[dramatic music]
- Get ready for a big show
here at Universal Studios, Hollywood.
It's the final night of qualifying
on "American Ninja Warrior."
Hello, everyone, and thanks for joining us.
I'm Matt Iseman.
- And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.
Matt, next week, we start racing
head-to-head in the semifinals.
If these ninjas wanna be there,
they'll need to step it up tonight.
- Absolutely, big man.
They'll be facing a six-obstacle course
with only the top 12 men and top four women moving on.
For a look at the athletes we'll see,
let's go down to Zuri Hall.
- Yeah, guys, we will see some real talent tonight,
including one of the fastest ninjas out there.
That would be the speedster who always shreds the course.
- Fastest time of the night!
- R.J. Roman.
The Florida musician is coming off his second straight trip
to stage four in Vegas.
Plus, she's a trailblazer--
- The first woman ever to complete stage one.
- She's also one of the most popular ninjas of all time.
Stuntwoman Jessie Graff is back,
hoping to make herstory once again.
And they're social media superstars.
- Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson,
and her husband, former NFL player Andrew East are here.
He's gonna run the course.
- We're going to start things off tonight
a little differently.
This is Jay Flores, a science teacher
and social media star who's gonna make a little magic.
- Whoa.
- He did that by throwing a liquid called limonene,
which dissolves rubber, onto the balloons.
That's just one of the many experiments Jay does
to get kids interested in science.
[bright music]
- My name is Jay Flores, and this isn't magic.
all: It's science.
- Whoo hoo! [kids cheering]
[laughs] That was awesome.
I'm always looking for different examples
of how I can blow kids' minds with science.
Can you feel it now?
Whoo.
There's science behind sports,
behind movies.
Whatever your hobby is, we can find some science behind it.
Watch.
[kids shouting]
Whoo!
[applause]
Even Akbar got into the fun.
- It's not magic. It's science.
- It's science.
- Whoo!
* *
- There is tons of science behind Ninja,
from engineering obstacles to figuring out how to position
your body, distances.
[grunts] Nope.
A little far.
If you can find that science behind the things
that you love, you can do some really cool things.
My run on this course is not just a shot at the buzzer.
It is an opportunity to inspire the child
that is gonna do something that changes the world.
* *
- My kids think he is so cool,
and he does science shows all over the world.
- In fact, he's got some of the kids he works with
watching all the way from Australia.
[cheering]
- And his son, wife, and sister
are cheering for him down on the sideline.
- This is when you gotta take all that science knowledge
and apply it. [countdown clock beeping]
- Needs to figure out the angles on our first obstacle,
Pole Vault.
- A little trigonometry here, looking at that arc,
and he is through.
Moving up now to Double Twister,
and this is a difficult one to control your momentum.
- Yes, it is.
And he's got a big little shake, too, here,
but it twists and turns.
And that can get you all messed up.
- Well, Newton would be proud of Flores right there.
He remains an object in motion, but getting twisted.
And this is the challenge with that momentum.
- Oh, he's going to get dizzy, Matt.
- Yeah, you're getting some angular
vectors in here that are compromising
this obstacle form, but wow.
- [laughs]
- A good launch.
- Oh, boy.
all: Go, Jay, go! Go, Jay, go!
- His scientific method continues,
facing Dangerous Waters.
- All right, keep it running. Keep it running.
- Oh. - Oh.
- A little stumble but didn't have to check
the surface tension on the water.
- He has a mechanical engineering background,
but can Jay figure out our fourth obstacle
tonight, Duck Duck Goose?
- This is difficult. Magic, science--
none of that's going to help.
Its straight-up grip strength.
Nice.
- And you can see, he slid to the front of that second duck.
I like it.
Make the lache shorter.
- Nice.
- Now, look at this.
Jay Flores elevating,
got through it.
- Maintaining his momentum
and now into Ring the Bells.
Now, this is a great obstacle
because this is very similar to Newton's cradle.
You think of those chrome balls suspended
by the fishing line, how you see them bang into each other.
It's a similar premise here. [bells chiming]
These bells will knock into each other
and keep moving the handles.
- Yeah, and that clanging can really
throw you off your game.
Nice.
All four bells banging into each other,
that's an increased mass, but Flores moving ahead.
- Come on, Jay!
- Now, another lache here.
Some sonic properties at work, too.
- Come on.
All that back and forth
is really making it a little difficult.
Ooh, Matt, his hands are starting to slip.
He's starting to slip. He's gotta go now.
