[dramatic music]
- It's our last night at Universal Studios, Hollywood.
It's high drama as we wrap up the semifinals
on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Hello, everyone, and welcome.
I'm Matt Iseman.
- And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.
Matt, after tonight, we pack up and head to Vegas,
and everyone who wins their race tonight
is headed there with us.
- And we're ending semifinals with a double feature
with two different groups of Ninjas.
We'll see some of our biggest stars
and so many marquee matchups.
- Like super mom Sandy Zimmerman
trying to earn her first trip to Vegas
while going up against a top competitor, Isabella Wakeham.
And amputee Gary Weiland tries to keep
his unbelievable season alive.
But he's facing one of the greats, Daniel Gil.
And the ninjas will race side by side
on a six-obstacle course,
and there are some changes from last week.
For a preview, let's go down to Zuri Hall.
- Yeah, guys, we have changed things up,
and there are some new challenges
on this course tonight.
Once again, we start with Home Run,
but our second obstacle is different.
It's Flying Shelf Grab.
That's followed by Beehive, and another new one
this week, Sideways.
Finally, it's Slingshot, and a Rope Climb
to reach the buzzer.
- Thanks, Zuri.
The race matchups are based on how fast
or how far these ninjas went back in qualifying.
The higher seeds race the lower seeds.
- That's right.
Let's get these races going.
- We're going to lead off with a couple of high school
hotshots who really impressed us in qualifying,
15-year-old Madelyn Madaras from Houston
and 16-year-old Anna McArthur, who works at her
family's RV park in Utah.
For both of them, just being here in the semis
is a dream come true.
Anna's been imitating her "Ninja" heroes
for nearly a decade.
- First, quintuples.
- She figured out how to record all the episodes on the DVR.
- Then you come right over here.
- And she would record them all,
and then she would watch them over
and over and over again.
- This couch right here is where my "Ninja" journey began.
- And many times she would say to me,
"I'm going to do this when I grow up, Mom."
- And I've been working a long time for this to happen.
- Nice!
Oh, she ain't messing around!
- I'm so determined to make it to Vegas.
It's been a dream since I was seven years old.
[imitates buzzer blaring]
- Mighty Maddie started training
with "Ninja" legend Sam Sann
when she was just nine years old--
- Nice!
Good job!
- --competing on the first season of "Ninja Junior."
- Mighty Madelyn!
Here we go. See it. Calculate.
Calculate it!
- Yes! Come on. Let's go!
Did you see that calculation in mid-air?
Yes!
- I've been dreaming about being on this show
for so long, and to make it to the semifinals
is just a dream for me.
[cheers and applause]
- Leading the cheers for Madelyn
is her mom, Karen, who's been battling health problems,
and Anna's got a big group from Utah cheering for her.
- Let's go, Anna! - Let's go Anna!
- It's two girls with a dream, but only one of them
will move on to Vegas.
- Madelyn Madaras the number two seed
among the women in this group.
Anna MacArthur had to win a runoff race
just to get here.
She's the underdog but not starting like one.
- Nice! OK!
- And Anna McArthur looking confident!
She'll give us our first look this season
at Flying Shelf Grab.
Gotta swing and catch yourself on those tiny ledges.
- Nice!
With a lot of power and a lot of velocity!
- 5-feet tall, works at her parents' RV park.
Hopes to run it someday.
She is so hardworking.
And both these teenagers super smart.
Madelyn Madaras able to skip two grades,
and Anna McArthur has a 4.0 grade point average.
- Look at this, though!
Madaras keeping it very close!
- She's right on the heel, and you can see
right now Anna looking back,
but I'd tell Anna, don't look back.
Run your race.
- And she's glancing maybe trying to get a little rest
but now up onto Sideways.
This is another obstacle that's new this week.
You've gotta kip yourself up and grab
the sides of the board.
Madaras took a moment to start, but now she's up.
- But McArthur doing such a good job kipping those
hips up, giving herself plenty of time for her hands
to find the sides of the tile.
Great form.
- It looks like she's going to skip the last one.
- All right.
- And just launched!
She dreamed of doing this since she was seven.
Now, at 16, Anna McArthur getting
oh, so close to a first trip to Vegas.
- But watch out for Slingshot!
This is such a difficult obstacle.
You gotta be really careful with that bar.
both: Oh!
- And the door is open for Madaras!
- Now, she can take her time, but she must finish
this obstacle to get the win.
If she falls, Anna will move on.
- Slingshot has knocked out a lot of good ninjas
this season. - Well, so tough.
- Nice!
Hold it!
Yeah, you see she's got the switch grip there, too,
and that switch grip allows her to be able to hold
on and not peel off.
- And Anna McArthur can just sit and watch as Madaras
continues to progress!
- Oh, boy, it's a big drop.
- This is the big move!
Can she get to the wall?
- Now, you saw her grimace a little bit.
She's looking.
She's gotta throw herself into it!
Nice! - Madelyn Madaras has done it!
She's going to Vegas!
- OK, Madelyn!
- What a race!
- How sweet is this?
M&M about to hit her first buzzer!
- Well, she ran her own race,
and she gets her first buzzer!
[cheers and applause]
- Oh, my!
- Madelyn Madaras delivers!
- Madelyn, you did it! - Yes.
- You did your thing up there!
- I'm so happy!
- Maddie, we know your mom's been
having her health battles.
What is it like to be out here to get
a buzzer with her watching?
- It's amazing.
All I want to do is make her proud.
- Oh, you're gonna make me cry!
- We are all proud of you, Maddie!
- You're gonna make me cry! - You say that.
Go celebrate with your mom right now,
Maddie, 'cause you're going to Vegas!
And that smile, that's what this is all about.
- Madelyn, you made Mama proud!
Up next are a couple of friends who are going to have
to duke it out on the course.
It's videographer Isaiah Wakeham, a four-time "Ninja"
veteran, going against rookie Grant Kiningham,
who's got one of the coolest jobs around.
[chain saw revs]
[upbeat rock music]
- I sculpt ice with chain saws, hammers,
chisels for a living.
* *
Depending on what the person orders,
it can take me 30 minutes to 3 to 4 hours
to complete this ice sculpture.
* *
We do every type of animal, any logo.
Anything anyone can think of, we can do it.
* *
- Wow!
What is this?
Dude, that is awesome!
- Had you get the hair just right, you know?
- Yeah, the hair, that's the part that--
[laughter]
* *
- One of the biggest lessons in ice
sculpting that I was taught was not being
afraid to carve into the ice.
Because, with ice, you can cover up your mistake
and make it look like that was the intended sculpture.
And I think that goes right along with "Ninja"
that you can't be afraid to go out there and make
a mistake on the course.
* *
[chain saw revs]
[cheers and applause]
- Grant actually lives with "Ninja" great Daniel Gil.
That's why he made him that ice sculpture.
Daniel's on the sideline, along with Grant's mom.
Isaiah's got his own unique talents.
He's a videographer mainly working
on nature documentaries.
He's got his family, including his sister,
Isabella, cheering for him.
These two have trained together in Houston.
They know each other well.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Let's get it, boys. Let's go.
- Wakeham about a 4-inch height advantage,
but these two neck-and-neck through Home Run.
Isaiah Wakeham has much more experience.
This is his fourth season competing,
and he's made it as far as stage two in Vegas.
It's the first year for Kiningham.
- Let's go. - Come on.
- They are matching each other move for move.
- They're tied up.
- And, Isaiah, nice move there using
his momentum to rotate that middle hive on the Beehive.
Dead even!
- You can't get any closer than this!
- Well, the two fastest from tonight
will race at the end for a Safety Pass to use in Vegas,
but these two seem to be taking a little slower pace
in hopes of finishing the course.
Now, remember, the top two non-winners also move on.
- Yeah, that may be their strategy,
take longer but get a buzzer.
- Kiningham one move ahead.
Should be first off Sideways.
And that dismount is big.
The Wakeham family telling Isaiah he needs to go.
He was last off the previous obstacle,
so he'll have to at least finish Slingshot to win.
- Dang, these guys are still so close!
This is gonna come down to the wire!
- And just so even!
But Kiningham, again, still a slight edge.
- All right, here we go.
Uh-oh!
And here goes Grant!
- And Grant Kiningham!
Wakeham's gotta set up!
- Kiningham's gonna climb his way to it!
[buzzer blares]
Kiningham wins.
- And Wakeham's gonna finish too.
It's double buzzers. Kiningham wins.
- Ahh! Oh, my God!
- Now, Isaiah still has a shot to move on.
Remember, the top two non-winners also go to Vegas.
And with a buzzer, he's got a good chance at it.
- Matt, look at these guys.
Man, everybody's happy.
- Tonight we're super-sizing the semifinals
with twice the stars, twice the amazing matchups,
including the battle of Spokane,
two good friends from Washington
who trained together, but only one is going to Vegas.
- Oh, that was good!
