- Last week on "American Ninja Warrior"...
- Oh, doing the Gritty!
- We had a party for the ages.
- * It's on *
- We had 70 birthday candles...
And he did it!
Good lung power!
Four Mega Walls...
Oh! Whoa! - Oh! Yes!
- Will you marry me?
- Two marriage proposals...
- You said yes?
Oh, she said yes!
- And the first teen girl to ever hit a buzzer.
[buzzer blares]
- Let's go!
- And tonight, we're gonna run it back.
We've got Olympians.
- Whoo-hoo! - Hey!
Beauty queens,
world record holders...
- Look at that!
That's me!
- And superheroes.
- * Oh *
- Buckle up...
- * Oh *
- And get your dancing shoes on
'cause it's gonna be fire.
We're back inside the massive Alamodome
in San Antonio,
where it's night two of qualifying
on "American Ninja Warrior."
Hello, everyone. I'm Matt Iseman.
- And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.
Matt, I've got a feeling
it's gonna be another hot night in Texas.
- We got some of our biggest stars,
including stuntwoman Jessie Graff...
Her fifth buzzer!
Connecticut's lightning-fast weatherman, Joe Moravsky.
What a run!
Plus, the return
of the Phoenix... - Aah!
- Philadelphia's Najee Richardson...
He's done it!
And Super Mom Sandy Zimmerman.
- Yes!
- Soccer Mom!
- Last week we had 12 finishers,
including four who made it up the Mega Wall,
but the ninjas tonight face new challenges.
For more on that, let's go down to Zuri Hall.
- Thanks, guys.
Some of those crazy obstacles from last week are back,
and we've even added another new one tonight.
It's called Piston Plunge.
Ninjas will have to jump from piston to piston
and then grab the steering wheel at the end.
- It drops! - Oh!
- Then, it's the 14 1/2 foot Warped Wall
to reach the buzzer,
or they can try for the 18-foot Mega Wall
for a chance at a cool 10 grand.
Guys.
- Well, we're gonna start things out strong,
really strong.
This is 38-year-old Ace Goodson.
He works for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,
but don't let the smile fool you.
He is a beast.
- Aah!
- Oh, look! Okay!
- Dude is shredded.
- I hope he doesn't tear a muscle out here.
- I like that half red hair, too, Akbar.
- His hair, his abs, and his chest...
and his back and his triceps.
Dang!
- Aah!
- Well, there are his wife and two kids
watching back in Maryland.
- Okay! And the pick in the hair.
He's doing that one for the culture, man.
I gotta give him props!
- And this crowd is ready to get tonight going.
[countdown clock beeping]
Well, he is obviously fit
but has not had a lot of Ninja training.
- Uh-oh, uh-oh--okay. - Ace does it!
Makes it through the Shrinking Steps.
And the pick stays in.
[cheers and applause]
Now it's the second obstacle, Overpass.
That bar above him will start to roll.
He has to grab it as it slides by.
And he's got plenty of time.
Will he make it on the Overpass?
No. - Oh, boy.
That's a 9-foot lache now, Matt.
- Didn't even attempt it.
Now he's got to fly.
- Come on. You got the muscles.
- Gotta go big!
Ooh! Had to reach for that one!
Well, this guy is a Renaissance man.
A dancer, a poet.
Runs a non-profit called M.A.N.U.P.
that helps kids in the D.C. area,
and he looks good doing all of it.
- He's trying to muscle his way through the Overpass.
- And he's through the first two obstacles.
Now facing Split Decision,
the choice between balance obstacles:
the new one, Serpent, on the right,
or Domino Effect on the left.
- Oh, he's dancing through.
He's got the little flavor going on.
- Where's he going? He's going with the dominoes?
No, he's going with the Serpent.
- Oh, he's playing with us now.
- No, he's going with the dominoes,
What's he doing? Let's see.
Can he dance his way through the Domino Effect?
- All I got to say is, keep that pick in the hair.
- See if those dancing skills keep him balanced.
- Nice, nice. Stay on top! Stay on top!
- Oh! - Oh, my goodness!
He got body-slammed! all: No!
- Flipped out on Domino Effect.
- Oh, where's the pick? Where's the pick?
He better find that pick!
- That was my favorite part of his run.
The pick stayed in his hair.
It survived that 9-foot leap on Overpass
and was there until the end
when he tripped on that last domino.
- Uh-oh, and there's the pick.
Hey, Matt, get that pick. I need that pick.
- Fortunately, that pick floats, Akbar.
- Yes, it does. - And I think
it would work great for you, maybe for your goatee.
- [laughs]
- Well, up next is another competitor from Maryland
who's also a rookie.
This is Ryan Hermstein.
He's a software engineer
with two degrees from Stanford.
And, yes, he's a nerd.
- Ah, look at that. The shirt's coming off!
What is it with these Maryland guys?
- Well, he may be a nerd, but he is ripped.
This is definitely not your typical techie.
- Hi. I'm a software engineer.
I write code all day.
Coding comes very naturally to me.
I can just see it all in my head.
I know what I want to accomplish,
and it just--it's almost like writing a book.
I would identify myself as a nerd.
I'm really into video games, math, engineering.
When I started high school, I was such a scrawny kid.
I was under 5 feet, maybe around 100 pounds, but...
[quirky music]
I put on some muscle,
and I'm ready for "American Ninja Warrior."
* *
I'm here to break stereotypes.
Nerds can be cool, nerds can be athletic,
and I'm aiming for that buzzer.
It's revenge of the nerds tonight.
So happy to be here! Ay!
- Ryan's got friends, including his girlfriend,
watching from D.C.
Some of them are also self-proclaimed nerds.
- Let's go!
[countdown clock beeping]
- This guy has endurance.
He's completed two marathons
and has been rocking climbing for a couple years.
[cheers and applause] - Let's go, Ryan!
- There are his parents down on the sideline.
Now the software engineer has to try
to calculate the trajectory of the bar on Overpass.
- That's a lot of scientific talk.
You just got to have the mu--
oh, he's going backwards to get it.
Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa! Extra movement.
- But the timing was off.
He let the bar go
and now has to make this big 9-foot swing.
- According to his calculation,
he couldn't make it, but he got it.
- And he is pumped!
- Okay, save your energy.
I know you got a lot of stamina
from running all them marathons...
Matt, he's doing a lot of swinging right now.
- He is, and you can see that handle does have
some play in it that steals momentum,
but Hermstein's got it.
You can see that 2-inch ledge.
Gotta kip it up and over and then roll it down.
- Oh!
Oh, bro almost fell backwards.
- And there it is. His folks are going nuts.
They're so proud of him, and why wouldn't they be?
Now facing Split Decision,
and he's gonna go over and ask his mom for advice.
- Which one, Mom?
- Serpent! Serpent!
- Mom knows best. I'll go with Serpent.
- Well, sometimes, the son has to make his own choices,
and he's going with Serpent.
Last week, four of the six ninjas who tried it fell.
- Uh-oh, Matt. He's already tripping up.
Go. Stay on top.
- No! Oh, what a save! - Oh! Oh, my goodness!
Now, that's the advantage of being 135!
He pulled himself up easily.
[cheers and applause]
- Now he'll give us
our first look tonight at Carnival.
Has to use those rings to control that ball
and roll into one of the three chutes.
Ball placement determines what handle you will be grabbing.
Let's see the approach here on the tilting tube.
It looks like he's going for slot one
to get the easiest handle.
Burning up some of his strength hanging up there.
- But he got it! - And look at his excitement.
- He on the rings turning up. He's not done yet.
- Oh, still has to swing over to the T-bar.
- All right, here we go. Get that T-bar. Nice!
- Now just needs to dismount,
but those arms have to be tired.
- Oh! Wow! - Oh, no!
He got thrown! - He went a little too high!
- Hit his hand on the dismount.
That was a high wire act there.
The big top not big enough to contain Ryan Hermstein.
- Take a look at this, Matt.
He threw his body all the way up.
And look at that arm! Boom!
Just hit it. It almost threw him off!
- Incredible save there, Akbar!
Overpass and Carnival ate up a lot of grip strength.
Will he have anything for this new obstacle,
the Piston Plunge?
He has to fling himself from piston to piston,
hanging by his fingertips.
It's like the pistons in an engine,
and he'll have a drop here, almost a foot,
when he catches that.
- Nice! Matt, I can't believe
this skinny nerd is tearing up this course.
- But this obstacle is tough, and he is struggling.
- Uh-oh, uh-oh. Come on.
Fight through it now. Fight through it.
This is when it counts, right here,
when you're tired, when you're fatigued.
- Oh! - Oh, he had nothing left.
- Well, you always say it. It catches up to you.
- Yep, when it catches up to you...
- And it just caught up with Ryan Hermstein.
- This nerd was not about to get bullied
by this course.
Ryan had some close calls, but looked like
he was having the time of his life out there
until he ran out of gas on Piston Plunge.
- Ryan, that was quite the rookie run, man.
I got to know, what message do you have
for the nerds out there, because you rep it proud?
You want to know that athleticism
and nerds can coexist.
I'm all about it. I love a nerd.
I was one growing up.
Talk to us. - Yeah, me too.
Honestly, I think nowadays, nerds are cool.
Not gonna lie. - I love it. I love it.