- Jay Flores needs a little magic,
but he's using science, trying to use
that other handle to build up momentum and make a big lache.
- Oh. [air horn blares]
[crowd awws]
- And Jay Flores learns about gravity on Ring the Bells.
Still, pretty magical run.
- Jay Flores had it popping from the start.
He may be a nerdy scientist, but he looked like an athlete.
He powered his way to the fifth obstacle
but just ran out of gas.
[chatter]
- But there's a good chance that'll get him
to the semifinals.
Up next is one of last year's most impressive teenagers.
Colorado's Jaleesa Himka made it to the national finals
as a rookie.
Now she's back for her sophomore season,
once again cheered on by her enthusiastic mom, Suzanne.
- Let's go!
[vibrant music]
- Jaleesa Himka just needs the dismount.
[buzzer blares]
* *
- My mom, she is crazy on the sideline.
- Yes!
Yeah!
Oh! Yeah!
- I'd say she's like that every day, all day.
- Yeah!
Yeah, even when I clean the toilet bowl, you know.
Kshhh! [laughs]
[upbeat music]
- My mom grew up doing basically every sport.
- Volleyball, basketball, track, tennis, bodybuilding,
Miss Fitness America,
ended up winning "American Gladiators."
Got my Black belt when I was 40.
- I've been training with my mom
ever since I was six years old.
- Yeah, that's it. Come on.
You've got this. You're almost there. Come on.
- We have an outdoor gym that is really close to my house.
It's like 25,000 square feet.
My mom describes it as like a Disney World of Ninja.
- Quick feet, quick feet, quick feet.
Yeah, let's go! Let's go! Yes!
- Even on the days that I don't feel like training,
my mom motivates me to keep going.
- Yeah, let's go. Let's go. Yes.
Yes, best time yet!
Good job!
I'm so excited.
This is her chance to shine,
and I just wanna be by her side.
* *
- Let's go! Whoo!
- Mom's already hyped up for this one.
[countdown clock beeping]
Last season, in her rookie debut,
made it all the way to Vegas.
- Beat Ninja legend Jessie Graff
in the semifinals to make it there.
- Whoo!
- Started training for Ninja when she was just six.
- Yeah, that's why these teenagers are so good.
They've been in ninja gym since they were kids.
And Jaleesa Himka is strong.
A lot of power here.
- Well, Matt, not only strong, too.
Just so fluid with it as well.
Just makes it look so easy.
- And it helps when your mom is manager of a ninja park.
That makes it a lot easier to train.
[cheers and applause]
- Yeah!
- 5'6", gonna take on Dangerous Waters.
- Fast feet! Come on!
- I love it-- shouting out advice.
Balance obstacles always nerve-wracking,
but she's got it.
- Nice.
- And mom is pumped.
- Mom is high energy.
- The top four women from tonight
move on to the semifinals, Jaleesa Himka will have
a good shot at being one of them
if she gets through this fourth obstacle,
Duck Duck Goose.
- And look at this!
Himka looks strong.
- This goose, though, you can see those wings.
A 90-degree drop.
And she made it.
No problem for Himka.
- Come on. Keep going.
- And she is through.
- Yeah!
Whoo!
- She wants that buzzer.
Matt, she's going for a buzzer.
She's going to get it.
- First, she'll have to get past Ring the Bells.
And this has been a brutal obstacle.
It's taken out even some of the most experienced ninjas
last year and this season.
- I was talking about the fluidity,
just the easy movement she has.
She has great command--
both: Oh.
- Yeah, that's OK.
- Jaleesa Himka just short on Ring the Bells,
but not before rigging up another great run.
I think that'll earn Jaleesa and her mom
a trip to the semifinals.
This night of qualifying is packed with Ninja favorites,
including the history-making Jesse Graff
who's ready to add another buzzer.
- We're going to have so much fun tonight.
- Plus Conor Galvin nursed his golden retriever back to life.
Now she's a Ninja hero, ready to cheer him on.
- I think it's gonna help me a lot this year.
- And later, his dying dad taught him about living wide,
and Christopher Harding Jones spread that message
to the world. [buzzer blares]
- 35 feet closer to my dad.
- Now this inspirational teen is back
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- We're off and running on our final night of qualifying.
And minutes ago, Ahmed Amin came out
flying the Egyptian flag
to honor the country where he was born.
He even had relatives watching all the way from Cairo.
Amin's a postal supervisor in Florida,
and he delivered on Pole Vault--
- OK, big dog.
