- Our Ninja journey started nine weeks ago
with qualifying in San Antonio.
- Looks like you're going to Los Angeles!
- Those who survived moved on to the bright lights
of LA and the semifinals.
- Matt, this is impressive.
- And tonight, it's the last chance
for ninjas to book their ticket
to Las Vegas and the National Finals.
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Universal Studios.
I'm Matt Iseman. - And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.
Matt, these past few weeks have been a roller coaster
and it's gonna be another wild ride tonight.
- Absolutely, big man.
These semifinals have been like nothing
we've seen before, with familiar faces falling
but new heroes rising to take their place.
- And tonight, we're gonna see some of the sport's
best young stars.
That includes the Flyboy, Texas teenager Isaiah Thomas.
- I'm built different!
- Plus last year's top rookie among the women,
18-year-old Isabella Wakeham.
- Unbelievable!
- But don't forget the veterans.
We've got the runner-up from the past two seasons,
Austin Gray.
- Oh, my goodness!
- And his roommate, the Little Big Man,
5'2" "Gnarly" Nate Hansen.
- Go! Whoo!
- And we're gonna kick things off
with one of the breakout stars of the season.
Zuri, get her going.
- Guys, Katie Bone came out like a boss in her Ninja debut
just a few weeks ago.
At 16, she became just the second teenage girl
ever to hit a buzzer.
And what made it even more impressive,
she did it as a type-1 diabetic.
[sentimental music]
- When I was nine years old, I had gotten interviewed
for a local newspaper.
They asked me some of my goals and dreams.
And my two biggest ones were to go to the Olympics
and hopefully one day be on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Here we go!
- Yes! Yes!
Katie Bone! [buzzer blares]
Oh, my goodness!
- I have dreamed of hitting that buzzer for so long now
and being able to execute that my first year
is something that I'll never forget.
Diabetes has definitely made competing
and just living so much harder.
I'm fighting my body every single day.
- Type-1 diabetes has changed all of our lives,
in every single way.
When Katie's competing and adrenaline starts to spike
and her glucose is gonna spike,
that determines whether she can concentrate,
whether she can think properly.
She makes it look easy, and it is anything but easy.
- I have wanted this so bad for so long.
- * Can't stop me now *
- And knowing how many people I can and will inspire
makes everything I ever fought through so worth it.
- * Can't stop me now *
- What a stud she is,
and she's got her parents and some of the ninjas
she trains with on the sideline.
[countdown clock beeping]
5'2", 110.
Boy, she did come up big in qualifying.
She was one of the five women who hit a buzzer.
- Go, Katie!
- You can see on the back of her arms,
insulin pump on the left arm, glucose monitor on her right.
Without insulin, her body would shut down.
- What's she gonna do at Over Under?
- Well, climbing across underneath like this
is the longer and more tiring option.
No doubting her power, obviously,
with the rock climber, that grip strength,
but this semis course is 10 obstacles long.
You don't want to use up a lot of strength
on the second obstacle.
- Yeah, she's got grip strength for days.
- Ooh, falls back hard but hangs on.
That's her climbing experience.
But she is spending a lot more time on this obstacle
than she wanted to.
This could catch up to her.
But again, I think you said it, Akbar,
I don't think her grip's gonna be the thing that gives out.
- She is powerful.
- She's glad that one's behind her.
- Come on, Katie! - Mama said that's two down.
- Now the third obstacle, Air Surfer.
Gotta fly with that upside-down snowboard
across the pads.
Top 15 in the U.S. in climbing right now.
It's the Air Surfer, a little different move here.
Been doing Ninja for three years, got to be precise.
- This is not something you'll see in rock climbing.
- You don't see this on a mountain!
Well, you do see it on a mountain, I'm guessing,
but not like this!
Normally, the board is strapped to your feet,
not your hands.
Ooh!
- Here we go. - Good correction.
That right side still a little ahead.
Ooh.
Big throw, lands it.
- Whew, she's our lightest competitor tonight
at only 110 pounds.
But let me tell you, she is fearless.
- She is through.
Takes a deep breath.
She's really expended a lot of energy
on these early obstacles. - Whoo! Go, Katie!
- Balance obstacles always a challenge.
Especially at 5'2", not a long stride.
Watch it on Diamond Dash.
The key is to get into the center.
Oh! - Nice! Nice, nice! Ooh!
- Slow but sure, there's the smile.
Gave Mom a scare.
Her parents are such a big part of her success,
taking her to climbing or Ninja events
almost every weekend.
Now this starts to get fun for her.
Kaleidoscope should absolutely be in her wheelhouse.
- This is a lot of the skills she uses in climbing.
- She's got to turn those wheels then swing over
and land on the narrow ledges.
- We're starting to get a little drizzle out here.
That's gonna make those ledges even harder to latch on to.
- Ooh! You can see it spin now!
- Yes, didn't have it all the way down but that's all right.
She's got the grip strength. - Good focus!
- She is not letting this Kaleidoscope
distort her vision of getting to that buzzer!
- Well, there's the climber. You can see her just elevate.
And even at 5'2", with that back strength,
she is controlling these windows.
- Come on, stay calm.
You see the concern on her face,
but she's staying calm.
Come on, swing. Get it.
- Only a quarter inch! - Nice!
- Just needs a big swing and the dismount.
And she's done it.
[cheers and applause]
- Come on, Katie!
- I see you, Katie Bone. I see you.
- And, Akbar, with her diabetes,
it's a constant struggle to maintain energy levels.
She pushed herself to get here. What does she have left?
all: [chanting] Beat that wall! Beat that wall!
- 5'2", no problems.
- Nice! - No problem.
- Let's go!
- Well, her run back in qualifying
created a huge response on social media.
She's such an inspiration to young girls,
especially those who are diabetic.
- I can't wait to see what she does on the back half here.
Such a special talent.
- First time facing a Salmon Ladder in competition.
She's only the second woman all season
to reach the back half of the semis course.
Karen Potts did it last week.
- Katie Bone doing it as a type-1 diabetic!
Nice! - Yes!
- And now she's reached the eighth obstacle.
Another unbelievable run for this rookie.
Got to swing the bar and land softly on those ghosts.