Well, your peers have been here cheering you on the entire way.
Mom, Dad, get in here.
Let's hug Ryan, show him some love.
Congratulations. That was quite a run, Ryan.
- We're off to a flying start.
- Whoa! - Hey, Quinn!
And tonight, we'll see some of our best young stars
and a few of our old friends.
- Mom!
Soccer Mom!
- Plus, a world champion boxer
ready to go the distance,
and a pageant queen looking for a new crown.
- Trying to be Miss Ninja tonight.
- You never know what might happen...
- Cannonball! Boom!
- Oh! - Ooh!
- Clean up on aisle one.
On "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to the Alamodome.
While we were away...
- What's up, ladies and gentlemen?
Are you ready for some Ninja?
[cheers and applause]
- Mary Leighton's a budding broadcaster,
and she calls the action at local Ninja competitions.
- What an exciting run!
- And this is how she'd call her run tonight.
- All right, looking pretty confident
through the Shrinking Steps, grabbing onto that rope.
Now this next obstacle, is gonna be some big laches.
[air horn blares] Ooh!
Ow, and that was definitely
not the end to the run that Mary Leighton wanted.
Matt and Akbar, back to you.
- Thanks, Mary. I'll take it from here.
Up next, it was Bryan "Muscle" Mendez,
celebrating his college graduation
and his Salvadoran heritage.
- Let's get it! - Let's go!
- At Split Decision, the future accountant
weighed the odds and went with the Serpent...
- Ooh!
- But it didn't go as planned.
- Wow, knocked his glasses right off his nose!
- Well, our next athlete will get this crowd jumping.
This is Robert Moffitt. - Oh, look at that.
He's got them MC Hammer pants on.
He about to put on a show.
- He and his wife run an Italian restaurant
in Vermont, and he brought us some of his best.
- Yeah, I got a-- - That's a cheesesteak.
Cheesesteak. What you got? You got an eggplant parm?
- I've got the eggplant parmesan
with some-- with some pasta here.
- Oh.
Well, this is delicious,
and Moffit takes great pride in his food.
- What's up, hungry people?
it's the lovely, wonderful, beautiful Mama Tamara.
My wife, Tamara, is from Italy.
I'm originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
and we make the best food anywhere in America.
If you want authentic Italian food
or if you want that taste of Philadelphia,
you can come and see us.
We do have the cheesesteaks today.
We should have that going forward.
The secret to my cheesesteaks:
black pepper, fried onions, and Amoroso rolls.
That's one of my workouts to get my forearms strong,
just chopping up those cheesesteaks.
[meat sizzling]
Bring your appetite, and we'll see you soon.
I like to give people quality food.
It gives me satisfaction similar to being on "Ninja."
[upbeat music]
Ninja saved my life.
I've lost 70 pounds since doing Ninja.
When I hit that buzzer, it's gonna be very meaningful
for my family, for myself.
I know it is.
- And there are the family and coworkers
watching from the restaurant.
And he's getting emotional just seeing them.
You can tell how much family means a lot to him.
[cheers and applause]
- Time to wipe away the tears and get ready for this run.
[countdown clock beeping]
- His family's tight.
He and his wife have three kids
and live in a cabin in the Vermont woods,
and he's got a big bunch of Northeast ninjas
showing him love down on the sideline.
- Yeah, he says he gets a lot of his workouts
by chopping wood for the cabin.
- And again, ninjas continue to pass
on that quick transition on Overpass.
9-foot lache. - Oh, Matt.
You see an early grimace right there
in them MC Hammer pants.
- The parachute pants,
he doesn't want to have to use them, Akbar.
- No, he doesn't, man.
Nice. Nice control.
- Gets through it.
- Let's go! - Yes!
- And again, showing love to the family
back at the restaurant.
- But he's got no love for the Serpent.
He says, "I don't want none of that."
He's taking dominoes.
Look at that. - Oh, right there.
- There we go! - There you go.
- Oh, boy, Matt, I'ma tell you this right now.
With them Hammer pants, he is too legit to quit!
- And he's stopping to catch his breath
before Carnival.
Went out on the fourth obstacle two years ago.
Just wants to make sure he's ready for this.
5'10", 165.
Hoping he doesn't have a cheesesteak
in his belly on this one. - I'm not gonna lie,
Moffit looks like he belongs at a carnival.
Let's see if he can play like he's at the carnival.
All right. Gotta control this tube, the tilting tube.
Matt, he's tilting back and forth.
- Well, I think it's because they were too wide.
Couldn't control it. Can he flip it up?
- Uh-uh. Oh! Aah! - Well, Akbar--
- He's trying to squeeze it in, and it falls on three!
- And even worse, he hung there for a long time.
Those forearms are gonna be gassed
as he goes for that spike.
- Oh, boy. He's gotta go for it.
Can he touch it?
Oh, he can't touch it. - Oh.
- He can't touch it.
- Definitely entertaining,
but Robert Moffit, our first casualty tonight
on Carnival.
On Carnival, he actually got both hands on the spike,
but his left hand just slides off,
and Hammer Pants ends up wet.
Well, our next competitor
is the only one wearing a crown tonight.
In her sash and tiara,
this is the former Miss Massachusetts,
Lyndsey Littlefield.
The pageant queen is now a science teacher,
and her Ninja skills help her in both.
- When I first began competing
in the Miss America organization,
I truly did not know
that I would become Miss Massachusetts.
- Miss Massachusetts!
[cheers and applause]
- The Miss America competition was a experience.
You're waking up at 4:00 a.m. You have fake eyelashes on.
I'm running on zero sleep. There is glitter everywhere.
It's exciting, it's fun,
but it's also extremely chaotic.
There was a swimsuit portion of the competition,
and I was so uncomfortable being in a swimsuit on stage.
So while I was looking to get physically fit
and gain that confidence, I stumbled upon a Ninja gym,
and my Ninja skills are what helped me
win the Miss Massachusetts title.
From here, you can actually see your small intestine
and your large intestine.
Now I'm a high school teacher,
and I teach biology and zoology.
So right now, we're at Warped Wall.
Pick an animal and tell me why
that would be a good animal for this obstacle.
- A tree frog because they can stick to it.
- Right, it has those nice, sticky pads on their fingers.
The kids at my school are amazing.
I don't know how sturdy that Warped Wall would be
with a rhino.
And I'm so excited they get to witness this
because I think it just shows that you don't need
to be defined by just one career.
You can do it all.
- And there are her students watching
from back in Massachusetts,
plus some very special guests--
three former Miss America contestants
who competed with Lyndsey:
Miss Maine, Miss New Jersey, and Miss Rhode Island.
- Aw, she out there flexing for 'em.
[countdown clock beeping]
- She held the Miss Massachusetts title
from 2019 to 2021.
And she's through the first obstacle.
The scholarship money she won paid for her college tuition.
- She's still got that pageant wave.
I love Lyndsey Littlefield.
- Those students have to think
they've got the coolest teacher.
Her talent in the Miss America contest was dance,
and she's gonna need some moves to get across Overpass.
- Aah! - Lets the bar go by.
Not a ton of Ninja training.
She's leaving herself a very long lache, Akbar.
9 feet.
- She's 5'5"!
She's gonna have to generate enough power!
- Oh!
Well, she was a ton of fun.
You gotta love her energy, but we're unfortunately
gonna have to wave goodbye to Lyndsey Littlefield.
- Let me see your pageant wave.
You're a little--you're a little stiff in the wrist.
A little stiff in the wrist. Just...
- Coming up, gymnast MyKayla Skinner's
got an Olympic medal.
Now her husband gets his chance for glory
on our course.
Plus, she's one of the greatest ninjas of all time.
- She's done it!
- After some devastating injuries,
tonight, Jessie Graff makes her return.
Coming up on "American Ninja Warrior."
- The party's just getting started here in San Antonio.
Local bartender Josh Giles
served up the drinks before his run.
- Got the margarita machine out, Matt!
- The 33-year-old rookie works right up the street
from the Alamodome.
- Turn up on the turnup with these.
- And while his margaritas were strong,
his moves on Overpass were not.
Ooh, last call came early.
Fire-twirling carpenter Zac Palazzo
really got the crowd lit up.
- Look at that grand entrance.
- The two-time "Ninja" veteran from Connecticut
was especially impressive
to his seven-year-old daughter, Skylyn.
And though he took a disappointing fall
on Domino Effect...
- No!
- His daughter was there to comfort him.
- Aw, don't get your little girl wet.
- Massachusetts teenager Sophia Lavallee
made it to the semifinals last season,
and she came out gunning for a buzzer tonight.
- Matt, she's going straight for it.
- The blue-haired 17-year-old
blew through the early obstacles
and made a great save on Carnival...
- Oh, almost slipped, Matt, but she got up high!
That was a great grab.
- Though her run finally ended on Piston Plunge...
- Ooh! Okay, I see you.
- That run puts her atop of the women's leaderboard.
- That was so cool!
- Up next, our youngest competitor of the night,
15-year-old Jacob Arnstein.
- Let's go!
- Oh, he rolling up. He's ready!
- Well, you can see his shirt says "Guat Ninja"
because he was adopted from an orphanage in Guatemala,
and he's never forgotten where he came from.
[gentle music]
- I was born in Guatemala,
and I was adopted at 15 months old.