- But got turned around on Double Twister.
- Oh, boy.
- And after 40 seconds of spinning,
it was returned to sender.
- Oh, my goodness!
all: Oh.
- Matt, he spun out of control.
- Florida teenager Emma Pereyra
made it to the national finals last year as a rookie.
- She's got this. She's got this, Matt.
- The high schooler started her sophomore season of Ninja
with confidence, flying past Double Twister.
- She is doing it big.
- But then came Dangerous Waters.
- Ooh.
- Now she is in danger of not moving on.
Missouri dairy farmer Caleb Dowden
fueled up for his run with a big gulp of milk.
- Drink up and get mooo-ving.
- The 33-year-old gets his workout
by milking cows and chopping wood,
and he was able to cut down the first--
- OK. - The second--
- Nice. - And the third obstacle.
- Excellent. I see you, big boy.
- But despite being country strong--
- Oh!
- He couldn't handle Duck Duck Goose.
[duck quacks]
And after that, he needed a drink.
- He's all better.
Whoo! - All better.
- Up next is physical therapist and former gymnast,
Conor Galvin.
- Ooh!
- And he's rolling over at the start line,
something he may have learned from his
golden retriever, Sadie.
[upbeat music]
- We're going to try to release the tightness
along the side of the leg here,
and it's going to help with your knee pain,
OK? - OK.
- It's super rewarding to be a physical therapist.
I treat people of all ages, shapes, and sizes.
I'll have them do an obstacle course
once they're getting towards the end of their treatment.
Hit that buzzer. Oh.
You know, when they hit the buzzer,
it's a big accomplishment for them.
All right, let's go!
But it's not just people that I help with physical therapy.
My golden retriever, Sadie,
she was hit by a car last year.
Right after this surgery, she could barely walk.
She was in a lot of pain.
Through a mix of strengthening exercises,
stretches, swimming with her,
and just getting her to walk farther and farther--
Good.
Just like all my other patients,
she was able to hit the buzzer of her own.
[button clacks]
Sadie's going to be on my sidelines this year.
She's been through so much.
I've seen the hard work she's put in.
Good girl.
And I think she's seen the hard work I've put in,
and seeing that smiling face is gonna help me
to take the whole thing this year.
[cheers and applause]
- And Sadie made the trip to California.
She's on the sideline with Conor's girlfriend
and family members.
You see the sign about Ducky.
That was Conor's beloved grandfather
who passed away two years ago--
Conor dedicating this run to him.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Ooh, big bounce off that trampoline.
- Well, he was a top gymnast at Springfield College
in Massachusetts, so he had no problem
flying through the air.
Had great success when he debuted five years ago.
Made it all the way to Vegas,
but hasn't gotten past qualifying since then.
- We know Conor Galvin is talented.
Just has to put it all together.
Look at that air time. Just like that.
- Sadie is happy,
and a lot of Conor's friends are chanting his name.
all: [chanting] Conor!
- Last time he competed, he fell on a balance obstacle,
so he's staring down Dangerous Waters.
- High knees.
Pick up your feet.
That's what I'm talking about.
- And he is pumped.
This fourth obstacle, Duck Duck Goose,
has gotta have special meaning to him
because of his late grandfather, Ducky,
a World War II vet who attended
all of Conor's sporting events including "Ninja Warrior."
He passed in 2022, but Conor always runs in his memory.
- The former Navy man's gotta be proud of his grandson
out here.
What a legacy they started.
I feel like the spirit of Ducky is helping him through.
- Nice.
all: [chanting] Conor!
- Now Ring the Bells.
- He only had one buzzer in his career.
That was his debut run on the qualifying course
in Baltimore with Grandpa Ducky on the sidelines.
That was five years ago.
- You hear those bells ringing.
You've gotta get your timing just right on this obstacle
'cause it will wear you out.
- Conor Galvin just fighting through it,
building up that momentum, going to throw--oh.
- Nice.
- He could be our first finisher tonight.
And Sadie's gonna have a front row seat
as Conor heads up the wall.
[buzzer blares]
He's our first finisher tonight.
[cheers and applause]
Sadie is celebrating,
and I'm sure somewhere, so is Ducky.
- Whoo!
Whoo.
- I love the primal scream, man.
You've been waiting for that one, haven't you?
- It's been five years since my last buzzer.
I think it was meant to be.
I felt Ducky the whole time I was going.
It feels amazing.
I literally feel him right now, and I have my family here.
It's amazing.
