terminating the course so far.
- Hasta la vista through the first two obstacles
with no problem.
- Morris actually moved her family to Utah
for a few months in the winter so she could train
at the Beckstrands' ninja gym.
She's that dedicated.
- Be careful on the Log Runner!
We don't want no drama, Mama.
- Wow, great job. - Whoo-hoo-hoo!
[cheers and applause]
- This crowd becoming Clarisa Morris fans.
And you can see her confidence growing,
but up next is the tricky fourth obstacle, Kite Surfer.
Just 5'4", not much wingspan.
- But, Matt, I love how she didn't waste any time.
She just went straight into Kite Surfer.
- Absolutely.
And watch this drop.
You can see the bungee cable on here.
- Nice! - Good control.
Gotta get a little lift.
- All right, ride it on this one.
Get it, see it.
Nice. And this is a great angle
she'll see right here.
At 5'4", we've got to see, she's gotta go
from a narrow to a wide grip.
And she does it! - Wow.
Locked it in.
- Okay, Bicep Babe!
[cheers and applause]
- Sandy's still the only mom ever to hit a buzzer.
Could this 27-year-old mother of two be the second?
She's getting close. - Let's go, Clarisa Morris!
- First gotta get past Lasso launch.
And this is a tough one.
You have to use those rope handles
to jump across the three cows.
- You don't get the nickname "the Bicep Babe"
for no reason.
- Got the first cow.
- Engage them biceps!
All right, you gotta turn it around.
- Nice! She is a fighter!
- Big reverse throw here.
Gotta lift that rope up, levitate it up.
- With authority, commit to it!
Momentum!
Boom!
both: Oh!
[together] Ohh.
- This mama doesn't get a buzzer
but still an impressive run out of the Bicep Babe.
[cheers and applause]
She did her thing out there representing for the mothers
making it to the fifth obstacle
before Lasso Launch took her out.
But that should be good enough
to get her into the semifinals.
Coming up...
he can cut your grass and take your order...
- What can I get you started with?
- But what can this hardworking teen do
on our course?
He's next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to "American Ninja Warrior,"
where ninja veteran Abel Gonzalez
and two of his students hit the course minutes ago.
19-year-old Erick Zamorano credits Coach Abel
with helping him lose 90 pounds.
- Ninja's a bit part of that change for him, Matt.
- The Texas college student calls himself the Easy Ninja.
- Zamorano's off to a great start.
- And things were looking easy until he reached Log Runner.
- Oh, wow! What an amazing flip!
He went flip mode on that!
- Then another Abel protégé,
15-year-old Sebastian Chrismer, got his shot.
- The Ghost Ninja making his "ANW" debut!
- The rookie calls himself the Ghost Ninja
because he was born on Halloween.
And his little sister is his biggest fan!
- Now, everybody needs a cheerleader like that.
- And she had plenty to cheer about
as Chrismer cruised all the way to Lasso Launch.
- No!
- Despite the fall, he's got a good chance of moving on.
Then it was the teacher's time to shine as Gonzalez,
the 39-year-old from Edinburg, Texas,
got his turn...
- It's all muscle memory here for Abel Gonzales!
- With his students watching on the sideline
and back in Texas,
the nine-time veteran made some clutch moves.
- Go out wide. Go out wide!
- He looked like he might be the first
to get past Lasso Launch.
- Get it up!
Oh, that was hard!
- But there's a good chance
we'll see him in the semifinals,
where every run is a race.
You may have seen our next ninja
at the drive-through window.
This is 18-year-old Benjamin Drake.
That's his older sister, Rachel Beth,
who'll run later, giving him a pep talk.
But Benjamin doesn't need much motivation.
Because he's one hardworking Tennessee teen.
All right, lift up on the left one.
I currently have three jobs.
I'm a ninja coach...
There we go.
I have a lawn care business...
but my main job is Chick-fil-A.
Hey, welcome to Chick-fil-A. - Hi! Thanks.
- All right, what can I get you started with?
I started working here in order to earn enough money
to start my lawn care business,
but I actually really enjoy Chick-fil-A a lot.