She's three obstacles away from a buzzer.
She'd be the youngest woman ever to do it.
both: No! [crowd groans]
- That was just a miss. Oh!
- But what a great way to start the night.
One of the best runs by a woman this year.
- She had to battle to get through the first half
and made it up the Warped Wall once again.
But on Ghost Town, she was looking at the right side
and overshot on the left.
Still, a great run by the 16-year-old.
- Getting hugs from the family.
- And it's early, but that run may have earned
Katie Bone a trip to Vegas.
It's the last night of LA Semifinals,
and we've got an all-star lineup,
including the Sparkly Ninja, Barclay Stockett,
and the Beast, Ninja veteran James McGrath.
Plus, the man who almost won it all,
Austin Gray, and his roommate,
the 5'2" fan favorite Nate Hansen.
We'll see them...
- He's about to make it rain on this Ninja course.
- And a lot more... - Time to break camp.
- Find out who's punching their ticket to Vegas
on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to "American Ninja Warrior."
Rohan Sebastian's a med student
about to become a doctor.
- Hopefully he studied this course tonight
because it is difficult.
- Before entering med school,
Sebastian was an all-American gymnast
at the University of Michigan.
And he had no problem on the bars.
- Nice one!
[cheers and applause]
- In his two previous seasons, the 31-year-old
fell on balance obstacles. - Ooh! Oh, no!
- And he did it again tonight.
- Take a look at this right here.
Yo, right on his face.
- The balance obstacles! [groans]
I'm gonna get it. I'm gonna get it next time.
- Colorado teenager Anabella Heinrichs
was ready to flex on the semifinals
after a strong run back in qualifying.
With her family and training partners cheering her on,
the recent high school grad schooled Over Under.
- Yeah, got to clear this gap right here.
Nice.
- Heinrichs is an avid skier,
but when she tried to fly with the snowboard on Air Surfer...
- Oh!
- Her run came to an end.
- That kind of sucks, but it is what it is.
- Well, it's time to let the beat drop.
That's because up next is a 17-year-old hip-hop producer.
It's Marietta, Georgia's, Ethan Bartnicki.
- Ooh! That boy can spit and flip!
- Definitely has many talents.
He was adopted as a baby,
and Ninja and music have helped him express himself.
[upbeat hip-hop music]
- I've been producing music for about six years now,
since I was 12.
* Be the best, beat the rest, no contest, hey *
* Get that prize and that money *
* You can flex, hey *
The instruments I use are electronic,
so it's just one keyboard with all the sounds on it.
I normally start out with a drum pattern.
[low percussive rhythm]
And then I'll either sample or chop up a melody
to make it sound how I want.
And then I'll start adding in more layers
like the kick, the bass, effects, and vocal chops.
- * I feel lucky, I should roll the dice *
- There's a rhythm to the beats he lays down,
and there's a timing precision
that you have to have in Ninja.
It goes hand in hand,
and I think it's a window into how his brain works.
- I was adopted, and music has got me
through a lot of tough times.
Sometimes, it is hard to fit in with the Black community,
and it also is obviously hard to fit in
with the white community, but I'm able to now
get into my own world with my headphones,
and it helps me express my mood.
Music definitely means a lot to me.
So let's get hyped.
* *
[cheers and applause]
- Ethan's parents here to support him.
And a big bunch of his training buddies
watching back in Atlanta.
[countdown clock beeping]
Just graduated from high school,
on his way to college to study music producing.
- Only 5'4" and 114 pounds.
Watch him fly through Over Under.
- Oh, he falls back so now gotta work his way
across underneath or lache across like that.
Handles that 7-foot gap, and this time, he goes over.
That's the easy way, and he is through quickly.
[cheers and applause]
- But don't be fooled by his baby face,
this dude is a man when he steps on a Ninja course.
- On to Air Surfer.
- And he looks a lot different than when we first saw him.
- We saw him on "Ninja Junior" season one.
He was 4'8", 72 pounds.
Grown up a bit since then.
- Called himself Lil Dolla back then.
He knew he wanted to be in music at a young age.
- Well, he's making some sweet music on the course so far.
He's flying through Air Surfer.
- There you go! There you go! There you go!
Big lache! Big lache!
- Just needs the dismount.
And he's through.
[cheers and applause]
Watch the Diamond Dash.
Got to get the speed right in the center of the diamonds.
- Nice, yeah! - Perfect.
- Whoo!
- On now to Kaleidoscope.
Probably gonna need to get past this one
if you wanna be in the top 15 and move on.
- You got it, buddy, you got it!
- It's gonna test his technique,
the ability to make the reach,
especially on that third window.
- Nice!
He's got the rhythm, Matt. Look at that.
- Now gotta rotate this one 180 degrees.
In the fourth window, a quarter-inch ledge.
- Bartnicki looks like a featherweight
just throwing himself around.
- Now just needs the dismount.
And he's through.
Gonna take on the Warped Wall at just 5'4".
And Bartnicki crushes it.
[cheers and applause]
Bartnicki on the back half.
- Oh, rock, paper, scissors? What you got?
One, two, three, shoot. Ahh! Okay.
We both did scissors. - Oh!
What a showman!
He just took time to roshambo with us, did a flip.
- And did a flip. - Now is on to the back half.
- Just steppin'. - That's confidence.
Stepping up now for the Salmon Ladder.
Got to jump it up four rungs.
- Oh, he can lay down some percussions right here.
Rat-a-tat,
rat-a-tat.
- Looking strong.
His parents, so supportive.
They adopted Ethan when he was a baby.
Ethan's got two older brothers going to Georgia Tech.
Let's see what he can do on Ghost Town.
Got to be precise with the bar.
This tripped up Katie Bone minutes ago.
It's unnerving the way your momentum moves
with these counterweighted ghost cradles.
- We had this a few weeks ago.
This obstacle knocked out a lot of top ninjas.
This one right here, Matt, you got to kick up,
and you got to elevate it.
- A foot and a half, and he just barely got it.
And he's through!
[cheers and applause]
- Yeah! Let's go!
- Well, now he's facing a choice at Split Decision.
The balance obstacle, Diving Boards,
or the upper body tester, Flipped Around.