- We went down to meet him when he was four months old,
and he was just so happy and so peaceful,
and it was just so easy with the transition.
And then, when we hit the airport,
he just, like, almost came out of his shell.
- When I was ten years old,
I actually went back to Guatemala.
We went to the orphanage where I was originally from.
[indistinct chatter]
It was really cool just seeing where I was from,
but I could also tell that they were struggling.
They were in desperate need of clothes, toys, and books,
and even just money in general.
Now that I'm grown up a little bit,
I really want to be the one
that can help take care of them.
We're raising money for the Luz de María orphanage.
It's the same orphanage that I came from.
And they're really struggling right now,
so let's go do some Ninja and help them out.
Great speed. You got it!
Let's go!
I started a fundraiser.
It's a Ninja course,
and we sold tickets to run.
Come on. Really fast, really fast.
Oh, what a dismount!
Nice, 1:58. Fastest time so far.
And ninjas from all over come and run the course.
One, two three. all: Guat Ninja!
- Yeah! [cheers and applause]
- The director of the orphanage, Dinora,
was the person that was there when I was adopted.
- He's always just thinking of other people,
and he has such a connection to her,
and she's, like, part of our family.
- Thank you.
all: Go Guat Ninja!
- It meant so much to me that it meant so much to them.
- I'm gonna do everything in my power to help the kids,
and if it means hitting buzzers, I'm all for it.
- And look at this, the kids from that same orphanage
have gathered to watch Jacob run tonight.
[cheers and applause]
- Let's go, Jacob! Come on, buddy! You got this!
- His parents on the sideline,
along with his little brother, Sam,
who is also adopted.
[countdown clock beeping]
And we got to know him well
on "American Ninja Warrior Junior"
this last season, Akbar.
- Yeah, that's right,
and he hit quite a few buzzers.
He's a little bigger now,
but he's still only 5'3", 113 pounds!
- Let the bar go by. Now he needs a big swing.
But he's got the power. Look at him!
- Look at that, Matt. - Launching himself!
- I gave him the nickname "Strong Arm" Arnstein,
and he is showing out.
- He is looking powerful here,
running with a good pace...
- Breathe! Breathe!
- But now has to make the choice at Split Decision.
- I don't like snakes!
- Ah, he says he doesn't like snakes,
so he's walking away from the Serpent.
- Right through, Jacob. Right through.
- He's just hoping for a little higher power
there, Akbar. - All you, Jacob!
- All right, this obstacle's pretty tricky.
- Akbar, what? - And he solved it!
- And he is pumped, because he knows with his power,
he's confident in these next two upper body obstacles,
starting with Carnival.
- Look at this. This is just like recess to him.
Look at Arnstein.
15 years old. Uh-oh!
- Oh, he was going for slot one or two,
but the ball ended up in three.
- He still goes to the carnival, too,
so he's about to have a good time.
It didn't matter if the ball fell in one, two, or three.
Look at that, Matt!
I think Jacob wants his stuffed animal!
[cheers and applause]
- 15 years old,
and you can see the motor on him is revving.
Let's see how he does on Piston Plunge.
- All right. Here we go.
This is where you gotta live up
to that nickname...
"Strong Arm" Arnstein. - "Strong Arm."
No one's gotten through this yet.
- Uh-oh. Uh-oh.
- Well, he's really slowing down here.
Gotta get up to that next piston.
Again, only 113 pounds.
It's gotta be a big advantage on this obstacle.
Now, this one, you can only go front and back.
He's gonna have to rotate 90 degrees in midair.
- Here we go. Switch up.
Nice. - Nice transfer.
- Nice transfer and nice orientation in midair.
That's hard to do! - Well, you can see,
this is a challenge 'cause you are now facing to the side
but gotta move forward. He got it!
- Man, this ain't nothin' for him, Matt!
- Watch the drop here on the steering wheel.
It's on a bungee cord.
Gotta get a sure grip.
- And Arnstein does it! - Nice.
- Arnstein is not playing around!
- Yes!
[all shouting]
- And now he's got a chance
to be our first finisher.
all: [chanting] Beat that wall!
- Get that wall! Let's go!
- Think about how far he's come
from that orphanage in Guatemala.
[clapping and banging instruments]
- 5'3".
Can he get his first buzzer?
Yes! - Oh, my goodness!
Oh! [buzzer blares]
- And he is loving that buzzer!
- * Keep going and going *
- Oh, my God! - Yes!
- What an emotional run for Jacob Arnstein.
Oh, and he is just broken up, Akbar.
What a beautiful moment for this 15-year-old.
all: [chanting] Jacob! Jacob! Jacob!
- Jacob! - Jacob!
Get over here, man. You're gonna make me cry, man.
You're gonna make me cry.
The tears, where are they coming from?
- I just worked so hard for this,
and, like, I just can't believe I did this.
- Guat Ninja! Guat Ninja!
- Jacob, we are all impressed.
What do you want to say to those kids watching?
- This was all for you guys.
- Hey, now stand up, man,
'cause I gave you that nickname,
"Strong Arm" Arnstein.
Show me them muscles! Show me them muscles!
- Jacob Arnstein, the Guat Ninja!
Hey, buddy, we'll see you in Los Angeles.
- Wow, that was an emotional run, Matt.
- He was so excited.
You could see what this meant to Jacob Arnstein.
And that last obstacle may have been 14 1/2 feet tall,
but this kid's come a lot further than that
for this moment.
- Jacob! Good job!
- We are so proud of you, dude. So proud of you.
- Coming up, she's made history before.
- The first mother ever to hit a buzzer!
- Can Super Mom Sandy Zimmermann do it again?
We'll see her next on "American Ninja Warrior"!
- Welcome back to San Antonio.
Moments ago, college student
and drone pilot Quinn Nguyen did some aerial recon.
[upbeat music]
- This is how you visualize a course, right here.
Oh, go for the Mega Wall!
- And even got a closer look at the host tower.
- I come in peace.
Whoa! Whoa! - Hey, Quinn!
But despite the bird's-eye view,
when he reached Split Decision,
he couldn't decide which way to go...
- Come on. - Before finally settling
on Domino Effect and crash landing.
- Oh, guess he didn't see that one coming.
- Louisiana's Wes Meador
has his own history with Split Decision.
Last year, he passed up the dominoes
and chose Spinning Log...
- Oh! - And it didn't work out.
- Ah, I should've went with dominoes, I guess.
- Tonight, the father of two got another chance
to choose the dominoes,
but he passed on them again, going with the Serpent.
- Boom! Oh!
- And history repeated itself.
- Should've went with the dominoes.
- Man, he had those in his pocket,
and he still didn't choose the dominoes!
- Jenny Remack has a unique training partner
back in Colorado: her pet goat, Fonzo.
- Look at Fonzo, Matt!
- Fonzo had no problem
getting through a couple obstacles
back on his home course,
but Jenny didn't fare as well here in San Antonio.
- [imitates bleating] - Well, she is not the GOAT.
But Fonzo is. [Fonzo bleats]
Up next, a ninja who makes house calls.
This is Dr. Stewart Mahler. - Yeah!
- And don't let the medical degree fool you,
this guy likes to have fun.
- Look, now he's gonna check his heart rate,
make sure he's ready for this.
[upbeat music]
- Well, he's a primary care physician
at the University of Rochester Medical Center,
treating patients and teaching residents,
so he doesn't get a lot of time to train.
- Paging Dr. Mahler.
- Plus, he's got three kids at home.
They're watching back in New York with other family.
- Let's go! - Yeah!
- His wife, Jamie, down on the sideline.
- You got this!
[countdown clock beeping]
- Back when he was in medical school,
he actually lost his eyesight for six months
because of a corneal disease.
- Let's do this! - Whoo!
- He regained his sight after a procedure
but still has vision challenges.
- So he's probably not gonna try
to catch this moving bar.
- And he doesn't.
Now has to make that 9-foot leap.
- Nice grab!
Doc has been putting in work!
- Well, he built a mini gym
in the basement where he and his kids
could train, and it's paying off.
- Come on down! - Gets through Overpass.
And sending some love to his wife,
but now, gotta choose between balance obstacles
here at Split Decision.
Last year, he chose Log Runner,
and that did not go well.
- Ooh!
After that gut shot, he's gonna need some probiotics.
- No Log Runner this year. He's going with the dominoes.
- Go, go, go! Go, go, go, go!
- Go! - Oh, Matt--oh, oh, oh, oh!
- Oh, my! - Oh, what a save!
Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?
- The doctor passes that examination.
- Matt, that was so close!
He started to fall on the third domino,
but he got to the pad and barely kept his feet
out of the water, wow!
- Mahler's still alive!
I thought he flatlined there.
Now on Carnival.
5'10", 160.
- All right, he's trying to get it to that second--oh!
- Got it! - Nice!
His wife is impressed.
She's like, "That's my baby!"
- Well, this doctor, he is looking sharp, Akbar.
- Yes, he is, Matt. He's being surgical with this.
- Let's go, baby!
- I see it, Doc! - I see you, Doc!
- This is gonna test his grip strength, Akbar.
Piston Plunge.
This is relentless.
Good control. - Oh, boy.
That was a little aggressive, though, Matt.
I'm not sure if he has enough left for this third jump here.