- And "Ninja" vet Nick Hanson survived winters in Alaska.
Can he survive a showdown with robotics student Joseph Rouse?
Plus, you can never count him out.
Oh! - Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
- But, tonight, amputee Gary Weiland
faces his biggest challenge
racing "Ninja" great Daniel Gil.
All coming up on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Check out this matchup from moments ago.
We had the island Ninja, Grant McCartney, 34 years old
and 208 pounds of solid muscle,
taking on 15-year-old Sebastian Chrismer,
who only weighs 115 pounds.
- Grant McCartney does curls with Sebastian Chrismer.
- McCartney, the flight attendant and social media
star, set the pace early.
- He's an eight-time veteran.
He knows exactly what to do.
- But the much lighter Chrismer was
able to float across the upper-body obstacles.
- He's just throwing his body like it's nothing,
like he's a feather.
- The extra weight seemed to catch up
to McCartney at Sideways.
- Oh!
- And that gave the win to Chrismer,
the rookie from South Texas, who got big cheers
from his little sister.
And though he fell on Slingshot,
he's going to Vegas.
Up next, another teen-versus-veteran matchup.
It's Grant McCartney's buddy, Nick Hanson, the 35-year-old
from Unalakleet, Alaska.
Nick's going against a 15-year-old from Arkansas,
Joseph Rouse, nicknamed "JG Rock," because he rock climbs.
But this kid's got a lot of interest.
- This is the official start of our vex robotics season.
Let's get after it.
- I'm a sophomore at high school,
and I'm on the robotics team.
It's a really cool program, where
students have to design a robot
to complete tasks in an arena.
This year's challenge was to create a robot that
could shoot yellow disks into a little net,
like Frisbee golf.
In "Ninja Warrior" and robotics, they both
overlap in their problem-solving aspect
in how you'll fail, and you can learn from each time
you make a mistake.
Being really precise in robotics
also carries over to being precise in "Ninja"
and making sure I'll stick each move.
I really badly want to make it to Vegas,
and I'm ready to calculate my way to victory.
* *
- There's Joseph's very proud mom watching on the sideline.
And Nick knows what it's like to be
a proud parent, because he just had
a baby with his wife, Joanne.
And they're over there cheering for him.
- Well, Nick's got the same issues Grant McCartney had.
He's 20 years older and a lot heavier than his opponent.
Can he keep up with the kid?
[countdown clock beeping]
Oh, Hanson bounding out!
Oh, I mean, not even close here.
What a great start, but, remember,
it's not how you start, it's how you finish.
Any one of these obstacles can trip you up.
- Well, Nick Hanson carrying 50 pounds more than the rock
climber, Joseph Rouse.
- And that's a lot of weight.
- But he's doing a great job, staying out ahead.
- Well, he knows, he's gotta put
the pressure on the young kid to want to catch up.
And sometimes when you're trying to catch someone,
that's when you tend to make the mistakes.
- Nick Hanson competed eight seasons
on "Ninja Warrior,"
made it to Vegas many times, while Joseph
Rouse is a rookie.
And the teenager pulls even.
And now he makes a move, goes right onto Sideways,
while Hanson waits.
- Uh-oh!
Look at Joseph Rouse!
- As we mentioned, he's a competitive rock
climber in the top 20 in the country in speed climbing.
- He's a buck 20.
He's making Sideways look easy.
And that's a difficult obstacle.
- Joseph Rouse continuing to progress.
- Ooh. - And Hanson can see it
slipping away!
- Yeah, he's starting to slow down.
He needs that strength endurance.
Started off great.
- A new father, probably not getting as much time to train.
- Oh, and just survives.
And Joseph Rouse is down!
- Oh, my goodness!
Anything can happen!
- What a turn of events!
- Nick Hanson just survived that dismount.
And, now, if he completes Slingshot,
he'll go back to Vegas.
- Oh, my goodness!
- But he looks gassed!
- Nick Hanson tried to skip the last hand hold
but only got one leg over the wall
and barely stayed out of the water.
Now, check this. At the same moment,
Joseph Rouse didn't keep the bar straight,
and he goes down on Sideways.
- Unbelievable!
- So Nick Hanson has a chance for a come-from-behind win
but must finish this obstacle.
- 35 years old, on to Slingshot.
- Well, Matt, you mentioned that
50-pound weight difference.
It could catch up to him here. He's gotta complete it.
- A new father, a new husband since we last saw him.
Can Nick Hanson dig deep?
- Nick Hanson is like, "This young fella better
put some respect on my name!"
- Ooh, he got up. - Oh! Barely.
- And you could see, he's running out of--
both: Oh!
- Oh, my goodness!
- Dude!
- Hanson had a chance but couldn't finish.
So Joseph Rouse gets the win.
- Good race, bro!
Dude, you did awesome.
Give me one of these.
Yes, bro.
This man, whew, that's what 20 years looks like.
[laughs] Whew!
- They're two of our oldest competitors
and have almost 20 years
of "Ninja" experience between them.
Now "Ninja" veterans Karsten Williams and Abel Gonzalez
face off.
They're both nine-time veterans
and top ninja coaches,
but Karsten is 3 years older and 25 pounds heavier.
We'll see if that makes a difference.
all: Abel! Abel! Abel!
- And a big group will be watching from Abel's gym
in South Texas,
while Karsten's students are cheering
him on from the Dallas area.
- He's pointing, Matt.
- And as always, Karsten's mom, Linda,
gonna be leading his big group on the sidelines.
Karsten is the number nine seed.
Abel's a 16, so Abel's the underdog.
[countdown clock beeping]
I'm guessing this won't be the fastest run of the night.
I think they're gonna use their experience
and avoid mistakes.
Abel's already walking.
- Their styles are so different.
You look at Karsten.
He's taller, 6'1", 175 pounds,
but very explosive for his size.
Abel is a technician.
He tends to be an overthinker at times.
But this is where you've gotta let it go, let it flow.
- Abel seems to have a deliberate strategy.
He's going to go slow and try to finish the course.
Even if he doesn't win the race, he could move on as one
of our top two non-winners.
- That's a risky strategy. We'll see if it works for him.
- Karsten Williams first off Beehive.
- And Big Cat has the edge.
[cheers and applause]
- Abel's students may be getting a little nervous.
He is in no hurry
waiting to see if Karsten falls here on Sideways.
Then Abel would only have to get past this obstacle.
And maybe one of those things.
You think, "If I can't compete on speed,
"let me run my race
"and just trust that Karsten's going
"to have a tough time getting through all six
of these obstacles."
[cheers and applause]
Now Abel is up on Sideways but has
a lot ground to make up.
And Karsten taking advantage.
He's catching his breath.
- Get up! Get up! - Come on, Karsten.
- But now here comes Abel Gonzalez!
So up goes Karsten onto Slingshot,
and Abel's going to wait once again
and see what happens with Karsten.
- Listen, it's interesting.
It is a gamble.
- But Karsten's gotta deliver. - Whoo!
Matt, this is gonna come down to technique and strength,
and endurance.
- His arms are tired at this point.
Can he finish?
- The big drop... - Oh, big drop.
- For the Big Cat!
- 175!
Oh, my goodness! - And he's done it!
They're having to hold Linda back on the sidelines.
- Karsten closing in on the buzzer.
- Abel Gonzalez simply watches.
- At 42 years old,
his approach to this course paid off.
The Big Cat is going back to Vegas!
[uplifting music]
* *
- Now we'll see if Abel's strategy pays off.
The race is over, but he could still
be one of our top non-winners.
However, that plan only works if he hits the buzzer.
Otherwise, he's too slow.
- Look at that left side of the bar, Akbar.
- Yeah, barely hanging on
Oh!
- And that's it for Abel.
He had a strategy, but it doesn't pay off.
- Yeah, I tried! - Yeah, you heard him.
He says, "I tried," and that's it for Abel Gonzalez.
But Big Cat--
- Hey, I'm back, baby. - Hey.
both: You are back! - And this old cat's
got a few more tricks up his sleeve.
- You can use those tricks in Vegas!
Hit that buzzer one more time!
[cheers and applause]
- Coming up...
[cheers and applause]
- She's made "Ninja" history,
- The first mom!
- But Sandy Zimmerman's never qualified for Vegas.
Tonight, she's facing one of the best, Isabella Wakeham.
That's next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- It's the semifinals on "Ninja Warrior,"
and minutes ago, it was The Flyboy,
17-year-old Texan Isaiah Thomas,
seeded sixth, racing the 19th-seeded Forest Strick,
who's from Wasilla, Alaska.
Though Strick is an air force veteran,
it was The Flyboy who hit the afterburners.
- This kid can go, Matt!
- The three-time "Ninja" veteran lit up the course--
- They don't call him the "flyboy" for nothing!
- --cruising through every obstacle,
and hitting the buzzer in just 1:08.
- Let's go!
- Strick made it all the way to Slingshot before falling.