And he's going straight to Flipped Around.
- Look at all his boys there in Atlanta watching.
- This will really test that grip.
5'4", not a big wingspan, but only 114 pounds.
Got to climb to the top, flip the board over,
and lock it in place. - I love the confidence.
He didn't hesitate to attack this obstacle.
He went right at it.
The future music producer
has hit all the right notes tonight.
- But he's struggling to get that lower body locked in.
Really relying on the upper body there.
See if he can lock it in.
- That board is about half his body weight, Matt,
so he's gonna really have to get that momentum
to lock it in.
crowd: You can do it! [rhythmic clapping]
- He's getting so close!
- And switching that grip.
You can see he's running out of steam here.
- Oh, yeah, but he's 17 years old, 114 pounds.
He should have enough energy. Just needs the body weight.
He's trying to swing before he locks it in.
- Your fulcrum point is actually shifting on you,
and now he's gone backwards.
- This kid's got a lot of moxie,
and he has no quit-- both: Oh!
[crowd groans] [air horn blares]
- Well, he got flipped around there,
but not before making it to that ninth obstacle.
- I got this far. I'm so proud of how I did.
That was insane.
- This music producer can definitely entertain.
Played a little rock, paper, scissors, threw in a backflip,
and made it to the ninth obstacle
where he tried hard but couldn't get it locked in.
- I'm so proud of you. Mwah.
- Well, it's early, but I think that might earn
the music man a gig in Vegas.
Coming up, his dying father taught him to live wide.
And Christopher Harding Jones has lived up to that legacy.
[buzzer blares] - For Father!
- This inspirational teenager is up next...
- Yes! Living wide!
- On "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to "American Ninja Warrior."
Moments ago, Mohawk 39-year-old Mark Farrell
got the party started with some interesting dance moves
at the start line. - He's hyped! He's hyped!
- Wearing jean shorts and weighing almost 200 pounds,
the Utah dad and software engineer
was still able to pull off some big moves.
- Okay!
- And he brought some big energy.
- Ahh!
- Shirt's coming off.
- After going bare-chested,
he went out in a blaze of glory.
- Oh! Oh!
- No!
- Whoo! That was beautiful.
[cheers and applause]
- There was money on the line for Atlanta's Brad Giles.
- He's about to make it rain on this Ninja course.
- Giles, the Give-Back Ninja,
donates $500 to charity for every obstacle he completes.
- Yeah, here we go!
- At 39, the healthcare company owner
is one of our older competitors.
- All right, here comes $1,000 right here.
- And though his run ended earlier
than he would've liked... - Ooh! No!
- He still donated $1,000 to charity.
- It happens. Best y'all heard.
I love Ninja. Let's go.
- Our next competitor had one of the most
emotional runs we've ever had a few weeks ago in qualifying.
- This is so amazing!
Let's go!
- This is Georgia teenager Christopher Harding Jones.
His shirt says "Living Wide," the motto of his dad,
who died from cancer.
But that's not all this 17-year-old has had to face.
[soft piano music]
- I think the thing that makes me proudest
is that I've had to overcome a lot of things
to even get to the start line.
I lost my dad to lung cancer.
And I was diagnosed with sensory processing disorder
when I was in the second grade.
I struggled know where I am and how my body interacts
with the space around me.
Good, good. Good.
I'm very clumsy, and it makes anything physical
very difficult for me.
- After Christopher got diagnosed,
they said, try things like gymnastics and dancing.
They didn't really make any difference.
- When I found "American Ninja Warrior," everything changed.
Before he died, my dad built a whole Ninja course in my yard.
- He started to do better in school,
he became more athletic and more confident.
- Ninja requires so much coordination
and spatial awareness.
You have to grab things precisely.
- Boy, he is moving with speed.
- Sometimes, I'll still stumble or struggle a little bit more
than other people, but hitting a buzzer just shows
how far Ninja has helped me come.
If my dad taught me anything, it was to never
let challenges hold you back.
Tonight, no matter how I do, I know
he will be so incredibly proud of me
just for getting out there and being here.
[cheers and applause]
- Such an impressive kid.
He'll have his mom and sister on the sideline
along with other Georgia ninjas.
And that group of Atlanta training partners
we saw earlier will also be cheering him on.
[countdown clock beeping]
We see a lot of potential in this young man.
Full name Christopher Harding Jones,
but his friends just call him Topher.
- You can hear the "living wide" chant.
Everyone here tonight wants to see this kid succeed.
- And if you missed his run in qualifying,
"living wide" was the motto of his dad
who was given four months to live.
It means you can't control how long you live,
but you can control how wide you live,
so live it to the fullest.
Now on to Air Surfer.
This is an easy one to make a mistake,
get too energized and overshoot.
- Ooh! - Watch it! Good correction!
- And just as you were talking about overshooting,
almost overshot that one.
And you see the landing pads are getting smaller.
- And perfect right there. Now 4-foot gap.
- Big gap. Overcome it. Nice. - Nice launch.
A lot of good, young ninjas have come out of Atlanta.
Guys like Vance Walker.
Christopher Harding Jones was kind of unheralded,
but he is impressing us.
- Yes, he is.
He's living wide out here, enjoying every moment.
- But his sensory processing disorder
could make this balance obstacle challenging.
Watch the footwork. - Nice, nice. Ooh!
Tripped up, but he's still able to recover.
Great job there by Christopher Harding Jones.
All right, he's living wide, and that's a great motto
to have here on Kaleidoscope
as he's starting to make that turn.
There you go, wide reach right there.
That's the most efficient way there on Kaleidoscope.
- Lands softly on the first one, only 137 pounds.
- Ooh, he's got his hair in his face.
He's got to blow that hair out his face,
I don't know what that's like.
Look at him, he's shaking his head back and forth.
- I'm not sure he can even see as he makes these moves.
- These obstacles are hard enough.
If you've got your hair obstructing your view,
that's almost impossible.
Nice!
- And the impressive run of Christopher Harding Jones.
- Ah, get out of here, Christopher Harding Jones.
- Got it. - Okay.
- Back to the Warped Wall.
- Good job, man! Good job! - Whoo!