I bag all of the food.
I make all the drinks.
And I also take their order.
Could I get you any sauce or jelly?
Working at Chick-fil-A has definitely
helped me with ninja.
In the drive-through,
you've gotta stay on your toes at all times...
Here's Nick.
Be calm under pressure.
- Can you double-ice me? - Yeah, I got you.
You can never get lazy.
Just like "American Ninja Warrior,"
the second you get lazy, you're hitting the water,
and that's why I feel prepared for this course.
I'm gonna deliver on my rookie run,
and it's gonna be my pleasure.
- Matt, I don't know why, but I'm hungry.
- Well, his parents on the sideline with his sister.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Well, Matt, f he can handle the drive-through,
he should be able to run through the course.
- Looks strong there, handles Pole Vault.
Been training for this day since he was 11 years old.
Family lives on a six-acre farm
that includes a ninja course.
Got a guitar on his shirt.
That's because in addition to all his jobs,
he's also a musician-- plays multiple instruments.
- Matt, the kid just graduated from high school!
I don't know how he finds the time to do
all these things and train for ninja.
- I have not idea how he does it, but it's working so far
and looks relieved to be through Rollercoaster.
Now the country boy's gonna try to keep it going
on Log Runner.
And no problem for the rookie!
[cheers and applause]
Benjamin Drake all the way to Kite Surfer.
18 years old.
And the fast-food worker really delivering tonight!
- Come on, Matt.
- Makes the grab!
- He told us about his lawn care business,
and looking at Matt, this young rookie
is mowing through this course right now.
- Gotta get up to the last kite.
Launched up!
Just making this look easy.
5'7", 132.
But this is a tough move. Gotta go wide with the arms.
- Nice! Ooh! - Come on!
[cheers and applause]
Well, he knew he was a hard worker.
But we didn't know he'd be that good of a ninja.
Now on the fifth obstacle, closing in on a buzzer.
- And he is dialed in.
You can see the intensity
on this 18-year-old Benjamin Drake's face.
- Oh, it's good to be flexible.
Looking back, he's visualizing it.
- Nice! Whoo! Threw it right on the tongue!
- But no one's made it all the way through Lasso Launch.
This last one's six inches higher.
But he lands it!
Just needs the dismount.
- Who is this 18-year-old?
Benjamin Drake delivered a special performance!
- All right, let's see it. Get up that Warped Wall!
- And he's got it!
[buzzer blares]
[cheers and applause]
- Let's go.
The first finisher of the night!
- [laughs]
[uplifting music]
* *
I see you, Benjamin Drake! - Yeah!
- Man, you hit that buzzer with authority, man!
That was a lot of intensity!
I know you've been waiting for this moment
for a very long time.
How does it feel?
- Oh, dude, it feels great. Oh, my God.
I've been training insane. This--
oh, I've waited for this. Oh, my gosh.
- Hey, Benjamin. Go celebrate with your family.
That was spectacular, buddy. - Yeah.
Hey, good stuff, man.
- Well, this fast-food worker served up a perfect run,
We're gonna see Benjamin Drake
racing in the semifinals, which start in two weeks.
And there's a lot more to come.
- Welcome back to "American Ninja Warrior"
coming to you from Universal Studios, Hollywood.
It's where you can experience the new Super Nintendo World.
Let loose in this incredible, colorful land of play
featuring the groundbreaking ride
Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge
along with imaginative interactive areas,
themed shopping, and dining.
It's a new way to play.
Ninja Rachel Novak would be right at home
in Universal's WaterWorld show.
That's because she's a professional mermaid
and performs in shows in Las Vegas.
The 33-year-old rookie
stayed out of the water on Pole Vault...
- Oh, yeah. She dancing with joy!
- But on Rollercoaster, her run ended with a splash.
- Oh!
She's a mermaid, so she likes being in the water.
Jonathan Bange is the Banging Ninja,
because he likes to go...
- Bang! - Bang!
- The beloved Dallas ninja coach had dozens
of his students watching back in Texas,
and he looked bangin' in his gold lamé Hammer pants.