- Oh!
- But with the fastest finish so far,
The Flyboy has a good shot at racing
for the Safety Pass at the end of the night.
- Who's him?
- I'm him!
- We've really been looking forward to this next matchup,
featuring two of our top women competitors.
It's the talented 19-year-old from Texas, Isabella Wakeham,
the number one seed among this group of women,
taking on the number eight seed,
46-year-old super mom Sandy Zimmerman,
who's been a "Ninja" trailblazer
but has never made it to Vegas.
[together] Beat that wall! Beat that wall!
- History could be made in the Tacoma Dome!
- Yes! Yes!
[cheers and applause]
- One of my big goals when I first started
"American Ninja Warrior" was to be the first mom
to hit a buzzer.
[buzzer blares]
But my second big goal was to get to Vegas.
[together] Sandy! Sandy! Sandy!
- I mean, I've been doing "Ninja Warrior"
for eight years.
- Oh, come on.
- Oh! - Oh, man!
Say it ain't so, Sandy!
- And I have been so close on so many occasions.
- Oh!
Get it. Get it.
- Oh, mother ninja! - What are you doing?
Look at the ring sliding on that first rung.
- Oh!
- And you can see the frustration
for Sandy Zimmerman!
- I feel like this is my chance to deliver.
[inspirational music]
- Can she get back up?
- I have fought, and I've clawed
for so long
to get this big dream and goal,
and nothing's standing in my way this season.
* *
[cheers and applause]
- Sandy's family watching back in Spokane
along with a big group of her friends.
She will have her hands full with Isabella Wakeham,
who, as we said, is the women's number one seed.
She almost finished stage one last year.
And she wants to get back to Vegas.
Her brother, who ran earlier, and other family members
are on her sideline.
[countdown clock beeping]
Wakeham has been impressive,
made it to Vegas each of the past two years.
She's now a student at Texas A&M
and has continued to train for "Ninja"
while going to college.
- Yeah, and it's been about 25 years since Sandy
was going to college playing basketball for Gonzaga.
both: Oh!
- Wakeham is down!
- Are you kidding me?
- Now Sandy just needs to dismount.
And Sandy Zimmerman is going to Vegas!
- You go, girl!
Matt, I did not see that one coming!
- And Sandy's pumped up!
She's gonna keep going, maybe add
another buzzer to her résumé.
- Let's go back and look at Isabella's fall.
Looks like she may have bumped her head on the second shelf,
made her come up short on the third.
That's a move she makes almost any other time.
- Go, Sandy!
- Sandy keeps charging.
She's going to get through Beehive.
There's the two other women from Spokane.
They're going to race each other next.
They train with Sandy.
[cheers and applause]
- Let's see if she can get through Sideways,
another tough obstacle.
- [grunts]
- You can hear her grunting.
You know why they call her pitbull.
- Go, Sandy.
- You know Isabella's disappointed.
Had high hopes for this year.
She's the first number one seed eliminated all season,
and Sandy's making the most of it.
[cheers and applause]
- [mouthing]
- Look. She can't believe it!
- Her fans would love to see her get another buzzer.
- This veteran is 46 years old, and she's going to Vegas.
Hard work pays off. - Absolutely.
Trains almost every day on her backyard course.
Oh, Sandy Zimmerman splashes down
but not before doing something she's never done,
punching a ticket to Vegas!
- She's gotta be pumped.
Oh, she's gonna be in tears.
- I'm going to Vegas!
- Yeah! - Ah!
I can't believe it!
- Way to go, Sandy!
[cheers and applause]
- You're going to Vegas.
I feel like I see you getting emotional right now.
- I've worked eight years for this.
I've had this big dream, and I've stuck with it
through the highs and lows, ups and downs, wins and successes.
And to be here--
- Everyone watching tonight is so inspired by what
you just pulled off, and we cannot
wait to see you in Vegas, OK?
Your whole team's going to be there cheering you on.
I'll see you at the national finals.
Congratulations, Sandy.
Give it up for her, y'all.
Come on. There we go.
- Well, congratulations to Sandy.
And up next, we'll find out which of her training partners
will join her, the Bicep Babe, mother of two,
Clarisa Morris, or firefighter in training Cailin Jewell.
They're next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- It's the semifinals from Universal Studios,
and moments ago, 18-year-old Sylas Snider had his work
cut out for him as he took on a ninja known for speed,
28-year-old stuntman Kyle Soderman.
With his mom and fiancée, fellow ninja Megan Johnson,
cheering him on, Soderman, as expected, jumped out in front.
- Watch Kyle Soderman.
I mean, he is taking off!
- But Snider, a rookie from Indianapolis,
stayed within striking distance.
- Oh, big move!
- It was neck-and-neck as they both fought forward
through Slingshot.
- But Sylas is off a little bit.
He's off!
Oh, my goodness!
- Soderman held on and made it to the buzzer.
He's going to Vegas for the third straight year.
- Let's go, my boys!
- Oh, he is so pumped!
- Then, it was 18-year-old Chick-fil-A worker,
Benjamin Drake, racing against the Louisianimal,
crop top-wearing Elijah Levée, who rehabs wild
creatures back in Louisiana.
This one started out close,
but Levée couldn't get his claws
around the Flying Shelf Grab.
- Oh!
Elijah Levée!
- That gave Drake the win.
This teenager balances three jobs back in Tennessee,
but he couldn't handle Sideways.
- Oh, he lost it!
- Despite the fall, he's going to the national finals
as a rookie.
Our next two competitors are guaranteed to be entertaining,
no matter what happens.
We've got "Ninja Cal," Cal Plohoros, who's a budding
actor, going against social media star Simba Jones,
who's a huge star on TikTok.
[laughter]
Simba has more than 9 million followers
and over a billion views.
He and his boys make comedy videos, where they tell
jokes and have rap battles.
- Ice is in the lead.
That's Ice tyce.
[all shouting]
- Ice is itching her hair.
That's Ice lice.
- What?
I was just kidding!
- Cal is taking acting classes in hopes to pursue
a career in entertainment.
- Honey, I'm home!
- Well, we've got a lot of personality
between these two and a lot of muscle.
Ninja Cal has really bulked up since his rookie season.
- Go, Cal.
- Cal has got his family here from Pennsylvania,
and Simba's got his TikTok crew ready to make
some noise again.
- All right, Simba Jones, this ain't TikTok.
It ain't funny.
This is the real deal.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Simba Jones did not train a lot for a "Ninja"
before the season.
To be in the semifinals is quite impressive.
- And look at Simba!
- And Ninja Cal's got the foot on the accelerator,
but Simba matching him. - OK! OK!
I see you, Simba!
- Cal Plohoros likes to go fast, but in past runs,
that's led to mistakes.
- Oh, but it's Simba with the early fall.
- Ooh, hakuna matata.
That means Simba's in the water!
- So Cal's got the win.
He can now throw caution to the wind
and go for the fastest time.
- He skipped that first bar!
- Yes, he did!
He just went straight for it.
He's flying!
He knows what's up!
- Running like he wants that Safety Pass!
both: Oh!
- The speed catches up to Ninja Cal
but not before punching his ticket to Vegas!
- Yeah! Let's go!
Whoo!
- Well, up next, it's the battle
of Spokane, two friends from the same city.
We've got 25-year-old firefighter trainee
Cailin Jewell facing the Bicep Babe,
27-year-old mom Clarisa Morris,
and both these women train with the other woman
from Spokane, Sandy Zimmerman.
[upbeat music]
- So I say start with the skyhooks
and get some reps on that.
Get it, girl.
- Historically, Spokane hasn't been known as a ninja hotspot.
- Get it! Get it!
Get the dismount!
- Yeah!
- But, recently, it's kind of seeming
like it's becoming one.
There's me.
There's Cailin Jewell.
Obviously, there's Sandy Zimmerman.
- Power up, big dismount.
That's a girl!
Oh, stick it! - Thank you.
- That's a girl!
- Sandy has definitely been a huge example to me of being
able to juggle being a mom--
- Yeah!
There you go!
- --having a job, and still being able to train hard
and have success in "Ninja."
- Good.
You got enough.
That's a girl!
Power up!
The moment I saw her on that first obstacle,
I just knew, she could do whatever she wanted to do
and accomplish in this sport.
Nice job.
I may have been the first mom to hit a buzzer,
but Clarisa is going to be the next mom to hit a buzzer.
- It's been a dream for both Sandy and I to go to Vegas,
and I'm planning on being in Vegas with Sandy by my side.
* *
[cheers and applause]
- Clarissa's kids watching back in Washington.
Cailin's boyfriend cheering for her.
- Yeah, Sandy's going to be cheering for both women,
and they are evenly matched.
Cailin Jewell the sixth seed,
where Clarisa Morris the three seed.
[countdown clock beeping]
Cailin Jewell should be comfortable on
these tiny houses on Home Run.