- Hit that buzzer one more time.
Go celebrate with the fam.
- Let's go!
- He brought Sadie as a good luck charm, and it worked.
He's heading to the semis.
- Aw, look at the dog, y'all. Look at it.
The dog wants to celebrate, too.
Oh, the dog say, I want to run up the Warped Wall.
Coming up, Shawn Johnson's an Olympic gold medalist.
Her husband, Andrew East, played in the NFL,
and has had success on the Ninja Course.
- Yeah! OK!
- Now he's aiming for his first buzzer,
and we'll see them next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Three more ninjas got their shot at the course
minutes ago.
Paula Mejias Rodriguez proudly waved the flag
of her native Puerto Rico.
The former Olympic-level gymnast
was barely able to stick the landing on Pole Vault--
- Just in time.
Wow.
- And then had unintentional flip on Double Twister.
- Whoa. [air horn blares]
Oh, my goodness.
- Whoo.
That was unexpected.
- Florida's Megan Budway
did have the moves for Double Twister.
- That's how you do it.
- The three-time veteran has fallen
on balance obstacles every year she's competed.
- Oh, no. [air horn blares]
- And she did it again tonight.
[vibrant music]
Florida's Vinnie Castranova is a plumber,
and his run gave us plenty to talk about.
- Well, one thing he knows as a plumber is
he's gotta let it flow.
- Like a Roto-Rooter, snaking through the course.
Castranova deals with dangerous waters all the time.
- Yes, he does.
Just don't get backed up.
Nice.
Oh!
[air horn blares]
- Well, clean-up on obstacle five.
Vinnie Castranova, the latest victim.
Ring the Bells. [toilet flushes]
[cheers and applause]
Our next athlete made a big impression
in his debut two years ago.
- This is so cool! Let's go!
- This is Georgia teenager Christopher Harding Jones,
who inspired so many with his message
of living wide, which was the motto of his dying father.
[dramatic music]
- Living wide is a phrase my dad coined
when he was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer.
It means living your life to the fullest
in every opportunity that you have,
because you can't control the length of your life,
but you can control the width.
* *
My first season of "American Ninja Warrior,"
I was really nervous, but I was the only rookie
to hit a qualifying and semifinals buzzer that season.
[cheers and applause] [buzzer blares]
For father!
But the best part about hitting buzzers
is being able to continue my dad's legacy
and share living wide with the world.
35 feet closer to my dad.
- Oh, wow. Oh. - Oh, man.
- Let's go!
- What do you think your dad would be thinking
right now seeing you living wide?
- I don't even know, bro. He'd be so proud.
I can't even, like, express in words.
After my story aired on TV, I got hundreds of emails
from people who had been inspired.
I'm hoping to continue to spread this message
as much as I can because I think it can change
a lot of people's lives.
- Yeah.
- Living wide, baby.
both: Living wide!
* *
- I think my dad is with me when I run the course,
and that makes me really happy.
[cheers and applause]
- Christopher's story has impacted so many.
- On the screens is a man, Karl,
who was in the hospital having surgery for the same cancer
Christopher's dad faced.
From the hospital TV, he watched Christopher's run
and has embraced the living wide message.
Christopher's got a big group here
including his mom and some of his training partners.
- Let's go, Christopher! - Christopher!
[countdown clock beeping]
- Well, got a buzzer in qualifying
and the semis his first season and just
timed out on stage one.
- Now looking to pick that magic back up.
- Many of the folks in the crowd tonight
wearing those living wide shirts.
Christopher is hoping to start a living wide foundation
to raise awareness about lung cancer.
- Oh, good throw. Good power.
He just threw himself at that second handle.
- You've got this.
- Now tap dancing over Dangerous Waters.
- Nice. Nice. Keep going. Keep going.
all: [chanting] Living wide!
- And you can hear the living wide chants
as he heads onto Duck Duck Goose.
- He's put on a little muscle since last time we saw him
but still only 153 pounds.
Oh, no! - No!
- What?
- Well, that is a surprise.
He hit a buzzer his last time in qualifying,
and now he's in jeopardy of not moving on.
- Wait, what happened? - This is shocking.
He looks smooth through the first three obstacles.
But on Duck Duck Goose, he took that extra swing.
And watch his hands.
They slid right off the handles
as he went for the second duck.
all: [chanting] Living wide!
- But most importantly, still got to spread
that message on living wide.
Up next, it's former NFL player, Andrew East.
He's impressed on our course before,
but he's only the second best athlete in his house.