- With all that gold, he better be money.
- Bange, a three-time ninja veteran,
matched the best run of his career
making it to the fifth obstacle.
- Here we go!
Oh!
- That should be good enough to get him
into our ninja vs. ninja semifinals.
- And bang!
- Stuntman Kyle Soderman had his fiancée,
fellow ninja Megan Johnson, cheering as he went in search
of his third straight qualifying buzzer.
- Oh, no! I got a little scared right there.
- Despite the stumble, the four-time ninja veteran
was on pace to have the fastest finish of the night.
- That's the speed we've come to expect from Kyle Soderman.
- But even this elite ninja...
- No!
- Couldn't get past Lasso Launch.
But he, too, should be moving on to the semis.
Tennessee teenager Benjamin Drake
the only ninja to get past Lasso Launch tonight,
but up next, a veteran with the skills to join him.
It's the Big Kat, Karsten Williams,
The nine-time veteran is a popular ninja coach
in the Dallas area,
and look at all the students who've come to watch his run.
[countdown clock beeping]
Longtime fans of "Ninja Warrior" know
one of the highlights of a Karsten Williams run
is seeing his energetic mom, Linda, on the sideline,
and she's here tonight.
- Oh, there's Zuri down there with Linda.
We know we're gonna get a lot of responses
from Linda during the run, Matt.
- Come on, Big Kat.
- 6'1", 175.
The Big Kat purring along here.
- Yeah, it's great to see Karsten Williams back.
Couple of years ago he had a fracture in his foot.
- Oh, oh! - Oh, no!
Oh, no, that same foot! - Ouch!
- Oh, boy. - Hard impact.
But the Big Kat, what a recovery.
- Well, Matt, if anybody can recover,
it is the Big Kat.
He's got nine lives.
- But this can be so exhausting.
- You're fine.
Get up and go.
You're fine.
- 6'1". - Come on, now.
- He can use his longer legs to try and save it.
That boy good. - Come on!
- That boy real good!
- And he's going right into it, Akbar.
That had to take some wind out of him.
- Well, Matt, I think he was going for the time here
wanting to get that 120 or under
so he has a shot at the Mega Wall.
- 42 years old, and he is putting on a show
for all these students who came out
to California to watch.
He's hit a qualifying buzzer four times in his career.
Looking like he could hit another tonight.
Gets through Kite Surfer.
And look at Linda! She's saying, "Stay dry!"
But as we said, Lasso Launch has been a roadblock tonight,
the Tennessee teen, Benjamin Drake,
the only one to beat it.
- Nice.
- Kat looking strong.
- Boy, the future's so great with "American Ninja Warrior."
It's in good hands when you've got coaches
looking like this and can do this!
Nice! - Wow!
- Here's a coach that don't just talk about it.
He's doing it! - 6'1", 175.
He's got to levitate here. - All right, come on now.
Come on. Ah, he's getting a little fatigued.
175. Come on, Big Kat. - Big Kat gotta pounce!
- Just do it! You got eight more lives!
- Oh!
[together] Ohh!
- Big Kat splashes down!
But a strong run out of the 42-year-old coach.
He survived a close call on the Log Runner
and tried to claw his way through.
He looked like he might be just the second
to survive Lasso Launch but came up just short.
- Karsten, man, how special is it to have all of them
on the sideline when you do your thing?
- Oh, it feels so amazing. This is why I do it right here.
This is the next generation right here...
- Yeah.
- And I'm just thankful for them and all my supporters
and just this opportunity.
- Well, they're gonna have to get a little bit of sleep,
'cause it's time to bring that energy to the semifinals.
That's where you're headed!
You went far enough fast enough.
[all shouting]
- No one lights up a course
like the Sparkly Ninja, Barclay Stockett,
and we'll see her next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back.
Rookie Forest Strick came all the way from Wasilla, Alaska,
where he competes in traditional Native sports
and the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics.
That's where he met the Eskimo Ninja, Nick Hanson,
who got him into ninja.