She actually lives in a tiny house
she built with her boyfriend.
She is good with tools.
Currently training to be a firefighter in Spokane
just like her dad.
But it's the bicep babe, Clarisa Morris,
with a small lead early.
And she is first off Flying Shelf Grab.
- We've already have one mom from Spokane going
to Vegas, Sandy Zimmerman.
Could we have another?
- There's another mom watching on the right.
That's Mady Howard, who's already punched her ticket
to the national finals.
Both these women taking some extra swings on Beehive.
That may catch up to them, but Clarisa Morris off first.
[cheers and applause]
Cailin Jewell hanging in there.
She's through three.
But the bicep babe is first up on Sideways.
And we've talked about her strength.
She can bench press 175 pounds,
even though she weighs only 118 pounds.
So dedicated to "Ninja," she moved her family
to Utah for a few months in the winter
so she could train indoors.
- Matt, on the other side,
Cailin Jewell is moving slowly.
You've gotta have the grip strength!
Oh! Oh, my goodness!
- Cailin Jewell is out.
- Another mom going to Vegas!
It ain't even Mother's Day and we're celebrating these moms!
- Two moms from Spokane are going to Vegas!
[cheers and applause]
Yes!
- What is in the water in Spokane?
- Finish it! Finish it! Finish it!
- She's gonna keep going to try to get a buzzer.
Her daughters back in Spokane gotta
be so proud of their mom.
Just started training for this a couple of years ago,
and now she's going to the national finals.
- Only a few women have made it through Slingshot
in these semis.
Matt, if she can conquer this obstacle,
that would be impressive.
- This is a big move here.
- Oh, just misses it!
- Splashes down, but no matter.
She's joining Sandy Zimmerman in Las Vegas.
- Clarisa Morris flexing on this course!
- Let me see them muscles, Matt!
- And we're going together!
- Wah!
We're going to Vegas! We're going to Vegas!
- Clarisa and Sandy won't be alone.
Next week, we're rolling into Vegas for the national finals.
- It's going to come down to how they handle pressure.
- For the first time, we'll have side-by-side
racing on stage two.
- It's go time.
- And this year, someone's climbing stage four
and taking home the million-dollar prize.
It all starts next week...
- Whoo!
- On "American Ninja Warrior."
- We've had some head-spinning matchups
in the last few minutes.
Colorado's Ian Dory is making a comeback this season.
He's got 14 career buzzers and at his peak
was one of the best ninjas in the world.
He squared off against another "Ninja" vet, Jonathan Bange,
who came in with zero buzzers, and is
best known for his signature...
- Bang! Bang!
- These two came out fast and stayed close
through the first three obstacles.
- They're pushing it!
- Dory nearly made it to stage four eight years ago,
and he was looking strong tonight--
both: Oh!
- --but shockingly went down on Sideways.
That gave the win to Bange.
And with friends on the sidelines and back in Texas
going nuts, the beloved coach kept battling
in search of his first buzzer.
- I see you!
OK, my ninja!
- At 34 years old, the banging Ninja finally got it.
- Bang! [buzzer blares]
- There it is!
- Bang!
- He's going to Vegas for the first time ever.
- Let's go!
Oh, my goodness!
- Then, a couple of teenagers got their shot on the course
as one of our top competitors, former "Nina Junior"
champion Vance Walker took on the E-Z Ninja, McAllen,
Texas' Erick Zamorano.
- Zamorano is going to have his hands full!
- In two seasons of "Ninja Junior,"
Walker never lost a race.
And he came out blazing again tonight.
- Looks like he's picking up speed, Matt.
- Zamorano kept a steady pace but had no chance
of catching Walker, who's looking like he may be one
to watch in the national finals.
He hit the buzzer with by far the fastest time of the night.
So he'll likely race in a few minutes
for the Safety Pass,
which will give him a second chance
if he falls in Vegas.
Zamorano made it to Slingshot in 58 seconds.
- Oh!
- He has a very good chance to move on as one of the two
fastest non-winners.
Up next a crowd favorite.
It's the Sparkly Ninja, Barclay Stockett,
the 28-year-old veteran from Houston looking to get back
to the national finals for the fifth time,
and she's facing 20-year-old security guard
Rachel "No Brakes" Brown, a former teen phenom
whose time has come.
- If you haven't heard of Rachel Brown, you soon will.
- I was 12 years old beating some of the top ninjas.
- You got it, Rachel!
- Give it up for Rachel Brown.
- I was this little girl that wore a backwards hat.
And in a way, I kind of feel like I started
the teens and everything like that with "Ninja,"
because I was the first one.
[uplifting music]
- I think Rachel Brown is the first kid
that I was like, "You're going to be amazing.
If she could have been on the show
when she was 13 years old, she would have beat the course.
And it's so cool to see her now,
practically a grown woman, competing with us.
- I graduated high school, didn't know what I
wanted to do, so I got a job.
I'm an unarmed security officer,
I'm a server at Olive Garden, and I ride motorcycles.
I just work a lot, I train a lot,
and I'm ready to kick butt.
[cheers and applause]
- Rachel did a good job in qualifying,
made it quickly to the fifth obstacle.
She's the number four seed, while Barclay is a five,
so the Sparkly Ninja's got her hands full.
- Rachel's got her mom on the sideline.
And Barclay's fiancée, Tee, watching from home.
[countdown clock beeping]
Barclay is only 5 feet tall.
Got to be cautious on Home Run,
Rachel Brown off quickly.
- Really going for it there!
Aggressive start!
- Rachel Brown is 5'4".
She's got a 4-inch height advantage.
And you can see, she used that there on Home Run.
- Well, this is where Barclay has such good power
with her laches.
- Yeah, she is so powerful, so compact.
- Barclay was a top-level gymnast,
has great upper-body strength.
She'll use that here on Beehive.
- What a good race!
- Rachel Brown right on her heels!
- Matt, you can see right there, Rachel starting to gain
ground on Barclay Stockett!
- These two pushing each other!
- Barclay off of Beehive first, but "No Brakes"
Brown is hot on her tail.
- Come on, Rachel!
- Sideways is going to be tough for Barclay.
Five feet, with those long laches, not much wingspan.
Really gonna have to kip herself off.
- Rachel Brown, she knows about riding motorcycles.
This is where she needs to accelerate!
both: Oh!
- Rachel Brown goes down, and Barclay gets the win!
She was first off the previous obstacles,
so she's already in.
And now Barclay's focused on doing something she's
never done, hitting a buzzer!
- Oh, that would be special.
That would be special.
- And I think she's gonna skip the final handle.
Oh, just barely makes it through!
And she can finally smile now and relish
the fact she's going to the national finals
once again.
- Rachel, I love you, girl.
I'm proud of you. - I love you too.
You got this. Finish strong. Finish strong.
- All right, you heard Rachel Brown, finish strong.
[together] Barclay strong! Barclay strong!
- Barclay strong.
It says it right there on her shirt.
How great would it be to go to Vegas, and on top of that,
pick up her very first buzzer?
- The Slingshot has ended a lot of runs
in these semifinals.
You have to be so precise as you land on the bar.
And at this point, your arms are gassed.
- And that bar is already uneven.
Center that thing.
both: Oh!
- Oh, no! - Oh!
- Whoo! - Oh, man.
- Well, Barclay Stockett is going back
to Vegas for a fifth time, but the buzzer
alludes her once again.
- Good job, Barclay!
- Barclay was the last of our women in this first group.
We'll see her and the rest of tonight's
winners in Vegas, starting next week.
- Up next, it's a race you don't want to miss.
"Ninja" great Daniel Gil goes against firefighter
Gary Weiland, who's going to run on his prosthetic leg.
He's amazed us before.
Can he do it again
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns?
- Welcome back to semifinals, where we had a big battle
minutes ago, as our tallest athlete,
6'6" Texan Jody Avila, AKA The Big Dog,
went mano a mano against Deion Butler,
who's in the U.S. Army.
- Deion Butler, he's gonna have to be all that he can be
going up against The Big Dog.
- Avila is a father of two and an eight-time "Ninja" veteran,
while Butler was trying to earn a trip
to Vegas in his rookie year.
- Oh!
- Butler's fall meant Avila got the win
and the heating and air-conditioning technician
could chill the rest of the way.
Though he went down on Slingshot--
- Oh!
- --he's going to Vegas for the third straight year.
- Good job, Jody!
I see you, baby!
- Guys, amputee Gary Weiland amazed
us all with some inspirational runs
just a few weeks ago in qualifying.
His motto is "adapt and overcome,"
and he'll need to do just that.
Because tonight, he is racing one of the all-time greats,
Daniel Gil.
Daniel's been to stage four, and he had the fastest time
in qualifying, while Gary had to win a runoff race
to get here.
But he's used to being an underdog.
- Matt, look in his eyes.
He is not going down again!
Nice.
Go, go, go, go! No, no. Oh!