- He might want to put that hair
in a ponytail or something.
- Problems we don't have to worry about.
- Just take your time! - All day!
- Just needs the Warped Wall,
and he'll be headed to the back half.
- Nice! - Got it.
[cheers and applause]
And look at the celebration. - There you go.
- This is so sick! - Yeah.
- Living wide, baby.
both: Living wide! - This kid is having a blast.
I'm sure his dad is watching from up above
and just so proud of this young man.
So many of these athletes, the obstacles on the course
are nothing compared to the obstacles
they've overcome to get here.
- It's already been an amazing rookie year for him.
If he can get another buzzer, wow.
- First time on the Salmon Ladder.
- Nice! Whoo!
Look at that! - Reverse grip.
- Nice, even pace.
- You got this!
- I think he's got a full tank.
- Now, we saw him almost overshoot on Air Surfer,
so watch it here. Possible to pop this bar out.
- Breathe! Whoo!
- Get that swing! Good job.
- Nice!
- Just graduated from high school.
With his sensory disorder, he could
never do traditional sports,
but he has found a home in Ninja.
18 inches up, needs some power here.
- Big up!
- Looked like he was going for it and thought again.
- Oh, nice! - Got it!
- He's said, "I'm not about to make the rookie mistake."
- Teenager Ethan Bartnicki got through this earlier.
Topher trying to be the second.
The teen invasion continuing.
And this amazing run continuing.
He's reached the ninth obstacle.
What will he do at Split Decision?
- He's walking straight to Flipped Around.
- Go for it. Swing into it.
Make sure it locks.
- Ethan Bartnicki, who fell on this
minutes ago giving advice.
Got to love how the ninjas support each other.
- This right here is an upper-body test.
What does he have left?
- Get that lower body locked in.
- He needs to use his legs. Wrap them around.
There you go. Okay!
- Did he learn from watching Bartnicki?
Will he be able to lock the board in place?
- You got it, Topher! Whoo!
- Gotta generate the power.
Locked in, and good job.
[cheers and applause]
And on to that second board.
And got the foot on the cleat. He's learning.
He's improving from first board to the second board.
- Wow, look at that.
Here we go. Gotta get up there.
- Give it all you got!
- Matt, where did this kid come from?
He wasn't on "Ninja Junior," we didn't know much about him
before the season, but he continues to amaze us.
He may be our rookie of the year.
- Just needs the dismount. If he can hold on.
And he holds on!
And look at this, Christopher Harding Jones.
- Okay! - And he's gonna do it.
[cheers and applause]
crowd: [chanting] Living wide! Living wide!
- 35 feet away from getting his second buzzer.
Big man, first person to take on the Spider Trap.
Three sets of doors, each side weighing 50 pounds.
crowd: [chanting] Living wide! Living wide!
- And this entire crowd chanting "living wide."
That's what this kid is doing.
What a way to honor his dad.
- His dad started this "Living Wide" movement,
what a legacy to leave behind.
- And his son is showing what it's all about.
This young man with sensory processing disorder
has figured out how to handle the bright lights here.
One more set of doors.
- Matt, no other rookie this season
has hit a buzzer in qualifying and semifinals,
but Christopher Harding Jones is about to do it!
- And a storybook ending for this emotional journey.
- Come on. Get it.
- Putting his shoulder into it.
- There you go. Yeah!
- And Christopher Harding Jones continues to live wide
and enjoy the high life 35 up.
[buzzer blares]
Getting the first buzzer of the night!
[cheers and applause]
And overcome with emotion.
- Let's go!
- [laughs] - Absolutely, Christopher.
You did it, buddy.
- I can't even believe it, bro. 35 feet closer to my dad.
- Aww. Oh, wow. - Oh, man.
- Oh, my gosh.
- Christopher, that is so beautiful.
- Well said.
- 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 it with words.
- Well, Topher, let me tell you something.
I can some express some words to you, man.
You're going to Las Vegas.
- Oh, my gosh, thank you so much!
[cheers and applause]
- He honors his dad every time he hits the course,
and Christopher Harding Jones lived wide tonight.
The first to conquer the ninth obstacle
and our first finisher of the night.
- And he's gonna share a big hug with Mom.
How can you not love this kid?
- Don't let anyone tell you you can't do something.
- Welcome back to "American Ninja Warrior."
A couple of athletes from other sports
hit the course minutes ago.
Basketball coach Liv Hackmann showed off
her impressive handles at the start line.
- Matt, she's got hoop dreams, she's ready for it.
- Hackmann played college hoops
at Southeast Missouri State.
And she got some big air on Over Under.
- Oh, was able to slam it through!
- The 5'9" rookie was making
all the right moves on Air Surfer.
- Come on, come on. Ooh! - No!
Until she came up short on the dismount.
- That's a bummer.
- Professional wrestler Sem Garay was ready
to drop the hammer on the semifinals.
- Well, let's see if Sem Garay is gonna
huff and blow this course down.
- He's been entertaining audiences
in the Chicago area for five years.
- Nice!
- And he put on a show tonight.
- All right, come on. Whoo!
Like Ric Flair! Whoo!
- The four-time Ninja veteran was wrestling
his way across Kaleidoscope...
- Oh!
- When he went down for the count.
- One, two, three.
[bell dinging] And you're out!
- Well, you can never count out our next athlete.
It's the legendary ninja James "The Beast" McGrath.
After injuries kept him out for years,
the veteran returned a few weeks ago in qualifying
and had a life-changing run.
And James McGrath is going for the 10,000.
crowd: [chanting] Beat that wall! Beat that wall!
both: Oh!
[buzzer blares] - Yeah!
- The Beast conquered the Mega Wall, winning $10,000.
The Beast is back!
And then proposed to his long-time girlfriend,
fellow ninja Allyssa Beird.
He's dropping to one knee!
She said yes! - She said yes!
Oh, she said yes! - She said yes!
Allyssa won't be on the sideline tonight.
She's watching from back in Massachusetts.
- You got this. I love you.
- I love you.
- Aww, look at that, Matt. - Love is in the air.
[countdown clock beeping]
McGrath first competed way back in season two.