And his wife's down with Zuri.
- I am here with one of the most famous
summer Olympians of all time,
gold medal-winning gymnast Shawn Johnson.
Shawn, how are you doing? - I'm doing great.
Excited to be back, watching my husband, and very nervous.
- Since I've got you here, stick the dismount.
Like, how do I do the thing?
I just wanna know how.
- The whole thing is just like, straight-up arms up,
and we always say like, pretty fingers.
- Oh, pretty fingers. Wait, is this--
is that pretty enough? Am I--
- No, that's good. - I'll stick to my day job.
All right, Andrew, let's see what you've got.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Well, Andrew played football at Vanderbilt
and was a long snapper in the NFL.
On our course, made it to the third obstacle
the two previous times he's competed.
- Better go for a ride on Double Twister.
- Oh. - Oh, he does the dismount!
[laughter]
- I love it. I love it.
- Well, he's gotta do that at the end of the Double Twister,
not at the beginning of the Double Twister.
You can't celebrate before you make the touchdown, baby.
- Get that big body out there.
225 pounds, heaviest athlete we'll see out here tonight.
- Oh, and he's got the power, man.
He's a former football player. He knows.
It's like the power crane. Come on. Andrew, come on.
You know how to power crane. Use your hips.
- Well, you can see, he's struggling with the timing.
Oh. - Oh.
[air horn blares] - No.
- Oh.
- And Andrew East sacked on Double Twister.
- OK, well, that is not the ending we were hoping for,
but we can still stick the dismount.
OK? Pretty fingers.
Here we go. Boom, baby.
- That's the touchdown, Matt.
- I stuck the dismount. - [laughs]
- I'm so proud of you.
- Ah.
- And remember,
the Paris Olympics are coming to NBC and Peacock
this summer, starting July 26th.
Up next, the last time we saw R.J. Roman,
he was climbing for a million dollars.
- He's gotta keep going.
- Tonight, he'll be trying to break a speed record,
and we'll see it next
on "American Ninja Warrior."
- That's how we do it!
- New York Street got a little loony
minutes ago when engineer Jeff Loftus hit the course.
- Let's go!
- Loftus is part of the Lynchburg Loonies,
Virginia ninjas who enthusiastically
support each other.
- Come on!
- He gave them plenty to get excited about.
- Wow. And his glasses stayed on.
- The 26 year old put together a strong line.
- Jeff Loftus doing his thing.
- And looked like he might get his first ever buzzer.
- Oh. [crowd awws]
- Despite the fall, he's assured a spot
in the semifinals.
Few ninjas are as loony as South Carolina's Bob Reese.
Last year in Vegas, the social media star
pulled off a flip into the Jumping Spider,
a move that went viral.
- What? Oh, my goodness!
What?
- Tonight, the four-time Ninja veteran
was flying high once again.
He was closing in on a buzzer,
but became the latest victim of Ring the Bells.
- Oh, no!
- But it wasn't all bad news.
- You're headed to semifinals.
- Thank you so much.
- Florida's Caitlyn Bergstrom-Wright
was trying to earn her second straight trip
to the semifinals.
- She looks like she's got this.
- She's a member of the big Bergstrom family of ninjas,
which includes her husband, David,
her brother, Caleb, and his wife, Ashley.
- I can't wait for their babies to start doing Ninja.
- The 26-year-old had no trouble
getting through the first two obstacles,
but then faced Dangerous Waters.
- Oh. [air horn blares]
Oh, my goodness.
- Oh!
- That left her in fourth place
with one woman still to run,
So Caitlin will be in our Runoff in just a few minutes.
Then it was her husband's turn,
the Cake Ninja David Bergstrom-Wright
who lived up to his nickname.
- [laughs] Look at that.
- The five-time veteran kept the frosting
on his face as he went flying through the course.
- He's on a sugar high, Matt.
- Getting to the buzzer was a piece of cake.
He became the night's second finisher,
and fitted in under a minute, 20.
[buzzer blares]
That earned him a shot at the Mega Wall.
all: [chanting] Mega Wall!
- You've gotta stick on this Mega Wall like fondant.
Here we go.
[all ohh-ing]
- Though he came up short, he's going to the semifinals.
- He is, hands down, one of the fastest ninjas on the planet.
Don't blink, or you might miss
the rock 'n roller from Florida, R.J. Roman.
He's climbed stage four for a million dollars
the last two seasons, and he's at his best
when he's speeding through a course.