- Never in my wildest dreams would
I think, at 43 years old, that I would
make it to the semifinals.
- Oh, my God! - Oh!
- Oh, my God! - Oh, my God!
- When I got my vengeance on that log runner,
I'm pretty sure the expression on my face says it all.
Ahh!
And now head-to-head racing is just another obstacle for me
to overcome.
- Gary, he does more on one leg than most people do
in an entire lifetime on two.
[dramatic music]
He is going to give everything that he has,
and so I'm going to do my best and give him everything
that I've got as well.
- Daniel Gil is back!
- I am absolutely going to adapt
and overcome and get ahead and do
whatever it takes to win.
* *
- Well, no matter what happens, there is
so much respect between these two,
both these guys great competitors.
- Whoo! - Daniel will have his wife,
Abby, on the sideline...
- Let's go!
- While Gary has one son here in LA
and the rest of the family watching back in Texas.
Daniel wants to get back to Vegas
and climb that rope again for a million dollars.
Gary Weiland would be the first amputee ever to qualify
for the national finals.
[countdown clock beeping]
Gary's going to be careful here on Home--
oh, Daniel Gil stumbles!
- Whoa!
That would have been crazy!
- Well, Daniel Gil only has one speed.
He's already on the third obstacle,
while Gary is just finishing the first.
- You can tell he's got a lot of hustle into him.
He's got that hustle and that flow.
- Well, we have seen Gary Weiland.
Just continues to impress us.
both: Oh!
- What?
- And Daniel Gil is down!
- Oh, my goodness!
- Gary Weiland, another miracle
could be in the making!
- Oh, my goodness!
- Look at this!
And he's just now realizing Daniel's fallen!
- It's all you.
- Daniel says, "It's all you now."
- Go, Gary!
- Well, I think it's just set in,
the magnitude of this moment.
- He can now win this race, beat Daniel Gil,
and get to Vegas, but he's gotta
get through these next two obstacles.
[together] Gary! Gary! Gary!
- He knows what's in front of him.
He has an opportunity to make history again.
- And he can do it by beating one of the greatest
ninjas of all time.
- His motto is "adapt and overcome."
Trying to do it one more time.
both: Oh!
- Gary Weiland, a remarkable run comes to an end,
and Daniel Gil survives a mistake.
- You all right, Gary?
- Gary Weiland almost pulled off one of the greatest upsets
in "Ninja" history.
- [grunts]
- [laughs]
Nicely done, man.
Nicely done.
Wow, okay, so our plan--
- Oh, my gosh!
I blew it!
Chance of a lifetime to beat this guy, and I blow it!
Wow! - Oh, man!
- So Daniel Gil survives, and here's
everyone going to Vegas.
Two teens, Vance Walker and Isaiah Thomas,
had the fastest time, so they'll be
running for the Safety Pass.
But several veterans, including Karsten Williams
and Jody Avila, are also advancing.
We'll see all these ninjas at the national finals,
which start next week.
Non-winners advancing are Isaiah Wakeham
and Erick Zamorano.
And we've got one more race this hour.
It's a sprint for the Safety Pass,
which can give you a second chance if you fall in Vegas.
This is going to be a battle between two
of our best young ninjas, Vance Walker,
and The Flyboy, Isaiah Thomas.
One big difference between these two,
The Flyboy is 6'2".
He has an 8-inch height advantage over Walker.
- But Vance Walker was about 15 seconds faster
on this course earlier tonight.
- Vance lives in Florida now,
but he's from Texas, just like The Flyboy.
They know each other well.
- I love you, Isaiah!
- And both of their moms and supporters together
in one big group on the sideline.
- Both these guys fell on the fourth obstacle on stage one
last year.
A Safety Pass would have saved them.
They're gonna go all out.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Isaiah, with that 8-inch height advantage,
bounced through Home Run.
These two love to race!
- Oh, wow.
Boy, I don't even know if this course can handle this speed!
- Vance hesitates!
- Here we go.
- Both of these guys linking it.
A slight edge for The Flyboy.
- And it is close.
Isaiah's first on Sideways,
and they go right into Slingshot.
- It's not even 30 seconds yet!
- And Isaiah just a move ahead of Vance!
- Oh, my goodness!
They're right there neck-and-neck!
- But Vance flies ahead!
Who's got it? [buzzer blares]
Walker wins it! A blistering 39 seconds!
- Oh, my goodness! A come-from-behind win!
Oh, my word!
- We have to look at this race again!
- It was close throughout.
Both were flying through the course,
and it came down to Slingshot.
Look at these final moves by Vance to surge ahead.
And then it was a scramble to the buzzer.
Vance wins by less than 2/10 of a second!
- One of the closest races we've ever had!
But we're not done.
We've got another hour.
- It's all about racing tonight.
- And Zuri's got a preview of our next group.
- Guys, this our is filled with ninja favorites
and some killer matchups,
like Ninja great Jessie Graff trying to outrace rising
young star Jaleesa Himka.
Plus, they were bridesmaids in each other's weddings.
Now Ashley Bergstrom and Caitlyn Bergstrom Wright
will have to race each other.
We'll see them next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to New York Street
here at Universal Studios, Hollywood.
It's semifinals night on "American Ninja Warrior!"
- So it's all racing all night.
[buzzer blares]
- Our first group of ninjas just
punched their ticket to Vegas.
- I'm going to Vegas!
- Now in the second half of our double episode,
we'll see all-new matchups, and like before,
our seedings are based on how far or how fast
they went in qualifying.
And we're gonna start with a matchup
featuring two of the best cheering sections in "Ninja."
t's 17-year-old Enzo DeFerrari Wilson,
and Electric Enzo's family leads
the charge on the sideline.
They've got foam fingers, lightning bolts, you name it.
And on the other side, it's Kyle Schulze,
who calls himself The Deaf Ninja.
His sideline is led by his girlfriend,
Raquel, who's got the crowd signing
their applause for him.
- Some big differences between these two.
Schulze, he's almost twice as old as Enzo,
and though he's competed seven seasons,
he's never hit a buzzer.
This is Enzo's third year competing,
and he's got three buzzers in his career.
[countdown clock beeping]
Enzo is an eight seed, while Kyle is a 17.
But it's Schulze who jumps out in front
early, a good start for him.
Bounds out ahead.
We'll see if anyone can link it here on the Shelf Grab.
- Oh, Enzo is going to have to be electric
if he's going to catch him.
- Oh, let's go-- - And there goes Enzo!
He linked it!
Electric Enzo first onto the Beehive now.
- And we've got ourselves a race!
- Schulze keeping the pedal to the metal himself!
- Schulze is not backing down to the youth.
He's showing him, "I've got a lot of 'Ninja' experience."
- You can just see, Enzo's staying a move ahead.
- Schulze is a grad student in engineering.
I'm sure he's plotting out a plan for this course.
- Matt, this back and forth is like watching a tennis match.
- Well, Sideways is such a challenging obstacle.
And Schulze's fallen here before.
- It's easy to make a mistake, especially when
you're rushing through it.
both: Oh!
- Schulze goes down!
There'll be no return trip to Vegas this year.
And Electric Enzo gets the win!
- He's going to Vegas!
- And now Enzo's gonna go for his fourth career buzzer.
- And look at Enzo, Matt!
He still looks like he has a lot left in the power grid!
- He's still the youngest ever to complete a course.
- Electric Enzo! The current is surging!
- And that crowd behind him is going wild.
[together] Enzo! Enzo!
- And Electric Enzo is gonna get another buzzer.
And is headed to Vegas for the third straight year.
[cheers and applause]
- Let's go!
[upbeat rock music]
* *
You wanted to go racing. How was it, bud?
- Oh, my gosh! That was so much fun!
- Third year in a row you're going back to Vegas!
- Yeah! Yes!
[together] Enzo! Enzo! Enzo!
- And this crowd is chanting your name!
Enjoy this moment!
That's going to be a tough act to follow,
but our next two athletes also know
how to put on a good show.
We've got TikTok star Johnny Brown, whose parkour
videos have millions of views.
And he's facing the "Ninja" legend,
stuntman Flip Rodriguez, a speed demon from way back.
This is Flip's 13th season competing,
and he's coming off his best season ever.
- Yes! Yes!
- Flip Rodriguez gets his first stage-two buzzer!
- When I started in season three,
I was one of the original speed demons
of "American Ninja Warrior."
- Flip Rodriguez with a blazing-fast finish!
- I already know what it feels like to push everything
I have into one course.
- Fastest time of the night!
- And that was without somebody by my side.
Going head-to-head, that's only going to motivate
me to push even harder.
- Johnny Brown's flying squirrel videos have
millions of views on TikTok.
- I'm a squirrel!
[record needle scratches]
- But the semifinals are serious business.
- You're not going to see the squirrel tonight,
but you're definitely going to see
me flying through that course.
- Let's go. Whoo!