I nicknamed him "The Beast" because
he was a dominant figure.
He was one of the sport's elites.
- Nice. Yes.
- He missed three seasons because
of multiple shoulder surgeries.
Returned with a vengeance in qualifying,
got that Mega Wall, and hasn't missed a beat.
Wants to show these young bucks that an old hand
like him can still do it.
- Ooh, he was rushing right there and fell backwards.
Now he's got to make this big lache.
You know that extra work can catch up to you.
[cheers and applause]
- He's got friends and fellow ninjas
from Massachusetts on the sideline.
The Beast's always been a fan favorite.
Been to the National Finals seven times in his career,
including making it as far as stage three.
- Nice and precise here. You've got this.
- James is really looking to complete his comeback
by getting back to the National Finals this year.
- Just an explosive athlete.
Track, football, really came into his own
in "Ninja Warrior."
And looks like he's gonna get through Air Surfer.
- Whoo! Yes!
- All right, let's see him sprint through Diamond Dash.
Let's see that track form here.
Nice form. - Perfect.
[cheers and applause]
At Kaleidoscope now.
He's worked so hard to recover from those shoulder injuries.
Years of rehab and training to rebuild his strength.
You can see him using those lats just to elevate,
make those power moves.
- He's showing some good upper-body strength there.
- 6'2", one of our taller ninjas,
so he's got good reach.
Making a comeback at 35 years old.
That's how dedicated he is to Ninja.
You can just see how calm he looks.
That's where that height comes into play for him,
making those reaches.
Now this quarter-inch lip.
Lot of falls right here.
Oh, no!
- No! No!
- Oh, man, he's devastated, Matt.
Well, three years away, was so strong in qualifying,
and it just comes to a shocking end.
The Beast bested by the Kaleidoscope.
- It's okay.
- He had to make a few extra moves early,
and that may have caught up to him.
On Kaleidoscope, he just didn't get a grip
on that final ledge,
and his fingers slipped right off.
And years of fighting his way back,
you can feel his frustration.
- Ah, look at him, his boys coming out.
That's what friends are for.
Not the way James McGrath wanted his comeback to end,
but hopefully, we'll see him and Allyssa back next year.
Coming up, he's amazed us before.
- Oh, he just 360'ed!
- What's the Classy Ninja, Donovan Metoyer,
gonna pull out tonight?
Plus, wait till you see who's running the course next.
It's gonna be a jolly good time.
- Ho ho ho ho!
- Christmas came early here at Universal Studios.
When Tristan Wyman from North Pole, Alaska,
hit the start line minutes ago,
that other guy from the North Pole hit our booth.
- Oh, hey, what's up, Santa?
- Oh, my, he's brought us gifts.
What did you get, Akbar? - Oh, I got a candy cane.
What'd he bring you? - I don't know, it feels heavy.
- Oh, boy.
[laughs]
- A lump of coal.
- Oh, man.
- On the course, Wyman was hoping
for the best gift of all, a trip to Vegas.
- This obstacle right here, this thing can be naughty.
- The 21-year-old college student
who trains in sub-zero temperatures in Alaska
made it to the semifinals as a rookie.
- Oh, no! He slipped!
- But his holiday in Hollywood ended
after just three obstacles.
Well, back to the North Pole with you, my friend.
- Bye, Santa.
- Atlanta actor DeShawn Harris was ready for his closeup
and showed his range of emotions.
- That's right, baby. Let's get this course, baby!
- That earned him a round of applause.
And his performance on the course also showed promise.
[cheers and applause]
- Matt, he's got so much energy.
- The five-time veteran was trying to get to Vegas
for the second year in a row.
- Oh!
- His fall on Kaleidoscope left his hopes in doubt,
but he went out with a showstopper.
Oh!
- Oh, he's having fun. Go out with a splash.
- Avid outdoorsman Parker Hewes
cooked up some campfire s'mores before his run.
- That'll give him some energy!
- Hewes gets his Ninja training out
in the mountains of Wyoming.
But he wore a Hawaiian shirt for his run tonight.
- Out there looking like Magnum PI!
- He was looking good when he reached Air Surfer,
but the chiropractor couldn't make the right adjustments.
- Oh!
[air horn blares] He just hit the wall, Matt.
- On the course right now,
the Classy Ninja, Donovan Metoyer.
Wears a suit every time he runs.
- Oh, check him out.
He looks good tonight, don't he?
Nice, nice, nice, keep going.
- A great pace.
- Let's do it!
- Everybody loves to watch the Classy Ninja,
especially that guy. He's got a suit too.
[cheers and applause]
- Well, fans know, not only does Donovan look good,
he does crazy moves like going 360 on the Warped Wall.
I just don't know how you have the reach in this jacket.
I mean, my jacket's got a little stretch.
I'm not doing Kaleidoscope in a three-piece suit.
- All right, he means business, Matt.
All he needs is a briefcase.
- He is a businessman.
Runs the biggest Ninja gym in the Kansas City area.
Started competing in season five,
but had his best success the past two years.
And gets through.
Known for doing 360s on the Warped Wall.
He's done it a couple of times.
Is he going to do it, you think?
- No trick. Straight up.
- No tricks tonight. He just wants a buzzer.
[cheers and applause]
Now on to the back half, jacket's coming off.
- Oh, okay.
- They call him the Classy Ninja for a good reason.
Take a look at his suits
he's run the course in over the years.
- I like the white one. That was sharp.
Somebody needs to get him a suit dealer.
- See if he can keep that suit dry
for these final four obstacles.
- All right, here we go.
- Click-clack. Right up on the Salmon Ladder.
[cheers and applause]
Oh, had a decent pace to this point, Akbar.
If he gets through Ghost Town,
he'll have done a good job of positioning himself
to return to Vegas.
crowd: [chanting] Donovan! Donovan!
- And listen to the crowd, they're chanting his name.
They love this guy.
- Up 18 inches here.
Got to launch it. - All right, here we go.
Go up. Up and over.
Just like a double Windsor tie.
- And Donovan Metoyer is through.
Only the third person tonight to reach Split Decision.
Remember, last year, he made it here
and chose the Diving Boards, and it did not end well.
- Oh! He was so close!