- And you can see it's--oh! - Oh!
- Just didn't have the height!
A fun run by the doctor,
but he can't survive Piston Plunge.
We'll have to wait to see if that's enough to move on.
Our next athlete has her banner hanging in the rafters
along with other Ninja greats,
and Zuri's gonna get her started.
- She is an inspiration to women everywhere.
Three years ago, Sandy Zimmerman
became the first mom ever to hit a buzzer,
and at age 45, she is ready to do it again.
- And this woman is beloved in the Ninja community.
When a storm knocked down
her legendary backyard course, The Fortress...
all: Surprise!
- I got to go up to Spokane
and help the Ninja community surprise her by rebuilding it.
You could really feel the love for her that day.
Group hug, group hug. - Ah, group hug!
- And there's some of those folks watching
from back in Washington,
and, of course, her husband and three kids,
all ninjas themselves, watching from home.
[countdown clock beeping]
- And being up at her home in Spokane,
I see where the magic is made,
and she puts in a lot of work in that backyard course.
- And she's really become an icon.
You can see her banner hanging up behind this obstacle.
Let's see if she'll try to grab the bar here.
And didn't even attempt it there.
I'm surprised at Sandy Zimmerman,
but she trusts her laches.
- Oh, yeah. Look. Watch this.
Watch the power she generates. Look at this.
Nice power! - Great job.
- Whoo!
- And look at that reaction.
Man, I get so excited
watching Sandy Zimmermann run, Matt.
Every single year we've seen her compete,
she just puts on a show.
- A lot of extra swings, though, here, Akbar.
- Yeah, Matt, and I love the body control
as she made that shorter lache.
- Went to Gonzaga on a scholarship
as a point guard.
Her nickname, "The Bulldog."
- Yeah! - Atta girl!
- Now, Split Decision,
and not a lot of hesitation.
Going with Domino Effect.
- She's got incredible athleticism.
- She's got quick feet.
- Yeah, as a former point guard,
she had a mean crossover,
and she ain't about to get crossed up
by Domino Effect.
Safe!
- Absolutely. Get a little baseball in.
Now the test begins.
Let's see what she can do on Carnival, Akbar.
- Sandy Zimmermann, she's gotta make
that decision quickly, gotta get off of this tilting tube
as quickly as possible.
Manage it. There you go.
Counterbalance. There you go.
Get it right there in that second one.
Ni--oh, oh! Oh, no! - Oh, no!
The ball misses all three slots,
which means she gets the hardest possible handhold,
the tiny cliffhanger grip.
- And you don't even get a stuffed animal
with that one.
- This just got a lot more challenging.
- Sha-na-na, I have no idea how she's gonna do this.
- She's building up momentum.
You can see it, and that is the longest move.
It's gonna be a big lache.
- Keep your eyes in the middle.
- Oh!
Just couldn't hold on!
A tough break for Sandy.
Now she'll have to wait to see if that's good enough
to move on to the semifinals.
- She had the passion and looked strong early,
but at Carnival-- watch that ball.
It bounces around and comes all the way out,
so it was a long leap.
Got both hands on it, but it wasn't enough.
- [sighs]
God, it feels good to be back on the course.
A live crowd.
Would have felt even better to get that obstacle, though.
Whoo!
- Oh!
- It's night two of qualifying...
Oh, no!
And this course is getting a little wet.
Luckily for us, New York janitor Nick Roalef
was around to mop up the mess.
- Clean up on aisle one.
all: [chanting] Nick! Nick! Nick! Nick!
- Then, the 24-year-old custodian
went to work on the course. - Wow!
- After flipping through the first obstacle,
the janitor wiped out on the second.
- Oh!
Got bonked off!
Oh, his beanie is done.
- Preschool teacher McKinley Pierce is only 5'1",
but she was able to make the long leap on Overpass.
- You got it! Yeah!
- The four-time veteran from Vermont
stared down the Serpent,
then changed her mind and went with the dominoes.
- Oh, boom!
And gets hit on the top of the head!
- It was harder than I thought.
- Darion Bennet showed off some of his best moves
at the start line.
- I like the pants.
- Then, the New Jersey dad took flight.
His parachute pants didn't slow him down.
They actually seemed to give him a lift.
- The pants are actually giving him
a little extra hang time.
- And he looked like he might be our second finisher...
- Ooh!
- Before coming up short.
Hey, big man, this next athlete
deserves a big introduction, so let's do it.
[bell dings]
- In this corner,
out of Albany, New York,
140 pounds
of pure power,
it's the featherweight champion.
Ladies and gentlemen, shield your eyes
for Abraham "Super" Nova!
[bell rings] - Man, that was good!
- Thank you. - That was good.
Abraham Nova is the current
World Boxing Association champion in his weight class.
This guy has 15 knockouts and is undefeated.
Well, he's got his hype crew in there, Akbar.
They're getting him pumped up.
And his friends and family back home in New York,
they're all ready for the main event.
- No fear, no doubt!
- All right, Abraham.
Obstacle one. Here we go.
- Let's get ready to Ninja!
[countdown clock beeping]
- Let's go, Abraham! You got it!
- And here we go.
First round. - Here we go.
Oh, boy, float like a butterfly
right through Shrinking Steps. - Oh, no!
- Oh! - An extra swing.
Stays calm. - Ooh.
A little rope-a-dope here.
A little rope-a-dope! - Oh, no!
He's on the verge of getting
knocked out early, Akbar.
- Come on, man.
Keep bobbing and weaving, bobbing and weaving.
- Hoping that the bell will save him,
but that's not how it works in "Ninja."
- Go ahead! Take a chance!
[bell rings] - Oh, his foot goes down.
TKO! - That's all right!
- The Super Nova exploded on his debut!
- Well, the Super Nova turned out to be more of a fizzle.
- [laughs]
- So we go from a featherweight
to a heavyweight.
This is "Big Daddy" Steve Donnelly.
He's 6'5" and 225 pounds,
the night's heaviest competitor.
- Akbar, this one's for you!
- Oh, wow, stripping down to jorts!
He's fully embracing the dad bod.
- Well, he's got three kids at home and a full-time job,
so being a ninja is not easy.
- The one disadvantage I do have is that
I'm twice the size of some of these other ninjas,
and I am not in the gym 24/7 like some of these guys are.
- [giggles] - You are going crazy! Dylan!
I work as a engineer 8:00 to 5:00 every day,
and going home and keeping three kids happy is not simple.
- Three, two, one, go.
- And trying to train with what little time I have,
but I'm still gonna rock this course.
Let's go! - Let's go, Big Daddy!
- And that family is gonna be screaming for Daddy
on this run.
He's got a big group of Massachusetts ninjas
down on the sideline as well.
[countdown clock beeping]
- He's got the dad shoes, the dad's shorts, the dad bod.
"Big Daddy" Donnelly is doing it big
for the dads out there.
- Let's go!
- Let's go! Come on!
- He's got this crowd excited,
but now he's got to get his big body across Overpass.
Let's see if he can time this lache.
Nope, he's going for the big 9-foot transfer.
- He's 6'5".
That reach should help him here.
A little more power.
Whoa! Nice catch!
- Well, he was a baseball
and basketball player in high school.
He's got good hand-eye coordination.
- And no cap, Matt, for a guy without much Ninja training,
he looking pretty good!
- And he is through.
- Oh, nice!
- Yeah! Let's go!
Yeah! Yeah!
- Yes! - Let's go!
- Oh, Big Daddy got this crowd turnt up!
- But now, it's Split Decision.
Last season, he chose Log Runner,
and it didn't end well.
This year, he said he's gonna let the kids decide.
- No, no, no! No, no, no, no, no!
- His son Jordan says no to dominoes,
so he's heading over to the Serpent.
Does he get a thumbs-up on that one?
- Yes! Yes! - That's a yes!
- Yeah, Steve Donnelly doing it
in dad shoes, too, Matt.
That's the coolest part about this run.
Do it in dad shoes, then! Do it in dad shoes!
- Can he hold on? Big Daddy coming up big!
- Matt, it's gotta be the shoes!
[cheers and applause]
[giggles] He kissed the dad shoes!
- Well, he owes his son a kiss too.
He picked the Serpent, and it worked.
Now stepping up to take on Carnival.
This requires a lot of precision.
And remember, he's 100 pounds heavier
than some of these teenagers.
6'5", 225.
This is the big boy, Akbar, and this is
where that weight's gonna really tax him.
- Nice! - Wow!
Gets the number one chute, so he gets that T-bar.
That makes it a lot easier to get through this.
- Let's go, Steven!
- Well, keep in mind, this guy
is not just a big dude, he is smart.
Had a bachelor's in electrical engineering.
Ended up going to business school.
Has his MBA.
Works as a sales engineer.
And Akbar, he's through four obstacles!
- That was for you, buddy! - Hey, man!
- And brought the jorts just for you!
- Hey, no, I don't do dad shorts!
I'm too cool for dad shorts!
- You gotta do the dad shoes like me.
- I don't do the dad shoes, though.
- Come on! Come on! - I don't do the dad shoes.
- Let's see if those dad shoes can stay dry
as he takes on Piston Plunge.
- Boy, he's closing in on a buzzer, Matt!
How great would this be?
- Only one finisher so far tonight, but this is
where his weight is gonna be a real disadvantage.