- And Johnny Brown will have his parents watching from back
in Georgia, and Flip's got a big group on his sidelines,
including students he coaches.
- Matt, this is big for Flip.
It's been ten years since he hit buzzers
in qualifying and semifinals, but Flip can do it tonight.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Flip's the seventh seed, Johnny Brown an 18.
He knows he has a tough challenge
going against the veteran.
- Well, Matt, Flip Rodriguez said it.
He said he is the OG of speed.
- He was known for going fast when he was younger.
So he feels right at home doing these races.
- But the rookie, Johnny Brown, is keeping it close.
He's got a background in parkour and gymnastics,
very comfortable flying through the air.
Flip is first off Beehive.
- Johnny Brown just doesn't quite
have the obstacle experience, and look at Flip
linking it on Sideways!
- And if Flip makes it to Vegas this year,
he would match Joe Moravsky for the most national finals
appearances by any ninja.
- Ooh, I think he hit his head!
Yeah, right there.
Skipped the one and scraped it with his head.
- And Johnny Brown keeping the pressure on.
- Let's go, Junior!
- Let's go!
- Flip's gottta catch his breath for a moment,
but now he's up on Sideways.
Johnny Brown still hanging around.
both: Oh, no!
- Well, Flip Rodriguez is going back to Vegas!
- Matt, that boy vintage.
He just seems to be getting better with age.
- As we said, he hasn't hit back-to-back buzzers
in qualifying and semis in 10 years,
but he is closing in on it.
Just needs to stay dry through these last few moves.
Would be the 21st finish of his storied career.
And Flip is gonna do it!
33 years old, heading to Vegas for a record-tying 10th time!
[buzzer blares]
- Ahh!
Let's go, baby!
Let's go!
We dry, boy! We dry! - Yeah, you heard him.
He's still dry!
Hasn't hit the water all season!
Flip, the OG of speed is back!
- Yes, sir!
- You're going back to Vegas, buddy.
- Let's go, baby!
Let's go, baby!
Let's go!
[cheers and applause]
- Coming up... - Take one.
- The Garemores are ready for their close-up.
These talented Florida teenagers will try
to become just the second brothers in "Ninja" history
to qualify for Vegas.
Plus, she inspired a generation of young ninjas.
Now, Jessie Graff has to beat one of them.
- She is a legend of the sport,
but now I want to be a legend too.
- That, and more, on the semifinals
of "American Ninja Warrior."
- Purple reined on the course minutes ago,
as similarly dressed competitors Alex Romer,
a high schooler from Florida, and Matt Kalanz,
a strength coach for the army, squared off.
Romer came out fast,
but this race was over quickly.
- Oh!
- Both went down at almost the same time
on Flying Shelf Grab.
But because Romer finished the previous obstacle first,
he gets the win.
- Boy, he got lucky on that one!
- Then, a couple of Southern Ninjas went at it,
as Georgia music producer Ethan Bartnicki
threw down with Florida's dreadhead lawyer, DC Banks.
- Let's go! - Look at that grand entrance!
- Bartnicki made it all the way to stage three last year,
and he came out blazing again tonight.
- That's a talented kid right there!
- Banks, a three-time veteran, kept a steady pace,
and made it to Sideways.
- Oh, no!
- But his fall sealed the win for Bartnicki.
He's earned the fastest time so far,
and is going back to Vegas after grabbing
his fifth buzzer in two years.
- Five!
- And he's been counting his buzzers.
That's five.
- Up next, we've got two more talented teenagers.
It's Nacssa Garemore.
We told you his story a few weeks ago.
He was adopted from Africa with his brother, Roberto,
and Ninja helped them adapt to life in the US.
Nacssa will be racing another adoptee,
North Carolina's Isaiah Lee, who calls himself
the "one-eyed warrior."
[instrumental music playing]
- Do you like two or three?
- Three.
When I was 12, I started noticing vision loss,
and that's when I found out I had the tumor
behind my right eye.
- At first, they thought it was a detached retina,
but they were looking at scans,
and we heard the word "blastoma."
It was like time stood still for a moment.
And then they found out he had Von Hippel-Lindau.
It's a genetic disease that causes tumors
in the brain, spine, eyes, ears,
lungs, pancreas, and kidneys.
- At 12, I was pretty scared about it.
I didn't really know, like, what was going to happen.
Two weeks after we got a surgery to remove my tumor,
I started doing Ninja again.
- I'm so proud of Isaiah,
not just for making it as an incredible Ninja,
for doing this while he has VHL,
while he's blind in one eye,
but doing it with such grace.
I think when he steps up to begin,
and we're just standing there watching him,
it's going to be surreal.
He just battles through,
like a true warrior.
* *
[cheering]
- Isaiah's facing a tough race here
against Nacssa Garemore.
He's the number nine seed.
Isaiah's a 16.
- Isaiah's mom and friends on his sideline.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Wow! Garemore flying out!
And that's just how he started his run in qualifying.
- Whoo! Linking it!
- Oh, my goodness! - Wow!
- He's about to blow him out!
- But it's never over with this pace!
Garemore living dangerously!
- Isaiah continuing to progress.
- Ooh! - He is flying.
You gotta be careful on Sideways,
but he's not slowing down.
- Nacssa is not messing around.
- Well, he's an obstacle and a half ahead,
not even looking back, Akbar.
He is running his race.
- He's not looking back, and he's not tired.
- Isaiah Lee keeping a slower, but steady pace.
But Nacssa Garemore-- - Nice!
- Just so impressive!
- Look at the time!
He's going to come in sub one minute.
- He's going to be well ahead of Ethan Bartnicki
for the fastest time.
Nacssa Garemore getting his second buzzer!
[buzzer blares]
Whoo-hoo-hoo!
- Come on, Isaiah!
- And now he's gonna cheer for Isaiah.
The top two non-winners also advance.
If Isaiah can finish, he'd have a good chance
at being one of them.
- Matt, this is what the Ninja community is all about.
Yes, Nacssa won this race, but Isaiah still trailing behind.
And he's got his biggest cheerleader
sitting at the buzzer.
- Let's go! - But he's struggling
right now on Slingshot.
- Oh, no!
- But he did go pretty fast.
He could still be one of our top two non-winners.
- And how about Nacssa Garemore,
finishing with the fastest time?
He could be racing for a Safety Pass,
which could be extremely valuable in Vegas.
- Well, now his brother, Roberto Garemore,
will try to punch his ticket to Vegas.
But he'll be racing another talented teen,
The boss, 18-year-old entrepreneur Elijah Browning.
He sells sports cards, builds ninja rigs,
and now models as well, and he knows
he's facing a big challenge here,
racing against one of the Garemore brothers.
- I've known Roberto for six years now.
We've trained and competed against each other
in some competitions outside of "American Ninja Warrior,"
and he is a baller.
- For him to be 6'1'', and me being 5'8'',
he's going to have a big advantage.
But that's going to be really exciting for me
to show people my ability.
- There's six obstacles on the course tonight,
but there's really a seventh obstacle,
and his name is Roberto Garemore.
* *
- Elijah's mom, Renee, will be leading the cheers
on the sidelines, and Nacssa's now joined his family
to root for Roberto.
- Elijah Browning coming in as a sixth seed,
and Roberto is a 19.
But I think this is going to be a lot closer than that.
[countdown clock beeping]
- You can see, boom, look at the quickness out of Garemore!
- Garemore, first out!
And you're gonna see this-- - Look at this!
- Garemore linking it!
- Oh, they're going back and forth!
Oh, my goodness!
Matt, we got a race!
- Garemore is ready for this boss battle!
- Oh, boy!
- And they are matching each other move for move!
[cheers and applause]
- Oh, my!
- Now Elijah pulls ahead!
Watch it on Sideways.
Easy to trip up on this one.
- Come on, Roberto!
- Elijah's an experienced Ninja;
this is his third season.
Roberto's just a rookie.
Can he handle the pressure?
- Boss first off!
On to Slingshot!
- Oh, man, he's gotta sling himself forward very quickly!
- And Roberto is going to have to--
- Oh!
And Roberto felt the pressure of the boss man!
- And look at the clock.
Elijah could beat Nacssa for the fastest time.
[buzzer blares]
- Let's go!
- And Elijah "Boss" Browning does it!
You've got the fastest time of the night so far!
- Yeah! Thank you, Mom! Let's get it!
- That's a CEO, for real, doing big things!
Both these guys were flying!
Roberto pushed Elijah so hard,
The Boss now has the fastest time of the night
and could be running for the Safety Pass.
And even though Roberto didn't finish,
he's still got a shot to move on
as one of the fastest non-winners.
- And we've got more races coming up,
including one featuring Ninja great Jessie Graff,
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- Three moms, Mady Howard, Sandy Zimmerman,
and Clarisa Morris, have punched their ticket to Vegas.