What's he gonna do tonight?
Oh, headed towards Flipped Around.
- No, going back to Diving Boards.
- He's like, "I'm coming back for you."
- It's revenge!
- He said, "Oh, you think I forgot?"
- Maybe this is the trick he was saving up for.
- Go! You got this!
- Maybe he'll try a different technique this year.
- Ooh, oh, oh, oh! both: Oh!
- Again.
- But his fans loved it,
and he's almost assured himself a spot in Vegas,
but done in again by the Diving Boards.
- Last year, he led off with his right foot.
This year, he started with his left.
But the result was the same.
Came up short and slammed right into the pad.
- Coming up, at only 5'2",
he's become one of Ninja's biggest stars.
[buzzer blares] - Whoo!
- Hey! No, wait!
- But it's his big family
that made Nate so gnarly.
[laughter] - No. No, no, no.
- And we'll meet them next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to Universal Studios, Hollywood,
where we're midway through our last night of semifinals.
- This is your last chance to punch your ticket to Vegas,
and these ninjas are going all out.
Moments ago, Jacob Arnstein
was carrying the flag of Guatemala,
the country he was adopted from.
- How cool is it?
- Kids from the orphanage where Arnstein once lived
were watching, and his family,
including his little brother, were on the sidelines
as the 5'3" teenager rolled through the early obstacles.
- Good power. Wow.
- His brother and Jacob both asked
for some help from above before Diamond Dash,
and their prayers were answered.
The high school student hit a buzzer in qualifying,
and he made it up the wall again.
Hey, show me them muscles.
Show me them muscles!
At only 113 pounds, he was able to fly
through Ghost Town.
- Got it.
- At 15, Arnstein is the night's youngest competitor.
But he made it all the way to the ninth obstacle--
- Oh, no!
- And he's almost assured of moving on to Vegas.
The Maker, obstacle designer Kevin Carbone,
came out running like he wanted
to get to the Power Tower.
- Running with an urgency here, Akbar.
- The 26-year-old kept up the fast pace
and powered through Ghost Town.
- Here he is, the ninth obstacle,
and a great pace to this point.
And when he reached Split Decision,
he waved off Flipped Around
and went with the quicker option, Diving Boards.
- I think he's going for the Power Tower.
No! [air horn blares]
The Maker Ninja couldn't make it work on Diving Boards.
- But with his speed, he's got a good chance
at moving on to the National Finals.
- He is only 5'2", but Nate Hansen
is quickly becoming one of the biggest stars in Ninja.
And he blew us away with the fastest time
in qualifying a few weeks ago.
And tonight, Nate's got extra motivation.
His entire family is on the sideline
for the very first time.
- You ready to go? - Yeah.
[laughter] - Please don't hurt each other.
- Growing up in a large family made me who I am today.
- You got socks on, bro, you're about to die.
Ahh!
- Our house is loud.
Stop playing with the avocados! - Hey!
- Very loud. - Very loud and very crazy.
- No. No, no, no. [laughter]
- He's drinking milk in the corner.
- Is there no other place to sit in the kitchen?
- I'm the oldest of five.
I have two biological brothers
and two adopted brothers as well.
- Hey, no, wait. - Give me that.
- And we go through a lot of food and a lot of laundry.
About 17 loads a week.
- A lot of laughs, though.
- Yes. A lot of laughs.
- * Watch us, watch us fly *
* Let life take us *
[upbeat music]
- Nathan is an excellent big brother.
Him off the course, he's more impressive than on the course.
- Oh, that was better!
- Which, as a parent, to watch him not only
be a remarkable human but a remarkable athlete is a gift,
and I don't know that you could really ask for more.
- Whoa! - He's taking me out.
- He's definitely an inspiration.
His work ethic is like no other person I've ever seen.
Because of his height, Nathan's always been
the underdog in whatever he'd do.
But he would do it really, really well.
* *
- Oh, they are hungry.
- The fact that my brothers get to come out here
and watch me tonight is absolutely incredible.
They've never seen me live, so it's going to be amazing
to have them there cheering me on.
They are my number one fans.
- * Let love take us high *
- And you can already hear the chants of Gnarly Nate.
- This guy's an inspiration to his brothers
and all Ninja fans, especially underdogs.
- He was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency,
stopped growing at 5'2", but never let it stop him.
Got fans watching back in Colorado as well.
[countdown clock beeping]
Well, Gnarly Ninja Nate exploded onto the scene
in season 12 in St. Louis.
Blew us away not just with his performance,
but with that confidence, that swag.
- I tell ya, every time he comes out here,
you know he means business.
- And he's studying business marketing
at the University of Colorado.
About to graduate.
And he is quickly through Over Under.
Nate Hansen, confident pace out of this guy.
It's the way he attacks life.
- He knows what he wants. He believes in his talent.
This is a young man that's been doubted his whole life.
- And you can just see him eyeing the cradle,
checking it up, being so precise.
Seriously, I want to invest with this young man.
'Cause I believe big things await him, not just in Ninja.
Great dismount.
- This business student means business.
- Diamond Dash can be a little trickier for shorter ninjas.
- Bop, bop, bop, bop, bop! Nice!
He's giving the family a good show.
crowd: [chanting] Gnarly Nate! Gnarly Nate!
- The crowd loves it.
On to Kaleidoscope.
Impossible not to be impacted by this dude's positive energy.
Really have enjoyed getting to know Nate.
Wears 12 on his shirt.
That was the age when he was diagnosed
with growth hormone deficiency. That was when his life changed.
- And look at this, he's starting
to spin in circles, Matt.
He needs to straighten it out.
- Watch it here, though, Kaleidoscope's a challenge.
These handles get small.
Some big reaches.
- And there's a good look at him hanging by his fingertips.
Not easy to hold on. - Now the final ledge.
It's only a quarter inch wide.
Oh, and he lands it!
And he is through.
And Nate just effortlessly down through five obstacles.
He's calling for the crowd. He's hyping it up.
crowd: [chanting] Beat that wall! Beat that wall!
- And Nate Hansen on to the back half again.
Nate has been training so hard for this season
with his roommate Austin Gray.
They're both planning to go far in Vegas.