- Come on, big fella! He's 6'5".
Get them big legs up there. - He's looking strong!
- Yes, he is, Matt, but he is grimacing.
Oh! - Oh!
- Aw, that's okay.
- Doesn't get the buzzer, but still, an incredible run
by "Big Daddy" Steve Donnelly.
[cheers and applause]
- Let's go!
- He may dress like a typical dad,
but he didn't look like one on the course.
Steve Donnelly made big saves, big moves,
and we may see him in the semifinals.
- Daddy did his thing, y'all! Good work out there, Steve.
We'll see if you were far enough, fast enough.
Matt, Akbar.
- Coming up, she's battled
through three major injuries in the past year.
Now, "Ninja" great Jessie Graff
is finally ready for her return.
Plus, he's fast on two legs.
- Go, go, go, go, go, go!
- Wait till you see what teen sensation Josiah Pippel
can do with four wheels
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- Welcome back to San Antonio
and the second night of qualifying
on "American Ninja Warrior."
If you're just joining us,
it has been an action-packed night
here in the Alamodome.
Moments ago, one of the night's top competitors,
Connecticut's Conor Galvin,
made quick work of the first two obstacles.
- Good for Galvin. This is setting up nicely.
- At Split Decision, the three-time veteran
was one of the few to choose the Serpent.
- No! - What?
The Serpent just beat him.
- And just like that, his season was over.
Another top veteran, Lucas Reale,
did make it past Split Decision.
- Lucas Reale putting on a show right now.
- The 23-year-old from Massachusetts
has completed the last three qualifying courses he's faced
and looked like he was heading for another buzzer...
- No! - No!
- But came up short on Piston Plunge.
Then it was one of last year's top teenagers,
Jay Lewis, AKA Jay Lache.
- Great laches out of Jay. - You go, young fella!
- The 17-year-old was able
to solve the puzzle of Piston Plunge.
At 5'4", he tried to become the shortest ninja
to conquer the Mega Wall,
but instead, the high school senior
became our second finisher of the night.
- We're gonna see you in LA.
You're going on to the semifinals.
Congrats, buddy. - Thank you so much, man.
- Well, up next is another one
of last year's breakout teenagers.
It's 16-year-old Josiah Pippel.
This kid got three buzzers and almost made it to stage three
as a 15-year-old.
And he likes to go fast on the course and off.
[drill whirring]
- From a very young age, I've been into woodworking,
taking things apart, rebuilding them.
And now, I'm putting my effort and my skills
into another hobby:
building a race car.
Well, not a real race car.
It's a simulator.
[upbeat music]
I've always had a love for cars--
just looking at race cars, seeing how they work,
how they were put together.
So this has inboard brakes.
All the weight is gonna be at the center.
It would be fun to be a Formula 1 driver one day,
but until I get my driver's license,
I guess we'll have to settle for go-karts.
- * I'm gonna go fast, ready, set, go *
- Let's do this.
- * 'Cause I'm cookin' on gas, ain't stoppin' me, no *
* I'm going my way *
* Just like a jet plane *
* They're gonna swoon when I shine like the moon *
- Racing's all about pushing the speed,
pushing the limits...
And Ninja is the same way.
Your goal is to get through that course
with as quick a time as possible.
- Go, go, go! Go, go, go!
[buzzer blares]
- I may not be able to go 230 miles an hour,
but I can hit a buzzer in a blink of an eye.
- This kid is so fluid, Akbar!
[buzzer blares]
- If I get that Mega Wall, I'll have enough money
to start building my own race car.
- Whoa! Ha ha! How?
[buzzer blares]
You better not blink at home
'cause you'll miss his entire run.
Has a big group of supporters watching
back in New Jersey, including his mom and siblings.
Has his dad and his coach, Najee Richardson,
down on the sideline.
[countdown clock beeping]
- All right, buckle up your seatbelt
because this kid doesn't mess around.
- Well, last year, even as a rookie,
he went full throttle.
He was second fastest in semifinals.
- Yeah, he likes the speed.
He's addicted to speed, Matt,
and he's gotta use that speed here tonight.
- But on the Overpass, elects to take the long way.
- Yep, easy. There you go!
- No problem, though.
Pippel pushing the pace,
and he's sprinting straight over to the dominoes.
- Go, go, go!
- Those dominoes barely moved.
Just outstanding body control there out of Josiah Pippel.
6 feet tall, 150 pounds,
and no problem moving through Carnival.
- He just let it roll into the number three chute.
- Trusting that long lache,
we're seeing these ninjas confident in their lache
and their grip strength.
And he has flown through these first four obstacles.
- Let's go!
- He's reached this point in under a minute.
He's once again got a shot at the fastest time.
Oh, he's a car guy, but he may not like these pistons.
And he has been efficient, Akbar.
Doesn't even look like he's breathing hard.
- Matt, he's long, so you can see he can use those long legs
to stop the pistons from moving.
Nice, little touch.
- He's got to do a 90 degree rotation
with his hands, get that left hand over--
- That is so hard!
Do you know how hard that is to get the hand placement?
- Impressed he held on. One more transfer.
- He's got enough strength, Matt.
He's about to do it! - But this is the drop.
Can he hold on for the drop? He did it!
- Yeah, he'll propel himself to number one.
- He may be going for $10,000.
And he is looking at it. - Get that money.
- Yes! - Get that money, homey!
- You look confident. Go for it!
- Remember your training! - Just like you practiced!
- Come on! - 16 years old.
Got to get up 18 feet to get $10,000.
Four people did it last week.
So far tonight, no one has done it.
- You got this!
- He'd still be the fastest too,
but gotta go.
Fingertips!
Yes, he's done it! [buzzer blares]
$10,000!
- Oh, my goodness!
- Are you kidding me?
- Whoo!
- That's 10 Gs, bruh!
Najee's running up to celebrate.
Get up there and celebrate with the young fella!
Get up there!
[cheering and applause]
- Let's look at this again.
He gets one hand over the edge
and was able to pull himself up.
That grab is worth 10 grand.
Our first Mega Wall of the night,
and he still got the fastest finish so far.
Well, we're only halfway through the night,
but check out our finishers so far.
All of them are teenagers.
Will they be able to hold on to the top spots?
Coming up, MyKayla Skinner had an Olympic dream.
Her husband's got a Ninja dream.
He's on the course, and she's in the booth with us,
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- Welcome back to Texas, where we just had
a showstopping performance by the Jersey Girls,
three ninja friends from the Garden State.
You might catch these three on the Jersey Shore boardwalk,
so they all got a kick out of Carnival.
First, Cara Mack rolled the ball into chute number one,
which rewarded her with the stuffed lion
and a T-Bar
and the easiest exit. - Yes!
- Rachel Degutz bounced her ball into chute number two,
so she got a stuffed fish and a Y-bar.
A little tougher, but she made it through as well.
- Nice! Ooh!
- Then Abby Clark rolled the ball
into chute number three, so she got a duck
and only a single nunchuck to grab...
- Look at that!
- But she also survived. - Okay, Abby!
- All three made it to the fifth obstacle,
where Cara...
- Oh!
- Rachel... - No!
- And Abby... - Oh! Oh!
- All fell.
But all three still have a good chance of moving on.
Well, we got something special for this next runner.
Joining us in the host tower right now,
our friend from Tokyo 2020,
Olympic silver medalist in the vault, MyKayla Skinner!
- Whoo-hoo! - Hey!
There's the hardware.
I love it. - I brought it. I brought it.
- Well, we bought you up here, not just because
of your athletic prowess, but because you have
a pretty good connection to this next runner:
he happens to be your husband,
Jonas Harmer, all 6'7" of him.
- Okay, that's what I like to see, no shirt.
- Oh, you like to see that, huh?
Oh, my God! - And the handstand.
- Oh, showing off all the strength.
- I'd rate that, like, a five.
You know, not a ten, but... [laughter]
- Well, you two met at the University of Utah,
got married three years ago.
And there's his mom, Elayne, on the sideline
along with other family members.
- How do you think Jonas is gonna do?
- You know, it's kind of hard to say.
I mean, I feel like he'll do good,
but after watching it tonight, I'm kind of worried.
I'm like, man, it's really easy to fall,
like, so you better bring it.
- He's been a fan of "American Ninja Warrior"
since he was 14 years old.
This has been a dream. Come on, big guy.
Come on, big fella! - Okay, okay, okay.
We got one down.
Okay. - And wiping it off.
Stepping up to Overpass.
This is like the high bar here.
You're the gymnast in the family.
Any tips? - I can't.
I'm feeling sick right now. - Are you?
I mean, you're pretty good on the bars.
- Well, he's gonna have a long lache here, 9 feet.
- He is 6'7".
He can just almost reach out and grab it.
Wow! - Yeah!
That's what I'm talking about.
- That was easy.
- I mean, he is tall, so it's not like
he has to go very far.
[laughter]
- Oh, almost caught that with his chin
but hangs on.
Gotta kip it up and over.
And he's through. - Okay.
- All right, this is where it gets real: Split Decision.
Which way do you think he should go, MyKayla?
- I think the--
what is that, a dragon? - The Serpent?
Yeah, the Serpent? - Yeah, yeah.
- He's going for it. He's going for the Serpent.