Tonight in Strick's first run on our course.
The 27-year-old air force veteran was flying.
- Very important here for Forest Strick
to be very strict with his technique.
- But the former airman couldn't make a safe landing
on Kite Surfer.
- Oh! And Strick couldn't stick.
- Tennessee's Rachel Brown is a motorcycle-riding
security guard who calls herself No Brakes Brown.
- Press the throttle! Nice!
That was easy.
- The 20-year-old kept her foot on the accelerator
and was able to fly past Kite Surfer.
- Gotta go wide!
Nice!
- She was definitely flexing on the course
and made it all the way to Lasso Launch...
- Oh!
- And that run was good enough
to earn her a spot in the semifinals.
- Our next ninja never fails to add sparkle to the course.
I am talking about fan favorite Barclay Stockett.
She's given us some memorable moments
during her past runs on "Ninja Warrior."
But believe it or not, Barclay's never hit a buzzer.
- Barclay's fiancée, Tee, watching back in Houston
and a big group of Texas ninjas are on the sidelines.
[countdown clock beeping]
She's a former gymnast,
gets a big bounce off the trampoline.
Just five feet tall, Barclay has such power.
- Right, she just made Pole Vault look easy.
- She's had health problems in recent years
but says she is feeling strong tonight.
Gotta reach up to grab the bar on Rollercoaster.
- Nice. - Real strong.
- Barclay Stockett has been doing this
for a long time.
She's a seven-time veteran.
- And she gets through
and this sets up a rematch with the Log Runner.
- Back in season eight seven years ago,
she fell on this obstacle in her very first run.
She wants redemption tonight.
- Look at the intensity in her eyes.
She wants this one badly.
- Five feet tall, these are long strides.
- Let's go, Barclay!
- Oh!
Survives!
And Barclay is smiling. She's pumped up!
- She knows, she knows.
- Akbar, that seven years of frustration wiped away.
Now gonna go right into Kite Surfer.
And time could be a factor if you want to land
in the top four among the women and move on.
Fully extended there.
- Oh, yeah. That's everything.
That's all five feet right there!
- That's impressive. - Nice!
- Good transfer. That is not easy to do.
That is good power in the lats and the grip.
Barclay a high-level gymnast, took to the sport so quickly.
- All right, now, Matt, this is where
you want to get wide.
This is gonna be a big test for her.
Can she do it?
- Oh! - Just like that!
She shocked herself!
She even said, "Oh, look at that."
- Barclay did it! - She was shocked.
[cheers and applause]
Look at how wide her arms had to get
looking like a circus 747.
And look at her face!
She goes from grimace to, "Wait, what? I landed it?"
- And now moves closer to her first buzzer
but will have to survive Lasso Launch.
And Benjamin Drake's the only one to do that so far.
Lassos that first one.
- And she is struggling to get it turned around.
- Ooh, fighting it.
She's got such power. 5 feet, 117.
Let's see her fly. - Nice!
- Look at that!
- Wow, that's a hard transition,
and she made it happen!
- In her quest for a buzzer,
she's made it to the fifth obstacle three times before,
and every time,
she's made it to the last move before falling.
And that's where she is right now.
Will this be the year she lands it?
- She needs a lot of power. - Look at that.
- She's gotta swing and get it up.
- Come on, Barclay! - On that backswing!
Up and--oh!
- Oh!
- That's okay, babe.
You did so great.
- A good run for Barclay
but once again comes up just short
of getting a buzzer.
- She made a great save on Log Runner
but on Lasso Launch just didn't get high enough
with the rope and came up a little short.
- I'm always this close.
But I'm not gonna give up, you know?
- Well, the good news, she's moving on.
That run puts her third among the women
joining Bicep Babe Clarisa Morris
and No Brakes Rachel Brown.
Teenager Anna McArthur landed in fourth,
so she'll face Benjamin Drake's sister,
Rachel Beth, in our women's runoff,
which is coming up.
But still a few more athletes to run,
including this next one, 18-year-old Vance Walker.
This kid has a remarkable story.