- Fastest time of the night!
- Yeah!
- R.J. has had the fastest time in his qualifying round
each of the past four seasons,
tying Lorin Ball, the Colorado speedster,
who did it seasons six through nine
for the most consecutive first-place finishes.
[vibrant music]
- Tonight R.J. has a chance to break the record.
- Speed has always been my forte.
3, 2, 1, go.
Interestingly enough, I never really trained speed.
It's always been something that's just happened.
But this year, I actually did focus on trying to get faster.
Boom. - Nice.
- And we'll see how that works out.
[cheers and applause]
- R.J. will have his parents and niece
watching back in Florida--
- You've got this. Come on, R.J..
- And on the sidelines, a big group of Florida ninjas
including his good friend, Flip Rodriguez.
- He's gonna run this course
with no regard for personal safety
to get that fifth straight fastest time.
- Well, every time R.J. is on the course,
it's like the Roman Empire-- - [laughs]
- Rolling through it, collecting buzzers.
- Well, we just hope the Roman Empire
doesn't end tonight.
- He just goes flying on the Double Twister.
This guy is so good and just
an effortless speed to it.
Always seems to find the rhythm on the course.
- You know, he and Kaden Lebsack are only ninjas
in history to climb stage four in back-to-back seasons.
- Oh, my goodness.
Now he's hitting the afterburners.
- Oh, did he just hit his head?
- I think he did. He is really moving out there.
- Oh, my goodness.
Ooh.
- R.J. Roman not afraid to shred.
This kid is allergic to average.
Taking an extra swing there.
- Nice.
- Pays off.
Gets that black goose.
Still on track for that fastest time,
but Ring the Bells has been trouble tonight.
- Nice, right into it. That's exactly how
you're supposed to link it right there.
He is putting on a clinic, taking us to school.
- Oh! - Oh, no!
No, not R.J. Roman!
- No.
- R.J. Roman cut down on Ring the Bells.
- That is a shocker.
- Oh, my God.
both: No!
- He was going so fast,
he nearly slammed his face into the first duck,
but that didn't slow him down.
He was flying across Ring the Bells
and just missed the grab on that final handle.
- Well, sometimes speed kills.
- Doesn't get that fifth straight fastest time,
but R.J. Roman still moving on.
- Good wake-up call.
- Coming up...
She's one of the most popular ninjas of all time.
- Herstory!
The first woman ever!
- The trailblazing Jessie Graff
goes for glory once again
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- Welcome back to LA,
where three Ninja veterans hit the course minutes ago.
Illinois firefighter Dan Polizzi came to the start line
for what he says will be his final season.
- Well, Matt, he's been doing this for a minute.
- The 42-year-old has competed 11 years.
His towers of power training partner Brandon Mears
retired last year after a shocking early fall,
and Polizzi suffered the same fate tonight.
Oh.
- Ahh.
- A tough way to go out
after a very successful Ninja career.
- Real talk, we're gonna to miss him.
- Fan favorite Bootie Cothran was back for his ninth season
and still flying high at 54 years old.
- Bootie looks jacked.
- Bootie stands 5'6" and weighs just 108 pounds,
and he was light on his feet across Dangerous Water.
- Oh.
OK, he's safe.
- But the pine tree farmer
from Possum Kingdom, South Carolina
went timber one obstacle later.
- Oh. [air horn blares]
- Man, I want the rest of that course so bad.
- Then it was one of the all-time greats,
Ryan Stratis. - Let's go!
- Who competed on the very first season
of "Ninja Warrior."
- Yeah, man, he's gotta pump himself up, man.
The fan favorite had a comeback last season
after shoulder injuries kept him sideline for years.
- Come on!
[vibrant music]
- Tonight, the 40-year-old put those shoulders to the test
on Duck Duck Goose.
- And at 40 years old, it's a little
more challenging to recover.
And he survives.
- Yeah, let's go!
[shouting] Let's go!
- But on Ring the Bells,
this 13-time veteran made a rookie mistake.
- Oh. He thought about it.
He should have just did it.
- He kept fighting until his arms finally gave out.
- No.
- He's the seventh victim of Ring the Bells tonight,
but he's still guaranteed to move on.
[cheers and applause]
Well, this crowd has been waiting patiently
for our next competitor,
who's perhaps the most popular ninja of all time,
and Zuri's gonna get her started.
- Guys, ask any little girl who their favorite ninja is,
and they're likely to say Jessie Graff,
who is back for her 10th season.