And minutes ago, a fourth tried to earn a trip,
as California's Zhanique Lovett
hit the start line to face off against Georgia's
Dara DePaolo.
This one was over early--
- Oh!
- As DePaolo hit the water on the very first obstacle.
- Wow, she did that right out of the gate.
- That gave Zhanique an easy win,
and with the pressure off, she set her sights
on her first career buzzer.
- Let's go! Mwah! Let's go, babe!
- The mother of three made it interesting throughout.
- Well, she wants that buzzer.
She's going for it.
- She fought her way to Slingshot.
- Oh!
- No buzzer, but she's going to Vegas,
and we'll have more moms than we've ever had,
four, at the national finals.
- I'm going to Vegas!
Yes!
- Then, one of our top Ninjas, RJ Roman, took on a rookie,
5' 3" football player Daniel Osmer.
Roman is known for his speed,
and the six-time veteran shredded the course early.
- Wow, RJ Roman is just way too fast.
- Osmer, a 34-year-old dad from Idaho,
competing in his first season, battled to Beehive.
- Oh!
Matt, he spun out of control!
- That sealed the win for RJ Roman,
who absolutely crushed the course.
- Wow, look at how fast RJ Roman is going!
- Let's go! - And he sailed to the buzzer
with the fastest time so far,
putting him in good position to race for a Safety Pass
later tonight. - Let's go!
- Up next, it's a battle of the Carolinas.
18-year-old rookie Brandon Thomas
hails from North Carolina.
- Let's get it.
- And he'll be facing a Ninja twice his age,
South Carolina's 36-year-old Brett Sims,
a longtime veteran who competed on
the very first season of Ninja,
and we have watched him grow up.
- I'm Brett Sims. I'm 21 years old.
I'm from Greenville, South Carolina.
I'm one of the OGs for "Ninja Warrior."
I was on season one, and some of the ninjas
call me "grandpa."
I have a stripe for every single season
that I've competed.
- He's got the ninja beard of wisdom.
- Now we're starting to lose some room here.
- My wife is Grace Sims. She's also a Ninja.
But, this year, she's not going to compete,
because she's pregnant. She's having a baby.
- Yeah! - When I step up on that line,
and I see Grace on the screen,
I think the pressure is just going to feel
a little bit different.
[buzzer blares]
This baby is coming any second now,
so I better go fast on that course,
'cause I gotta get home.
* *
- And there's Grace,
due any day now.
- Easy! Let's go!
- But Brett's going to have his hands full
with Brandon Thomas.
He's a recent high school grad,
now working as a delivery driver,
so you know he can move fast.
Had an impressive run in qualifying.
- Come on, Brandon! - Come on, B!
- His biggest fans, his parents, on the sideline.
- Whoo!
Now, these two made a bet.
If they both hit buzzers,
the loser has to jump in the water.
- It's a little chilly tonight.
That water is cold!
[countdown clock beeping]
- Brandon Thomas actually running with a jacket on.
- When Brett Sims competed back in season one,
Brandon Thomas was only three years old.
- Sims used to be a speed demon, great parkour athlete,
but says he's not sure he can keep up
with these young ninjas.
Oh, nice move!
[cheers and applause]
- And look at the old man,
keeping up with the kid so far!
- Look at these two!
Brett Sims setting the pace, and he is going out hard!
It's a race!
- Matt, who would have thought Brett Sims
would have that extra gear, at 36 years old?
- Well, Brett runs a ninja gym in South Carolina,
and he's got years of experience,
using that veteran savvy here
to keep up with the young gun.
- Yeah, Matt, it's going back and forth right now.
- Whoever gets off Sideways first
could have a big advantage.
And it's Brandon Thomas!
[cheering]
- Go! Whoo!
- Now, if they both fall here, Thomas would win.
Fast pace to this point.
What do they have left?
[cheering]
- Oh, they're just switching off now.
Oh, and now look at the link
from Brandon Thomas!
- And Brett Sims trying to keep up!
Brandon Thomas is gonna do it! Here comes Sims!
But the 18-year-old rookie is gonna be first to the buzzer!
[buzzer blares]
But Brett Sims will also finish,
and that puts him in a great position to move on to Vegas
as one of our top two non-winners.
- The Carolina boys just put on a show!
- Yay!
- Brett, what's it like racing against someone
who is literally half your age?
- I wish I could say I had a good excuse,
but I got too many years of experience to say that.
He got me good, man. Nice job.
- Well, listen, we understand you had a little bet going.
I think it's time to pay it off.
- Yeah, we did.
- These two made a bet.
They both got a buzzer.
Whoever was slower had to take a dip,
courtesy of the other one.
- Uh-oh!
South Carolina's going in the water!
Oh!
- [laughs]
- Get ready for the Bergstrom bunch,
two newlywed Ninja couples who do everything together.
[cheering]
- And they all want to get to Vegas.
But these sisters-in-law will have to race each other.
They're next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Two couples and one big ninja family,
it's the Bergstrom bunch.
And all four of them are running tonight.
Minutes ago, David Bergstrom-Wright,
AKA "da cake ninja," had his wife, Caitlyn, watching,
as he took on Jaguar Josh,
Virginia grad student Josh Heman-Ackah.
Cake made the course look easy as pie,
as he jumped out to a big lead--
- I guess you can have your cake and eat it too, huh?
- While Jaguar Josh took a slow approach.
Though he made it to Sideways,
he didn't have cat-like reflexes.
- He's hanging on too long.
Ah!
- Cake was cruising, and he made it to Slingshot.
- Oh!
- And though he didn't finish the course,
he became the first Bergstrom tonight
to punch his ticket to Vegas.
Then, Cake's brother-in-law, Caleb Bergstrom,
got his chance, and he had his wife, Ashley,
cheering for him, as he took on Sherman Oaks,
California's Jason Grossman.
Caleb came in as a number two seed,
and he showed why, jumping out to a big lead
over Grossman, a 23 seed.
- He is moving, Matt!
- Though Grossman made it to Slingshot before falling...
- Oh!
- He had no chance to catch Caleb Bergstrom,
who had one of the fastest runs in this group,
finishing in under a minute.
[cheering]
So there's another Bergstrom headed to Vegas.
And now the women in their family will get their shot,
and Zuri's going to get them started.
- You can't get any closer than our next two.
They're sisters-in-law who were bridesmaids
at each other's weddings.
Now Ashley Bergstrom and Caitlyn Bergstrom-Wright
must race each other,
and only one will move on.
[upbeat music playing]
- With Caleb and Ashley, Cake, and I, we all work together.
We train together.
I think we see each other pretty much seven days a week.
- Yeah!
- It's really fun, the four of us all training together.
The boys are always trying to outrun each other,
seeing who can get the faster time.
- Ah!
- Ashley and I, we're more like,
"I'm going to help you get it,
and you're going to help me get it.
- Big kick.
- And we kind of help each other figure it out.
- Yeah!
- We realize, this is just like training.
We always race in training.
We try to root each other on.
We want to see each other do the best that we can.
- Your hair looks so good when you lache.
When in our lives are we ever going
to get to run an "American Ninja Warrior" course
side by side with each other again?
Such a cool experience!
* *
- This is going to make for some interesting
dinner conversation.
- Gotta have some mixed emotions.
If you win, you end your best friend's season.
- Let's go, girls!
- That sideline's gotta be a little torn, too,
although I'm sure David may yell a little louder
for Caitlyn, and Caleb may be
a little more vocal for Ashley.
Both of those guys are going to Vegas,
so whoever wins this will be part of
the first married couple at the national finals.
History is on the line.
[countdown clock beeping]
Caitlin is the higher seed.
She's a three, Ashley's a six.
- Well, Caitlyn bounding out some quick footwork there.
A little celebration.
And Ash goes right into the flying jump grab!
- Oh, she knows what she's doing.
She used to be a top-level gymnast.
She's comfortable flying through the air.
- Come on! Let's go!
- This is her third season.
She got a buzzer back in season 12.
- It's gotta be awkward on the sidelines.
Who are you cheering for?
- I don't know, Matt.
- My sister, but I've gotta cheer for the wife, I guess.
- Caitlyn takes a much more cautious approach.
She's sizing up each obstacle before she starts,
now finally goes up on to Beehive.
- And Ashley making short work of it,
starting to pull away from Caitlyn.
- Oh, spending a little too much time on the Beehive.
- Both these women work and train
at the Jungle Gym,
the Bergstroms' ninja gym in Florida.
It's one of the best in the country.
- Ashley up on Sideways.
- But here comes Caitlyn!
- Caitlyn could be waiting to see if Ashley burns out,
but we know that that strategy may not be the most efficient.
- Let's go, baby!
- Caitlyn made it to Vegas four years ago.
That's when she and Caleb became
the first brother-sister duo to qualify
for the national finals.
Now she's trying to be part of the first husband-wife team
to do it but needs to make up some ground.
Ashley is first through Sideways.
- And Ashley turning back to cheer Caitlyn on.