He heard MyKayla. He took her advice.
Gotta use those long legs.
- All right. Nice!
Oh, no! - Oh!
- And he was betrayed by his height.
His feet touched the water.
He's disappointed, but you know what,
he got to live out his childhood dream,
and he did all right.
Almost made it through three obstacles.
MyKayla, what was it like watching him on the course?
- He went out there and did his best,
so just proud of him living his dream
like I got to live mine, so...
- Aw. - That is beautiful.
MyKayla Skinner, you are always welcome in our host tower.
- Thank you. Appreciate it. - You're an absolute gem.
We'll let MyKayla go down
and give her husband a big hug,
but we're gonna keep it rolling
and head to the start line
for the Hip-Hop Ninja, Jeremy Warters.
- That's the Hip-Hop Ninja?
- Well, let's see what he's got.
- * Hey, yo, every day you wake up *
* You got a Split Decision, you gotta take action *
* If you're gonna get to winnin' *
* The Hip-Hop Ninja about to help you *
* Get in the rhythm in Eyeglass Alley *
* As you start to see the vision *
* And, Mom, who I adore *
* Yo, I'm comin' for you *
- Okay!
That white boy can rap!
- Well, he's got a big posse.
He's got family watching back in Syracuse, New York...
- Hi, guys!
- As well as on the sidelines,
wearing those shirts with the glasses.
That's his trademark look. Kind of nerdy.
Not what you might expect as a rapper.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Hip-Hop Ninja, let's go!
- All right. Here goes the Hip-Hop Ninja.
Hip-hop-hop-hop.
Hip-hop hooray. Nice!
- Warters has been writing his own lyrics
and creating his own beats since high school.
Only 21, but looks like
he could still be in high school.
The crowd's got the "Hip-Hop" chant going
as Warters hops over to the bar.
- He didn't do a lot of sports in high school
but did cheerleading,
and it looks like it's working for him.
- And he is through.
Well, he rapped about Split Decision,
and his choice is gonna be the Serpent.
This is a gutsy choice.
Remember, big Jonas Harmer just fell on this minutes ago.
- Come on, boy. - You got this.
- Oh, oh, oh! Oh, hold on!
Hold on! - And he's through three.
Let's see what he does here on Carnival, Akbar.
5'10", 150.
- All right, but no time for a remix.
Just go for it. Nice.
All right, now the chute drops down,
the little nunchuck.
Now that's a bar for you right there.
That's a bar for the rapper.
And he got it!
- No problem there.
Warters finding his rhythm.
- Let's go! Let's go, baby! Let's go!
- On now to Piston Plunge.
Just started Ninja a couple of years ago.
Now, here he is on this fifth obstacle, Akbar,
looking pretty solid.
- All right, first track is called "ANW Freestyle."
He's freestylin' on this one.
Nice! - He's got it.
As Eminem would say, "You only get one shot.
Do not miss your chance to blow."
- I hope his palms aren't sweaty.
- Yeah, he's lookin' real strong, Akbar,
but this is where the arms start to wear out.
Got a couple more moves here. - Let's get it!
- On to the steering wheel. Holds on!
- The steering wheel knocked his glasses off.
I hope he can see the landing.
- Powered by Mom's spaghetti, he gets through!
- Okay.
- You don't need your glasses! Let's go!
- Dad says he doesn't need glasses.
Well, let's take a look at what happened.
He grabbed the steering wheel,
and the edge came down and knocked his glasses right off.
Well, he only needs to see 14 1/2 feet
to the top of the Warped Wall.
- All you! - Let's go!
- Can the Hip-Hop Ninja bring home his first buzzer?
Yes, hit that buzzer! [buzzer blares]
[cheers and applause]
- Let's go!
- Let me see you flex one real quick.
- Oh! - Yeah!
Come on. Drop a bar real quick.
I know you got something for me.
- I can't even breathe, bro.
I mean-- [laughter]
- Hey, remix.
Hit that buzzer one more time, bud.
[buzzer blares]
- Up next is the return of Najee Richardson...
- The Phoenix is rising!
- And he's now a world record holder.
He's coming up on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Sparks are flying here in the Alamodome.
That's because minutes ago,
New York welder Anthony Eardley
electrified the start line.
- He's about to light this thing up.
- The four-time veteran survived
a close call on the Serpent.
- Oh, my goodness!
Oh, he is so close.
Oh-ho-ho!
Puttin' on a show!
[cheers and applause] - Yeah!
- And powered his way to the fifth obstacle,
where he was closing in on his very first buzzer...
- Oh, my goodness!
- But he's still in good position to move on.
20-year-old Luke Dillon hit a buzzer last year
in his rookie season.
- He knew he was going for Domino Effect
because he just dominated!
- And the Rhode Island College student
came out roaring in his second season.
- Hey, this kid can go.
- With his girlfriend, Aly, cheering him on,
Dylan put up the fastest finish of the night so far.
[buzzer blares] - Let's go!
That's one.
We got five more to go.
- Then his girlfriend, Aly Merto, got her chance.
- Here we go!
- The 19-year-old Springfield College student
is a die-hard "Ninja" fan and was thrilled to make it
to the third obstacle in her "Ninja" debut.
- No!
- That was the most fun I've had in my entire life.
- He missed last year with an injury,
but the Phoenix is ready to rise again.
We are talking about the pride of Philadelphia,
Najee Richardson.
An ankle injury kept him out of "Ninja" competition
last year, but it did not stop him
from reaching record-breaking heights.
[upbeat music]
- Najee Richardson. He loves to fly, Akbar.
- Nice! - Wow!
- Last time you guys saw me was season 12.
[buzzer blares]
- Your first buzzer of the night!
Najee Richardson!
- And I was training to be a part of season 13,
but unfortunately got injured.
As far as ankle dislocations go,
do not recommend, hard pass.
I had to just sit down for about four months total
before I was even able to run.
I remember sitting at home,
and I was watching some old clips
of "ANW" skills.
all: [chanting] Najee! Najee!
- Oh, he got it! - Oh!
- He got it! - At the last minute!
- Oh, look at that! - Yes!
- The launching of a human satellite.
- It was such a huge inspiration to me,
so the second that my ankle was able to handle
what I wanted to do, I was just like,
how cool would it be to just break a world record?
And somehow, I managed to break three.
I have the farthest lache from a bar to another bar.
I have the farthest lache to a wall
doing a cat grab.
And I have the highest lache from one bar to another.
Aah! Oh! - Oh!
- I really can't put into words how proud I am of myself
being in the "Guinness Book of World Records"
and having three Guinness World Records.
Look at that! That's me!
Aah, that's so cool!
But I'm still looking forward to the moment
of just getting back on the course.
Being a Guinness World Record holder
and then coming back from injury,
Ninja just means even more to me now.
- Well, besides breaking records,
Najee's also gotten engaged.
There's his fiancée, McKenzie,
watching along with his parents.
And on the sidelines, Ninja friends,
including Jessie Graff, Josiah Pippel,
and Joe Moravsky. Three's company.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Here we go!
The return to the course for Najee Richardson!
- And survives the first test of his ankle.
His world record laches will definitely come in handy
here on Overpass.
But is he gonna make it easy?
Oh, no! - No, but that's all right.
He's got the Guinness World Record.
- He could've caught that with his teeth!
- He had so much power,
he almost hit his Adam's apple.
- Looking very comfortable in his return
but has never had to make the choice at Split Decision.
What will be the best for that rehabbed ankle?
Getting some advice from the sidelines here.
Took a look at Serpent, but he's going
with Domino Effect.
- Get the speed! Get the speed going!
- Naj, you got it! - Get the speed!
- And you see, he just stomped that ankle.
He's testing it. - All right.
Come on. You got this.
Overcome it. Don't let that fear stop you.
There you go! - Can the Phoenix fly? Yes!
- That's what I'm talking about!
Whoo!
- And what a relief that's gotta be.
Dominoes delivers for Najee Richardson.
- Yes! - Come on!
- Survives the Domino Effect. Now on Carnival.
Najee's such a powerful ninja,
I'll bet he's gonna have excellent body awareness.
Should be able to control the tilting tube.
He's just going for it. - Yeah, he's going for it.
He knows he can do it, Matt, and there's nothing
like an injury to really change your perspective.
- Easy. Nice grab!
- He's got a better appreciation for this sport.
He just crushed Carnival.
- Yeah! - Whoo!
- Now facing Piston Plunge.
We've seen a lot of good ninjas
fall here already tonight.
Doesn't have to worry about the ankle here
but does need good hands to grab the pistons.
And Najee's put on some muscle on in the past year
with strength training.
Now weighs 165 pounds.
And Najee, we know he can fly, he can launch up.
That gives him time to make sure
his hand placement's correct.
- East-west grab here. Okay.
Let's do a north-south grab here.
- Now, this is a real challenge.
Gotta rotate 90 degrees in midair.
- That's the hard part. You got to get up.
You got to--nice! - Got it.
- You saw how he got a little bit more elevation
just to be able to make that transition.
- Now he's gotta rotate back. - Nice.
- Now the big drop, about a foot drop here
on this bungee chord on the steering wheel.
- Matt, he's got plenty left in the reserve.
He's got plenty left in the reserve.
He's just seeing it, going for it.
Nice! - Got it!