He was born with cerebral palsy.
Up until first grade, he had to wear braces to walk,
was told he'd never be able to do sports, and even now,
he does regular physical therapy to manage the pain.
That's why his success on "American Ninja Warrior"
has been so impressive.
He's a two-time "Ninja Junior" champion
who did well in his rookie season on the big show,
but last year things fell apart
- We love you, Vance!
- He's going straight for the Mega Wall!
- Come on, Vance. - Ooh, look at the speed!
- Oh, yeah! - Speed Walker! Speed Walker!
- I started out my ninja career as Mr. Perfect.
[buzzer blaring]
And I made it all the way
to stage three in my first season.
- Oh, my goodness! He is the greatest of all time!
- And almost won the $1 million in Vegas.
Last season, I put way too much pressure on myself.
- Even and steady up. - Oh, no!
- I went from Mr. Perfect to Mr. Imperfect.
- Oh, oh! - Oh, no!
- I made it to stage one in Vegas.
both: No!
- But I fell in the Jumping Spider,
leaving the season without a single buzzer.
Coming into the season, I'm feeling really strong,
but there's still that little bit of nervousness
having to get some redemption.
I can't even describe how much I want
to hit a buzzer this year
and start that winning streak again.
[cheers and applause]
- And Vance will have Mom, Grandma,
and other family on the sidelines.
[countdown clock beeping]
Still only one finisher tonight.
- Matt, you know Vance Walker is gonna be pushing hard
to get a buzzer and show he's back amongst the ninja elite.
- In two seasons of "Ninja Junior,"
he never fell and never lost a race.
It's so incredible, especially when you consider
he was born with cerebral palsy.
Had to walk with braces on his legs growing up.
- He looks so fluid, Matt.
- And right into Kite Surfer.
- I think Vance Walker is super focused.
We might be looking at our second finisher of the night!
- If he keeps up this pace,
he might be the first to attempt the Mega Wall.
- Nice.
- Just needs to finish in under 1:20.
And he's just cruising through Kite Surfer.
And he's through it.
- Matt, check this out. He's rubbing his knee.
He might have injured himself somewhere on this run.
- Stretching it out obviously in pain.
It has slowed him down a little.
Will he have enough left to get through Lasso Launch,
which has ended so many runs tonight?
- Look at the technique.
Great high hold there on Lasso.
And you know he's got the vice grip.
He is not letting go of that high position.
- Well, he's gonna really have to hurry if he wants to finish
under 1:20 and get a shot at the Mega Wall.
But he'll be happy to just hit the buzzer.
Only one ninja tonight has made this big leap up
to the final cow.
- This would be a great statement
to start his comeback season.
It's this transition here that's ended so many runs.
And he got it! Vance Walker is gonna do it!
Gonna be our second finisher of the night!
And right up the Warped Wall, Vance Walker gets that buzzer!
- Let's go, baby!
[cheers and applause]
- No buzzers last season, but he's got one tonight.
He is back!
- I slammed my knee on one, bro.
[laughter]
- He said he slammed his knee on the first obstacle,
and you can see it right there.
But that wasn't gonna slow him down.
He becomes our second finisher tonight.
- And remember, in "Ninja Junior,"
he never lost a race.
He's gonna be trouble in the semifinals.
And now we're just two weeks away
from the start of those semifinals
when our remaining athletes go head-to-head
in a full night of ninja vs. ninja races...
- Oh, my goodness!
- On "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to Universal Studios,
where our final runners of the night
hit the course minutes ago.
First up was the Eskimo Ninja, Nick Hanson.
The eight-time ninja veteran from Unalakleet, Alaska
skated through the first few obstacles...
- It's like running on ice!
- But ran into trouble on Kite Surfer.
- He's got good wingspan.
No!
- Then it was a young gun who likes to go fast,
Ninja Cal, Cal Plohoros.
- He is so confident, Matt!
You can tell by the body language
that Cal is ready to get it!
- The Pennsylvania teenager came out hot.
- He is determined. Look at him! He's possessed!