- Yeah, that's because they're best friends.
They do everything together.
- And Caitlyn survives that big transfer,
and Ashley is just cheering her on!
- Well, Matt, at least she gets a chance
to catch her breath while she's waiting on Caitlyn.
- She may go for the dismount here.
- Go for the dismount now!
Oh. - Yes!
- And a hug.
Well, they're back even,
but Ashley Bergstrom has the advantage.
She was the first to complete Sideways.
- And now it may be who can handle Slingshot?
Ashley, who got to rest, goes right up,
while Caitlyn tries to catch her breath.
- Ashley had a little bit of a break,
a little longer than Caitlyn.
- Come on.
- Oh, the bar's between the bungees on the left.
- Oh, Ashley's in trouble here, Matt.
She's going to try to fix it,
but we've seen the ninjas fall when they try to correct it
here on Slingshot!
- And the door is open!
Caitlyn must complete this obstacle!
No!
The door gets opened, and then slammed shut,
and Ashley Bergstrom is moving on!
She and Caleb will be the first husband-wife duo
to qualify for the national finals.
- It all came down to Slingshot.
Ashley got the bar stuck between bungees
and couldn't get it out cleanly.
That briefly gave Caitlyn a shot to win,
but she came up short.
- That's still an impressive Ninja family.
Three of them will be running in Vegas,
and I'm sure Caitlyn will be there, cheering them on.
- Coming up, this high schooler's
about to race her hero,
one of the greatest ninjas ever, Jessie Graff.
We'll see them next, on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Minutes ago, we saw one of the all-time greats,
Ryan Stratis, who was trying get back
to the national finals for the first time in four years.
But to get there, he had to face off against
former pro wakeboarder Austin Hair,
whose wife, Lisa, was cheering him on.
- Let's go, let's go! You got it!
- Stratis, a 12-time Ninja veteran,
was a step behind Hair, a two-time veteran,
who was first off Beehive.
[cheering]
And while both were on Sideways, first Stratis...
- Oh, my word!
- And then Hair... - Oh!
- Both fell.
But because Austin Hair finished the previous obstacle
first, he gets the win.
He's going to his first national finals.
Last season, social media star Bob Reese
tried something never done before,
with his flip at the national finals.
- Oh!
Reese's pieces!
- Tonight, he tried to earn a return trip to Vegas,
but first stopped for a quick do-si-do with his opponent,
Vinnie Castronova, who's a 25-year-old plumber
in South Florida.
Castronova came out hot and jumped out to a big lead
over the surprisingly cautious Reese.
- Vinnie Castronova running his own race.
- Yay!
- The four-time Ninja veteran
absolutely flushed the course,
and earned his first trip to the national finals.
- Whoo!
- It wasn't as easy for Bob Reese.
- Hell of a save right there!
- 60 pounds heavier,
the TikTok trickster moved slower,
but eventually made his way to the end.
As one of the top two non-winners,
he too is moving on.
The only other non-winner to hit a buzzer
is Bob's friend, Brett Sims.
They're now both going to Vegas.
And RJ Roman and The Boss, Elijah Browning,
the two fastest from tonight,
will race for the Safety Pass in just a few minutes.
In one of our final women's races,
Army captain Jeri D'Aurelio engaged in friendly battle
with Florida high schooler Emma Pereyra.
- Jeri! Jeri! Jeri!
- D'Aurelio had the troops watching from Korea,
and her son, Holden, cheering on the sideline.
And the eight-time Ninja veteran was in a dogfight
with her 15-year-old opponent, until they reached Beehive.
- Oh!
- That fall gave the win to Pereyra,
who gave a quick salute to her opponent.
- Emma Pereyra!
- The rookie got through Sideways...
[cheering]
And took a shot at Slingshot.
- She wants to make sure she finishes what she started.
Oh, and she's down!
- And now she's headed to Vegas.
- Guys, she's done just about everything in Ninja,
but Jessie Graff's never had to race side by side like this.
The Hollywood stunt woman is an icon in the sport,
and a hero to girls everywhere,
including her opponent tonight,
high schooler Jaleesa Himka.
- When I started doing appearances and meeting
the little Ninja kids,
I saw them on obstacles,
and was just like, oh, man.
[upbeat music]
* *
Good thing I'm not going to be competing
when they're old enough to be on the show.
- Jessie Graff is somebody that I looked up to
for my whole childhood.
She is a legend of the sport.
- Jessie Graff has done it!
- But now I want to be a legend too.
* *
- Yeah!
- It's wild that, like, I met these adorable little kids,
who were looking up to me, wanting to do what I'm doing...
- This woman redefining "strong!"
- And now they're competing on the show,
and I'm watching, like, oh, I need to take lessons from you.
[laughs]
* *
- Both these women have great role models, their moms.
Jessie's 71-year-old mother, Ginny,
competed earlier this season,
and Jaleesa's mom, Suzanne,
was an American Gladiator back in the day.
- Jessie's a number two seed,
while Jaleesa had to win a run-off race just to get here.
She's a seven seed.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Jessie was a mentor on "Ninja Junior,"
where Jaleesa was competing.
She's all grown up now!
- Yeah, she is. She's 5'6",
That's 2 inches shorter than Jessie.
- Big age difference between these two.
And Jaleesa first off the Flying Shelf Grab.
- Oh, a little stumble!
- Jaleesa Himka almost went over the trampoline,
into the water, but she recovers.
- Jessie Graff, the nine-time veteran, keeps swinging.
She was a pole vaulter at the University of Nebraska,
so good in the air.
She's first off Beehive.
That was a big move by Jessie,
and now Himka going right into Sideways.
- Jessie's taking a moment to rest those arms,
but the high schooler keeps attacking.
- Yeah, Jaleesa's starting to pull further and further away.
Jessie's gotta go!
- She's fallen on Sideways in the past,
so she's being extra cautious.
- And she's letting Himka run away!
- The high schooler is out ahead of her hero right now.
She's handling the pressure.
And Himka's through Sideways!
Jessie being very deliberate on Sideways.
- Oh!
Jessie Graff is down!
- What an upset!
The great Jessie Graff is out!
- Jaleesa Himka slays one of the greats!
- Wow! That's a big win for Jaleesa!
- Well, Jaleesa has punched her ticket to Vegas.
The 15-year-old will be going there.
- Now looking to be the fourth woman this season
to hit a buzzer in semifinals.
- She's about to do this!
Come on!
- Oh!
- Oh, so close!
- Comes up just short,
but not before defeating one of the all-time greats!
- Great job, Jaleesa!
- You did it!
Ah!
- Well, take a look at what happened to Jessie.
She was nearing the end of Sideways,
but just missed with her right hand,
and that guaranteed a win for Jaleesa Himka.
* *
- So good!
- And Jaleesa ends up atop our women's leaderboard.
We'll see all four women in Vegas starting next week.
We've got one more important piece of business
before we head to Vegas.
- It's our final Safety Pass race of the season,
rocker RJ Roman taking on The Boss, Elijah Browning.
These two put up unbelievably fast times
earlier tonight to earn their spot in this race.
- Yeah, RJ finished in 48 seconds,
Elijah in 53 seconds,
but different body types with these two.
RJ is 7 inches shorter
and 25 pounds lighter than The Boss.
- These two know each other well and have traded shirts.
RJ is wearing "The Boss,"
while Elijah wears the rock-and-roll double Rs
for RJ Roman.
And there's a huge group on the sideline.
No one wants to miss these Safety Pass races;
they've been electric.
- A Safety Pass in Vegas could be million dollar difference,
so they're going to go all out.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Two top ninjas with nothing to lose.
They are bounding into it!
- RJ Roman did it in 48 seconds earlier,
and he's going even faster this time!
But look at Browning!
- And RJ just a little ahead, and there it is!
That could be the separator!
- Whoa! - My goodness!
He's just floating across Sideways!
- That is as fast as we've ever seen anyone
go through Sideways!
- Matt, he looks like a human drone!
Oh, my goodness!
- And look at his time!
This is going to be one of the fastest runs all season!
RJ Roman's gonna do it!
He's going to Vegas with a Safety Pass!
And here comes The Boss.
A good run for him,
but no chance to beat RJ Roman tonight,
because RJ just shredded this course.
Put up one of the fastest times all season,
in our final race before we head to Vegas.
- Let's go!
- They both came out hot, but RJ was linking
almost every move on Sideways and Slingshot,
and he finishes in just over 38 seconds!
That's the fastest on planet Earth.
[cheering]
- So that wraps up the semifinals.
Now we're headed to the national finals,
which start next week.
Someone's taking home $1 million.
Who's it gonna be?
- Get ready, Las Vegas!
We coming, baby! - That's right.
For Akbar Gbajabiamila and Zuri Hall, I'm Matt Iseman.
We'll see you in Vegas next week
on "American Ninja Warrior."
[dramatic music]
* *