Najee Richardson!
- You talk about coming off of an injury...
- And there it is. The question is,
will he go for the Mega Wall?
- He's back! - Phoenix is gonna fly, baby!
- Now, I don't think you go for the Mega Wall, Matt,
after that major dislocation.
- Get those shoes ready. Let's go.
- Why not? - He's not going Mega.
No way he's going Mega!
all: [chanting] Beat that wall! Beat that wall!
- Well, he tried to do the Mega Wall
in seasons 11 and 12 and failed both times.
Now trying to do it on a rebuilt ankle.
- Oh! - Come on, up, up, up!
- Oh, and the grip.
You could just see the grip on the shoes gave out.
Najee, though, he's gonna easily get this one
and get that buzzer.
The Phoenix is flying once again!
- Good to be back. [buzzer blares]
- It's great to have you back.
[cheers and applause]
- I missed you guys.
- I missed you, too, man.
You weren't afraid of that Mega Wall.
- Nah. You know what?
I'm here. I missed a whole season.
It feels like I've been away for an eternity.
I love just playing on obstacles,
so if I get the chance to fail one
and then come here and still hit a buzzer, why not?
- Najee, we'll see you in LA, buddy.
Let the Phoenix continue to fly.
What a comeback for Najee Richardson.
Still to come, we've got top stars
and top guns.
We're gonna rock out on "American Ninja Warrior."
- It's been an emotional night here in San Antonio.
Moments ago, 20-year-old Tyler Behrle
saw his dream come true.
This kid started submitting to be on the show
six years ago.
- Hi. My name is Tyler Behrle. I'm 14 years old.
- He kept submitting
and was finally selected this season.
Tonight, the college student got his chance
and took full advantage,
surviving a hard hit on Serpent...
- Ooh! Matt, I love this kid.
- And made it all the way to the fifth obstacle.
- Ooh!
- Despite the fall, his speed
almost guarantees he'll be moving on.
- If I knew I was gonna be doing this six years ago,
I'd just be so proud of myself, and I am.
- Well, another ninja who was all smiles
was the Cystic Ninja, Branden McWilliams.
This dad from Pennsylvania has cystic fibrosis,
which makes it difficult to breathe,
but you'd never know from the way he attacks the course.
- He is doing big things.
- After waving to his wife and two sons,
the mill worker managed to get through the Serpent...
- Ooh-hoo-hoo-hoo!
- Carnival... - Ooh!
- And battled to the very end of Piston Plunge.
- This is the hard one, Matt,
He's throwing into it--oh!
- And that may well be enough
to get him into the semifinals.
Ohio's Ryan Sanders was making his "Ninja" debut.
- Go, go, go, go! Hit it!
Nice!
Ryan is showing that he is ready.
- As the long-haired 22-year-old raced
through the course, his fiancée,
fellow ninja Jennifer Stefano, could barely watch.
- He's got enough strength, Matt. He's about to do it!
- The physical therapy assistant made it
to the buzzer his first time on the course.
- Yeah! Whoo!
- Oh, my goodness. - Oh, my God!
- And now he's moving on to LA and the semifinals.
- Let's go!
- And so now, his fiancée gets her chance.
Jennifer Stefano runs a thrift store business,
and though you'd never know it from her boundless energy,
this three-time Ninja veteran struggles
with crippling anxiety.
- [exhales slowly]
Last year, I had a panic attack
the night before I competed.
I fell on the second obstacle, jumping up to the bar.
- Oh! - Oh, she just missed it.
Oh...
- After Tacoma, my mental health
was at a all-time low.
Every time I went in the gym, my anxiety got so bad
'cause it was my outlet for getting rid of my anxiety,
but then it was causing me anxiety.
[somber music]
What finally got me through it all was my fiancé, Ryan.
- Hey. - Hey.
- Got you a coffee. - Thank you.
- You're welcome.
- He would pick me up
every single time I fell,
and, like, he's like, "You're fine.
Just keep going."
It's all right. You'll get it next time.
- I want to go out there and crush it for him.
He's put so much time and effort into me.
I just want to show him that it was all worth it.
[lively music]
- And she'll have Ryan there to support her once again,
along with her dad and other family friends.
[countdown clock beeping]
Her motto is, "You've got it in you,"
to remind herself how strong she is
and that anxiety doesn't control her.
- Yeah, she got the first one.
That'll help with the nerves.
- Come on, Jen! Keep going!
- But the second obstacle is where she fell last year.
You know she'll feel better
if she gets through this one tonight.
She's only 5'3", Akbar.
If she doesn't make the quick transfer,
that 9-foot lache could pose a problem.
- Do it right now. Go ahead and get it!
Get it, girl!
- Does not go for the moving bar,
so now, needs that big swing over.
- Whoo, look at her smile, though, Matt.
She made that 9-foot lache look easy!
Her fiancé just crushed it, and now she's looking
to have that same type of performance.
- And she surpassed her run from last season,
and she is pumped.
- Let's go!
- Ryan went dominoes.
Will she do the same?
- It's up to you.
- Looks like she's going for the dominoes.
- You can do it.
Dominoes, Jen. Fast feet.
Fast feet.
- Stay on the top. Keep your feet hot.
Nice! Just like that!
- Wow! Perfect!
[cheers and applause]
She is feeling it!
That has got to give her so much confidence!
- Keep it going!
- Well, turns out she does have it in her.
- She has never seen the fourth obstacle
on "Ninja Warrior."
Here she goes.
- Let's see what she can do on Carnival, though.
- All right, let's see. Here we go.
Nice. Control it.
- Looks like she's trying for that number one chute.
- All right. That's ni--oh!
- So close. Instead, it's three!
And that means just the single nunchuck handle.
- All right. Get that nunchuck.
- It's gonna be a big lache, and you gotta lock on
and then absorb it as you drop down.
- Keep your eyes focused and get up high
on that red part of the nunchuck.
Yes! Okay! - Yeah! Got it!
- She's a beast!
- That is a 9-foot transfer.
She made it. She's through.
- Hey! - Hey!
- I've never been here before!
- Hey, Ryan did it, and so can you!
- Hey, you know what we realized?
You got it in you!
- Thank you! - That's right.
Take your time! - Yeah, she does.
She's got it in her. It's a mindset.
- Carnival was tough on that spike.
Good grip strength.
Will she have enough to survive this?
Four women have made it to this point,
but none has made it past Piston Plunge.
- You can tell she's put in the work
during the offseason, Matt.
- You saw the high lache.
Allows her to have time to get her hands on there
and then prepare to absorb the fall.
- All right. You gotta control that.
Stop that from swinging. - Look at that.
At 5'3", that's a long reach.
She was on her tippy-toes gettin' that one.
- She ain't playin' around.
Come--oh! - Oh!
[cheers and applause]
And that great run pushes Sandy Zimmermann
out of the women's top five.
So now Jennifer Stefano's got a chance
to join her fiancé in the semifinals.
- Whoa!
- She's produced some of the most iconic moments
in "Ninja" history.
- The superhero delivers!
- Now, Jessie Graff is back.
We'll see her next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- While we were away, it was the debut
of the ninja known as Pop Pop,
50-year-old grandfather Josh Squire.
- He ain't playin'! - With his family,
including his granddaughter watching,
this P.E. teacher from Boston was impressive,
even going backwards for the grab on Overpass.
- Josh Squire's making 50 look good.
- But the grandpa's great run
finally ended on Domino Effect.
- Oh! Ooh!
- Then it was a competitor 34 years younger:
16-year-old rookie James Sannella.
- Look at that great hair!
- The New Jersey high schooler is well-known
for the viral videos of his Ninja tricks,
and his mind-blowing skills translated to the course
as he crushed every obstacle in his way.
- He's 16 years old.
He doesn't even have his driving permit!
- Earning his spot in the semifinals
with the first buzzer of his career.
[buzzers blares] - Let's go!
- She's another icon whose banner hangs in the arena,
and you can probably hear the excitement in this crowd,
because one of the most popular ninjas of all time
is about to hit the start line.
It's the great Jessie Graff.
The Hollywood stuntwoman is a superhero
in the sport of Ninja.
Some serious injuries sidelined her last season,
but she's ready for her return.
- Oh, yes! - Oh, yes!
Jessi Graff continues to deliver!
- It's about to go down in history!
- The first woman ever to complete stage one.
Jessie Graff, back to battle the Warped Wall.
- Nice. - And Jessie Graff has done it!
- Since the last time I competed,
I've had three major orthopedic surgeries.
My right ACL was torn,
and I tore out both shoulders at the same time.
I've definitely put my body through a lot.
[chuckles] Wow!
I think I was at a point in my life
where I needed to explore who I was outside of athletics.
My legs are working! My legs are working!
So I got a certification in nutrition.
I started studying sign language.
Hi, and welcome to Signing Sunday.
I also started free diving.
[uplifting music]
And I learned to hang glide.
That was pretty much my best flight ever.
These three injuries opened so many new doors for me.
My right arm is cleared for unlimited weights.
But then, as I got healthy...
[metal clanking]
I realized how much I loved what I've always been doing.
You know, I'm a stuntwoman and a ninja warrior.
And so as much as I love the new things I've learned,
I am just overwhelmingly grateful every day
that I still get to do what I love.
- And Jessie always has a new superhero outfit.