- And looked like he'd get
his third straight qualifying buzzer.
- No!
- But both these ninjas went far enough fast enough
to make it into the semifinals.
So here's everyone who's moving on.
The only two to hit a buzzer,
Vance Walker and Benjamin Drake,
led the way.
Among non-finishers advancing are veteran Abel Gonzalez
and one of his students, Sebastian Chrismer.
But Abel's other protégé, Erick Zamorano,
ended up in 13th place,
so he had to go to our men's runoff
to try to earn the last spot in the semifinals.
Zamorano, the 19-year-old college student
known as the Easy Ninja,
had to face off against the 12th place Andrey Collins,
a truck driver from Byhalia, Mississippi.
[countdown clock beeping]
Collins jumped to an early lead on Home Run.
- Andrey ain't messing around!
- But it didn't last long.
- Oh! He was aggressive!
- So Zamorano just had to complete
the flying shelf grab for an easy win,
and he did it.
Zamorano kept going to try to get a buzzer.
- No!
- But he came up short, though he's still moving on
with his coach and training partner.
So now it's the women's runoff
featuring two of our smallest ninjas
who have come up big tonight.
It's 16-year-old Anna McArthur,
who works at the RV park in St. George, Utah.
She had that impressive run earlier.
She's only five feet tall.
But she's going against someone even smaller,
20-year-old Rachel Beth Drake from Lascassas, Tennessee.
- At 4'10", Rachel Beth is our smallest
competitor all season.
- I think people definitely underestimate me
being on the smaller side,
but my favorite thing is just to prove them wrong.
- After watching her younger brother
hit the first buzzer of the night,
Rachel Beth powered through the first two obstacles
and became the shortest competitor ever
to complete the Log Runner.
- Okay, Rachel Beth Drake!
- And she nearly survived Kite Surfer.
- Oh!
- My grip strength is my best skill.
The longest I have done a dead hang
would be 47 minutes,
I can also do a 225-pound deadlift.
- Now she'll take on five-foot-tall Anna McArthur
in a battle of mighty mini-warriors.
- Don't let my size deceive you.
I'm capable of big things.
[dramatic music]
- Matt, they might small, but they are strong.
- Anna's got her family on the sideline
and that big crowd watching back at the RV park.
Rachel Beth's family also here.
Her brother's hoping she can join them in the semifinals.
[countdown clock beeping]
First obstacle is Home Run.
Gotta safely move across the four houses.
And you see McArthur bounding out,
but Rachel Beth keeping pace!
Good start!
- And you can see they're moving quickly, Matt.
Anna's already onto the second ledge!
- Well, these are some relatively long throws
when you're five feet and under,
but they're handling it.
Anna McArthur first off the Flying Shelf Grab.
And she starts up on Beehive.
Rachel Beth keeping the pressure on!
- Anna McArthur, she's got a lot of that discipline
her parents put on her, got her cleaning the restroom!
She's got that dog fight in her!
- Rachel Beth Drake not going away.
She's staying within striking distance.
Anna McArthur first off Beehive
and takes a peek back.
- She's looking back competitively knowing where
her competition is, but you've got to run your race.
Here she goes!
- She's onto the final obstacle, Sideways.
These two keeping it close!
McArthur just-- and Rachel Beth is down!
So Anna McArthur gets the win.
- Matt, she ain't just gonna get a win.
She's going for her first buzzer!
- Well, they're celebrating back at the RV park.
Anna McArthur started her ninja dream nine years ago,
now she's going to the semifinals.
- Get that buzzer, get that buzzer, Anna!
[cheers and applause]
- Well, there's lots to talk about back at the RV park.
What a night for the teenager.
These two tiny titans delivered.
Rachel Beth Drake made it
to the final obstacle before falling.
That gave the win to Anna McArthur,
who got through every obstacle
and collected her first buzzer.
And we'll see her racing
in our ninja vs. ninja semifinals,
which get underway in two weeks.
For Akbar Gbajabiamila and Zuri Hall,
I'm Matt Iseman.
We'll see you next time on "American Ninja Warrior."