She's an inspiration for women athletes
and a true trailblazer in this sport.
Jessie was famously the first woman
to finish stage one in Vegas,
and is still out here running with the teens
at 40 years old.
- Her mom, Ginny, made history last year as the oldest person
to get through an obstacle at 71.
[countdown clock beeping]
Near Olympic-caliber pole vaulter
at the University of Nebraska.
Held the school record at one point.
- Still busy as a stuntwoman,
so she's right at home at Universal Studios.
- Come on, Jesse.
- Has a lot of trapeze work in her background.
I mean, she performed with the circus a few years ago.
And use those skills here on Double Twister.
[cheering]
Look at the lines, look at the symmetry
when she's on this obstacle.
She's so fluid.
- And just soars to the landing pad.
- Go, go, Jessie!
- A balance obstacle shockingly ended her season
early two years ago.
- All right, here we go. It won't be easy--move.
both: Ooh. - Survives.
- Oh, my goodness. Wow.
- Whoo!
- [laughs] Wow.
Can we look at this again?
Her left foot just slipped right off that third tank,
but she somehow flew far enough to stay alive.
Lucky her.
- Even a superhero needs a break.
- But she's good. She's good.
- On now to Duck Duck Goose.
- And, remember, she's had shoulder surgery,
so this will be a test for her.
- She's a student of Ninja, Matt.
She can adapt with the best of them--nice.
- And that's a pole vaulting skill,
that ability to drive the body down low.
- She does a pretty good job of taking care of her body.
Now she's gotta to take a shot at black goose.
Nice.
- Jessie Graff.
- Nice.
- Hasn't hit a buzzer in four years,
but she's getting close.
- Hey, Jessie. I see you.
- Ring the Bell's between her and the Warped Wall.
- Jessie plots out every move she makes on the course.
Putting a lot of thought into this one.
- Ring the Bell's just so tough.
- You gotta just fly right into it.
Ah, nah. Oh.
- Well, she wanted to make that move and just didn't trust it.
- Ooh. - You can just see that.
It just disrupts your timing here.
All right, here we go.
- I say you generate enough power
and give hope that can make that transition.
Nice.
- Hasn't hit a buzzer since season 12.
And using that second bell to build up momentum,
and then throwing into it. - Nice!
- Jessie Graff-- - Oh.
- Does it again!
Adding to her remarkable career.
Just needs the dismount.
There it is. [cheers and applause]
- Wow.
- Well, how nice.
At Universal Studios,
a star rises once again.
We've only had two finishers tonight.
Jessie trying to become just the second woman over 40
to hit a buzzer, Sandy Zimmerman the first.
[cheers and applause] - And she's done it!
[buzzer blares]
[upbeat music]
- The fourth woman to hit a buzzer and qualify this year.
Jessie, I know you feel at home at Universal Studios,
but it seems some of your best performances in your career
have happened right here on New York Street.
- You're right!
- What is it about this spot and you?
- Well, it's like all of my homes.
- Yeah.
- I'm from New York, but I live in LA.
And movie sets, and Ninja.
- Yes. [laughter]
Hey, Jessie, go celebrate with your mom.
I know she wants to give you a hug.
We're gonna see her racing in the semifinals
which gets started next week.
So Jessie leads the way for our women moving on.
She's joined by the teenager who knocked her out
last year, Jaleesa Himka,
along with Florida's Megan Budway.
The final spot's gonna be determined in our Runoff,
and it'll be Florida friends, Caitlyn Bergstrom-Wright
racing against her student, Emma Pereyra.
Only one will move on.
And we're going racing next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Chris Staples thrills crowds around the world
as a professional dunker.
- Oh!
- Minutes ago, he hit our course
and got a shout-out from another dunker,
NBA legend Dominique Wilkins,
- So, man, let's go out here and slam dunk this course.
- OK, big dog.
- Staples had plenty of hang time
to get passed Pole Vault and Double Twister.
- I see you flying through the air.
You're more than just a dunker.
You a ninja.
- Then the 6'2" baller faced the balance obstacle,
Dangerous Waters.
- He got dunked!
I gotta give him like a five for that one.
- Argh!
- High-powered Florida teenager
Enzo DeFerrari Wilson electrified the crowd.
- He's got a full charge for tonight's run, Matt.
- Electric Enzo's made it to Vegas
every season he's competed,
and he had one of his best runs ever tonight.
- Let's go. Big one.
Nice.
- He flew through the course,
and became the night's fastest finisher.