I like this one!
- Well, it's inspired by some of the big TV shows
and movies she's been working on as a stuntwoman,
some of which we can't even name!
Waving over to her mom and stepdad.
- Jessie, you got this! - "Be your own hero."
They're wearing that shirt, Matt,
and she's been a hero to so many.
- And other Ninja stars come out to watch Jessie.
[countdown clock beeping]
- She was a track star at the University of Nebraska,
and just sprints across the steps.
- She's the real-life Wonder Woman.
I mean, just being back on this course
after a year away,
having multiple surgeries at the same time,
Matt, she is just an absolute beast.
- Can she make that early transfer?
No, she's gonna have a long lache.
She's going to test those surgically repaired shoulders.
- She talked about her shoulder mobility.
They are improved, but they're not where they should be.
- During her downtime,
because Jessie can never stay immobile,
she ended up studying kinesiology,
getting a master's, and actually feels
her shoulders are stronger, her movements are better.
- I can do these obstacles!
- You can tell she is thrilled to be back.
Now Split Decision.
And this debuted last year when she was out,
so this will be her first time making a choice on the course.
- Trust yourself, Jessie. - You know what to do!
- Balance obstacles always been a strength for her.
In seven seasons, she's never fallen on one.
- She's gonna go with the Serpent.
- Tremendous agility for Jessie Graff.
- Come on!
Boom, boom, boom, boom.
- Oh, no!
- Oh, my gosh. - Oh, no.
- Jessie Graff bitten by the Serpent.
- Oh, no.
- We love you, Jessie! - Love you, Jessie!
- A balance obstacle takes out
our real-life Wonder Woman.
- It's okay. It's okay. Mwah!
- We love you!
- [laughs]
That's so silly,
but, I mean, it happens to everyone.
That's my first balance fail,
on the year you least expect it.
- She looked very strong in her return.
On Serpent, the first two steps
were solid with long strides,
but the third one made the cylinder slide,
which threw her steps off
and sent her hurtling into the water.
- Jessie!
You're healthy, which is so great to see.
How were you feeling before you got to this obstacle?
- Oh, terrified of everything. - Really?
- Of course. - Wait.
You are like Wonder Woman, so "terrified"
is just so hard to believe, but you just do it scared.
- Yeah, I think I'm just used to being in situations
that are terrifying, and I do them anyway,
so it's just another day.
- Oh, well, you are so strong,
and we love to see you out on this course,
so thank you so much for hitting it again for us.
- Thank you. - Guys, back to you.
- Every run is a can't miss moment with Joe Moravsky...
- Whoa!
- And he's next
on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Well, it has been a dramatic last few minutes,
especially for ninja Ryan Hermstein,
who's trying to stay in the top 30
and move on to the semifinals.
Minutes ago, 21-year-old Matt D'Amico hit the course,
trying to earn his spot in the semifinals.
- This kid, Matt D'Amico's got some ninja swag!
- The rookie from Massachusetts got through
the first five obstacles so fast
he had time to attempt the Mega Wall, miss,
and still get the fastest time of the night.
- Hey, rookie, welcome to Ninja!
- But that pushed Hermstein to 28th place
with three runners left.
Then another top competitor, Matt Bradley, got his shot.
- This kid knows nothing but speed.
- Bradley made it to stage two in Vegas
last year as a rookie, and the Penn State student
showed he hasn't lost a step.
- Oh, he's going for speed!
Oh, what?
- Well, he did lose a step at the Warped Wall,
but that was his only mistake, and he beat D'Amico's time
by more than 15 seconds.
- That was blinding fast, the fastest time so far.
- Let's go, yes!
- But that knocked Hermstein to the 29th spot
with two runners to go.
So up next was New York filmmaker Daniel Novarro,
whose run was a cinematic thriller.
- Whoa, nice catch!
He almost peeled off on that one.
- With Hermstein's fate hanging in the balance,
Novarro just had to make it through the fourth obstacle,
Carnival, fast enough to advance.
- Do it--that's it.
- Novarro had the speed,
and when he swung over to catch the spike,
he was just a few feet from qualifying.
- Oh, boy, he's got to calm down.
His hands are slipping.
Fight for your life, everything you got.
Oh, he's going down--oh!
- But Novarro's fall meant Ryan Hermstein
was guaranteed a spot in the semis,
in the 29th spot with one runner remaining.
And that final runner is one of the best ever,
and Zuri's gonna get him going.
- Guys, every season, he is one of the favorites to win it all.
Tonight, Joe Moravsky is stepping up
to start his tenth season on "American Ninja Warrior."
And Joe is flipping out!
He wants to show he's still got it,
even at 32, and nobody's
been more consistent than Joe over the years.
He's made it to the National Finals
every season he's competed, and twice
was the Last Ninja Standing,
going further than anyone in the competition.
- Joe's got all kinds of family and friends
watching back in Connecticut, including his wife, Stephanie.
She just put their three kids to sleep.
- You got it, Joe!
- Straight line.
- He's telling her he's gonna go straight,
and he's laughing about it.
What he's talking about is last year on stage two
in Vegas, he veered to the right
and shockingly fell on the Striding Steps.
Now, he wants to erase that memory tonight.
[cheering and applause]
[countdown clock beeping]
- And these steps are just like the ones in Vegas.
He's ain't falling this time.
- And he's through.
Joe says he's going for the fastest time
and the Mega Wall.
- Here we go, I think he's going to go for it--nice!
He took a nice ride, and that was it.
Now this is just a 6'4" lache.
- And you saw him going sideways there, Akbar,
that's something we hadn't seen.
And Moravsky's quickly through two
and heads straight for the Serpent.
- And this is surprising after watching
Jessie Graff fall here earlier.
Go, go, go, go!
- Oh, a little stumble, but he's okay.
Joe's dad and a big group of friends
over on the sideline.
Stepping up to take on Carnival.
Only about a minute left if he wants to beat
Matt Bradley's time.
- All right, here he goes.
You can see he's got a nice plan.
He's just gonna go straight for three.
I'll tell you, he's going for speed.
- Perfect power, excellent control.
And he's through!
And there's some of the kids he coaches.
They're going nuts
as Joe Moravsky heads up to Piston Plunge.
Well, give him a lot of credit, Akbar,
he's already punched his ticket
with his time to this point,
he's in the semifinals.
Now it's house money.
Let's see what the weatherman can do.
- He's already thinking about the Mega Wall.
He's got a lot of energy, Matt.
He's got a lot of juice left.
This dude is running on AA battery, Matt.
- Well, Joe Moravsky believes total victory
is within his grasp and believes this is his year.
- And AA, allergic to average. He's always been great.
- Here we go, Akbar.
I don't think he's gonna get the fastest time,
but he is gonna go for the Mega Wall!
[cheering and applause]
- Well, he's taken down the Mega Wall
each of the last two seasons,
and if he does it now, he'll be the first ninja ever
to get it three times.
- Yeah, he's getting pumped up.
- Three young kids at home, so you know he can use $10,000.
- Beat that wall! Beat that wall!
- Here we go.
- Let's go!
- The weatherman...
- Yes! - Oh!
[buzzer blares]
- Moravsky continues his dominance on the Mega Wall!
- Whoa!
- Joe Moravsky, more Mega Walls than anyone in history.
[cheering and applause]
- Get that money! - Oh, my goodness!
- The shirt's coming off! - Oh!
He just did John Cena!
Well, Joe, you have been as consistent as anyone.
You came on here a fresh-faced bachelor.
Now you're married with three kids,
you're twice as old as some of the competitors.
- Let's go!
- Is this your year for total victory?
- I'm going all the way. - There it is!
- You got $10,000 in your pocket now,
$1 million waiting for you in Las Vegas.
Good job, man.
- We'll see you in LA! - We'll see you in LA, bud.
- Love you guys.
- Joe Moravsky delivers again.
- Let's go!
- So Matt Bradley ended up
with the night's fastest time
while Moravsky and Josiah Pippel
got the 10K for finishing on the Mega Wall.
Plenty of young bloods among our finishers,
including 15-year-old Jacob Arnstein.
And the Phoenix, Najee Richardson,
rounds out our finishers.
We had five women make it to the fifth obstacle.
They're all in the top 30.
And check out others moving on
during Akbar's Gbajabia-Moments.
- All right, here we go.
- Number three,
rock and roll pastor Robbie Jimenez
absolutely shredding his guitar at the start line,
but his bass playing lasted longer than his actual run.
No!
- Well, he gets baptized, Akbar.
- James Burns isn't just a ninja;
he's a Lego fanatic with more than 300,000 pieces,
and he made us something special.
- It's us! And we are in our host tower.
- Burns wasn't just playing;
he made it to the fifth obstacle,
but the Lego toy master let go on Piston Plunge.
- Oh!
- And number one
is retired air force pilot Dave Kozak.
- Let's go!
- At 75, he's the oldest competitor all season.
He flew 188 combat missions in Vietnam,
and though he didn't get far tonight...
- No!
- We salute him for his service in showing
you can be a ninja at any age.
I wish I was 74 again.
- That's it for night two of qualifying.
For Akbar Gbajabiamila and Zuri Hall, I'm Matt Iseman.
We'll see you next time on "American Ninja Warrior!"
[dramatic music]
* *