There's Austin coming down to join the family
on the sidelines.
And Nate keeping it moving.
Four more obstacles to go to a buzzer.
- Here we go.
- Rat-a-tat, here on the Salmon Ladder.
[cheers and applause]
Now the eighth obstacle, and Ghost Town
has spooked a few ninjas this season.
You can pop that bar right out of the cradle.
Easy mistake to make.
- Matt, that one wasn't clean, and this one,
he's gotta go 18 inches up here.
So he's gotta make sure that he has enough power.
Nice. - Got it.
Nate Hansen always rises to the occasion,
and he's gonna get through Ghost Town.
And right now, he's well ahead
of Christopher Harding Jones' time for the fastest finish.
What will he do at Split Decision?
- Being 5'2", I think he'd be trippin'
if he tried the Diving Boards. - Nah!
- He's not messing around with Diving Boards.
- Come on, Nate. - You got this, Nate.
- For some of these smaller, lighter athletes,
it's a challenge to get this big board
flipped around and locked in.
But look at the power he's already getting.
- Yeah, and Matt, you know what's so hard?
This thing is rocking him like a baby,
and that makes it hard to find that grip.
- There! That's power! - Nice!
- Nate Hansen always finds a way.
Got to do it again. - Nice! Oh!
- Get those feet on!
- You gotta get your feet on and wrap around.
That's it, wrap it around
and then you gotta make your start
marching towards the top there,
but again, that board starts to swivel back and forth,
can be a little disruptive.
He's trying to-- ooh, don't jump--
he's trying to jump for it, Matt.
- You can see-- oh, he's slipping.
And now locked in.
Big move. Got it! - Nice.
Hold on!
[cheers and applause]
- And Gnarly Ninja Nate,
35 feet away from his second straight semifinals buzzer.
- Oh, this is gonna be impressive.
- Here we go!
And he should have a very fast time.
And with his roommate Austin Gray coming up later,
we could see best friends on the Power Tower.
- Well, Nate fell on stage one last year,
so he'd love to have a Safety Pass.
- What a gnarly performance.
135 pounds, and he is moving
these 100-pound door sets very easily.
- That's why they call him Gnarly Nate.
- Look at this! Look at this! - Get that buzzer!
- Gnarly Ninja Nate coming up big once again.
- Oh, look at him!
- He gets his second buzzer in the season
and is the fastest time of the night so far!
- Let's go! [cheers and applause]
- * Top of the mountain, ready to fly *
* Let life take us, let life take us *
- Nate Hansen. Never a doubt, buddy.
Never a doubt.
But what's it like having your family here
watching you dominate again, my friend?
- Yeah, you know, without them, I wouldn't be who I am today.
And having my family here in person
to watch me hit a buzzer, it means everything to me.
[cheers and applause]
crowd: [chanting] Gnarly Nate! Gnarly Nate!
- They love you out here in Los Angeles.
Congratulations, you're going to Las Vegas.
- Yes, sir!
- We may see you on the Power Tower
because you got the fastest time so far!
Go celebrate, man. Great job.
- That's right! Here we go! [buzzer blares]
- Gnarly Ninja Nate rollin' into Vegas!
Coming up, last season,
she had a run to remember on stage one.
- Oh, wow! Strong!
- Isabella Wakeham will try to punch
her return trip to Vegas
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- Welcome back to "American Ninja Warrior"
at Universal Studios, Hollywood,
where you can soar over Hogwarts Castle,
journey into Jurassic World,
or let loose on Illumination's
The Secret Life Of Pets: Off the Leash.
- And let's not forget the world-famous studio tour,
where you'll go behind the scenes
of your favorite film sets.
Make it your best day in LA.
- The shark from "Jaws" is also at Universal,
and minutes ago, we had our own shark attack
as Mark "The Shark" Antioquia
sent the crowd into a feeding frenzy.
crowd: [chanting] Mark the Shark!
- Mark the Shark has got to smell that blood in the water.
- The 35-year-old from Massachusetts
hit his first buzzer back in qualifying.
- Nice!
- But tonight, when he reached Air Surfer...
- Oh! [air horn blares]
- He bit off more than he could chew.
- Mark the Shark missed the mark.
- Next time, right?
- 21-year-old Isaiah Wakeham made it all the way
to stage two last season. - Let's go!
- With his sister and mom watching,
the filmmaker and artist from Texas
made quick work of the first few obstacles.
- Shake 'em off, Wakeham.
- But he ran into trouble on Kaleidoscope...
- He's having a hard time with the swing.
Moving around like a kaleidoscope.
- And the extra swing seemed to sap his energy.
- Oh! [air horn blares]
Wow, he's looking up. He's in shock.
- Well, now his younger sister, Isabella,
gets her turn. She is a rising star.
She was our top female rookie last season,
and she credits her success to her faith.
[serene music]
* *
- She is doing it big.
- Naturally, I'm a super competitive person.
And I just want to be the best.
But faith is a huge, huge part of my life.
Father God, we just thank you for this day,
for the opportunity to train with each other.
My faith has shown me that it's not
about winning every single time,
it's about the impact you can have on the people around you
and the friendships you get to make.
all: Amen! Whoo!
- Let's go!
- That's one of the things I love about Ninja,
is that my athletic goals go right alongside my faith.
- Yes!
- Even though we're competing against each other,
we're a community that wants to see each other succeed.
We want to cheer each other on.
- Let's go!
- I hope to be one of the top competitors for years to come.
[cheers and applause]
No matter what happens on the course,
I want to set a good example, and I want people
to know what I stand for.
Yeah!
But hopefully, I'll still hit a buzzer.
- One of Isabella's inspirations
is the Kingdom Ninja, Daniel Gil,
who's always open about his faith.
And there he is with his wife, Abby.
Isabella's mom and brother on the sideline.
[countdown clock beeping]
So mature for her age.
Going to Texas A&M this fall.
I love her intensity. 5'5", 138.
And she goes right into Over Under.
See if she can generate the power to go over the top.
Yep.
- Matt, she's been doing Ninja
since she was ten years old.
She knows her way around obstacles.
She's not gonna panic.
- Whoa! Goes under.