[buzzer blares]
- Let's go! Let's go!
- Yeah!
- That earned him his first ever shot
at the Mega Wall and $20,000.
all: [chanting] Mega Wall!
- Electric Enzo! [crowd awws]
- But he'll still be racing in the semis
which start next week.
So Enzo sits atop our leaderboard,
one of only three men to hit a buzzer tonight.
Among the non-finishers moving on
are the speedster, R.J. Roman,
and our science expert, Jay Flores.
The top 11 are guaranteed a spot in the semis,
but the 12th and 13th place competitors
now go to the Runoffs
where they'll race for the final spot.
So we'll see the makeup-wearing,
heavy metal musician from Florida, Josh Wagg.
He'll be trying to outrun
Pennsylvania teenager Cal Plohoros.
Earlier, Cal was flying through the course--
- There he goes.
- Until he reached the second duck on Duck, Duck, Goose.
- Ooh.
- Josh Wagg also made it to the fourth obstacle,
then his goose got cooked and his mascara ran.
[high-pitched scream]
- How are you able to do that?
- I rock.
Now they'll both get a second chance
to keep their season alive.
- Be afraid, Cal.
Be very afraid.
- Josh, I hope your makeup is waterproof.
[dramatic music]
- Both these guys like to have fun,
but there are some big differences between them.
Josh is 10 years older
than ninja Cal,
but at six feet,
he has a six-inch height
advantage over the teenager.
- A spot in the semis on the line.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Here we go. - Both of them moving fast.
- Ooh. Oh, my.
- Wagg down, but stays alive. - Uh-oh.
- Plohoros trying to link it.
Good move. - Wow.
He's trying to pick up the momentum,
feeling real comfortable.
And the further he separates from Wagg,
now that's going to create all the pressure on him.
- Ninja Cal now, but Hopscotch's
such a challenging obstacle to speed through.
And here comes Wagg on third.
- Come on, Cal Plohoros, I'm hopping on Hopscotch now.
- And leapt to the second handles.
- Nice.
And you don't have to rush here because
you got a nice, little lead.
- Well, what I like is Cal's being efficient--
- Yes.
- That waving stuff paying off.
But, oh, my. Josh Wagg moving in.
- I see you. Don't look back, Cal.
Keep going. Don't look back.
Nice! - And he's gonna do it.
Cal Plohoros-- - Let's go! Let's go.
- Is moving on.
- Yeah, Cal!
- But Josh Wagg was screaming down his neck.
[buzzer blares]
- And he's able to finish as well.
- Now it's time for our women's Runoff,
and this is a Florida showdown.
Caitlyn Bergstrom-Wright against teenager Emma Pereyra.
And these two are good friends.
Emma trains at the ninja gym run by Caitlyn's family.
- And Caitlyn's her coach.
- Caitlyn wants to join her husband, David, in the semis.
He's cheering her on
along with the rest of the Bergstrom bunch.
And leading the cheers for Emma are her parents.
Both these women are 5'3".
But Caitlyn's 10 years older
and has been ninja training a lot longer.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Only one of them can move on.
- Caitlyn with a slight edge through Home Run.
Emma made it to Vegas last year, but Caitlyn didn't.
She was eliminated by her sister-in-law, Ashley.
- Now, remember, Caitlyn's got the experience.
- She first competed five years ago.
- Real close.
- Emma Pereyra was the first one off.
- Uh-oh, the student coming out, showing,
I'm a student, but I've been learning.
Here we go.
Wow.
- Back and forth.
Oh, my.
- And now Caitlyn pulls ahead.
But Emma's not giving up. Emma's right there.
- And an extra swing for Emma.
Caitlyn, a big advantage there, heading into Hopscotch.
This is a brutal obstacle for grip.
- If I'm Emma, I'm gonna continue to push it.
- These ninjas are fighting for
their hot dang life out here.
- [laughs] It's like they have
a rubber band attached between them.
They just stay in sync.
Who can get that dismount?
- Oh, and you see, Caitlyn's turned around now.
Uh-oh. - Got it.
- Oh, and Caitlyn-- - Well, a spectacular race,
but it's Caitlyn who gets the win.
She's moving on. [buzzer blares]
Emma gets to the end, but it's just not enough.
- Whoo!
- Well, that's it for tonight.
Next week, we start the semifinals.
- And we're going to be racing all night long.
- For Akbar Gbajabiamila and Zuri Hall, I'm Matt Iseman.
We'll see you next time on "American Ninja Warrior."