She's gonna need that long lache, though.
She trusts her power.
- That's a 7-foot lache right there.
- You got this!
- You can hear the support on the sidelines
saying she's got this, and you can tell she's got it.
- I mean, 18 years old, but such confidence.
- Let's go!
- Headed into Air Surfer.
Blew us away last year making it to Vegas.
She and her brother both did.
- Feel it out, dude. Feel it out.
- She was the top woman in qualifying
and the semis last year.
This year in qualifying was the second woman.
Watch that board.
That left side barely got on the cradle.
Even smaller cradle here.
The top three women from tonight will move on to Vegas.
Most expect Isabella Wakeham to be one of them.
- Perfect! Come on! Come on!
- Great technique, not making any mistakes.
- And she's through.
[cheers and applause]
Her second favorite sport after Ninja
is Formula 1 racing.
Let's see if she can speed across Diamond Dash.
- Whoa! - Just great balance!
- Did you see that, Matt?
She just jumped right over the last diamond
and barely made the landing. Teetered right on the edge.
- That's explosive.
But now facing Kaleidoscope,
where her brother fell minutes ago.
- And I don't wanna jinx her,
but they have a history of falling on the same obstacle.
- Well, if she can get past this obstacle,
she'll have a very good shot of getting back to Vegas.
And remember, last year, on stage one,
she went further than any female rookie in history.
- Yes! Let's go!
- You have such a small handle.
That's three quarters of an inch.
- And she may wanna say a prayer for this one.
Kaleidoscope is tough.
- Just love the intensity and the f--the hand sliding.
- Uh-oh, uh-oh.
You can see she's got to reach up higher.
Matt, she's got to reach.
She's slipping, but she's fighting.
- Slipping! Good adjustment!
- Whoa!
- Now there's just a quarter inch on this final lip.
Does she have anything left?
- Oh! - No!
[air horn blares]
The grip gives out, she flips out.
And the Wakehams once again fall on the same obstacle.
- You could see she was struggling to get a grip.
And when she tried to generate a swing,
just slipped off and did a backflip.
- It's the third time she's fallen
the same place as her brother.
- We need to stop doing this, man.
- We'll have to wait and see if Isabella
went far enough, fast enough to move on.
Can the Flyboy, Isaiah Thomas, land a spot in Vegas?
He's coming up.
And don't forget,
our night ends on the Power Tower,
a head-to-head race for a Safety Pass in Vegas
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- Welcome back to "American Ninja Warrior,"
coming to you from Universal Studios, Hollywood.
Minutes ago, the Muscle Ball, Tyler Yamauchi,
survived a scare on Diamond Dash.
- Okay, Muscle Ball.
- But otherwise, this father of three
made quick work of the early obstacles.
- Yamauchi, looking Gucci.
- At only 5'1", the seven-time veteran
rolled to the back half. - Nice.
- Where the former all- American collegiate gymnast
flew through Ghost Town.
- Yamauchi coming in hot!
- At Split Decision, the 36-year-old
factored in his smaller size and gymnastic skills
and went with Flipped Around. - Oh, no!
W-w-watch yourself! No!
- But it was over quickly.
However, he's already guaranteed a spot
in the top 15. He's moving on.
Then it was another familiar face,
13-time veteran Lorin Ball.
- He's been doing this for a long time.
- Whoo! Go, baby, go!
- With his wife, Elena, watching back in Colorado,
the 35-year-old was trying to get back
to Vegas for the sixth time.
- Lorin Ball has finished in the top five 10 times.
- Though he's known for his speed,
Ball took time to rest on the first part of the course.
- [laughs] Ready to go to bed?
I think he was saying his forearms are falling asleep.
- But then he flipped a switch on the back half.
A little style for us. - Okay, man.
- That's impressive.
- I'm breaking my neck if I tried that.
- And seemed to get a second wind
as he flew through Ghost Town.
- Don't get ghosted in Ghost Town.
Nice.
- At Split Decision, the former break dancer
went opposite Tyler Yamauchi and chose
the dangerous Diving Boards.
- Explosive! Explosive! - Yes!
And Lorin Ball does it! - Whoa!
- He was the first to get past Diving Boards tonight,
and he put up the second fastest finish so far.
- What an amazing run right there.
- Get ready for one of the most exciting young ninjas,
it's the Flyboy, Isaiah Thomas.
Lat year, as a rookie,
he had a breakthrough season on the course.
This year, he's had to step it up at home.
- Last season was incredible.
[dramatic music]
And I got the fastest time in qualifiers.
And I made it all the way to stage two.
But this year, there's been some
unfortunate family issues.
So are you struggling with anything in school right now?
- Figurative language. - Figurative language.
- Yes.
- The last six months have been so difficult because
I've been helping raise my nephews.
- You see how you brought that 2X down over here?
- You can cross that out? - Yeah.
My cousins had a tough home life,
so they came to live with us.
We could go work out after y'all are done.
Now it's you're time to get it. You're gonna get it?
- Mm-hmm. - Let's go, man.
Gotta believe in yourself.
All right, high kick and a bump forward.
Chris is 13.
There you go.
Oh! You were right there, dude.
And Junior is 11.
Ooh. Ooh! You gotta jump to the blue.
There you go.
- Isaiah's been a big help taking them to the gym,
taking them to school.
The boys really look up to Isaiah.
- Let go!
- Isaiah being a role model to me.
[all yelling]
It helps me want to go places.
- He helps me with everything.
- Strong kick. Knees to chest now.
- Like Ninja and rock climbing and basketball.
- Get a lock up now.
There you go. [applause]
You see? That one looked perfect.
It means everything to me to be able to help them out.
And I like being a good role model for them.
I love y'all!
all: Let's go, Flyboy, let's go!
- Isaiah's cousins watching back in Texas
with other family members.
And Mom's down on the sideline with young ninjas
Elijah Browning and Christian Youst.
- This is what I do! - This is what I do.
[countdown clock beeping]
- He's built for this, Matt.
He's played basketball, played football,
but nothing has called him more than "Ninja Warrior."
- On the high school basketball team
and also started his own business designing
and making obstacles. This kid is a go-getter.
And he's through Over Under.
Now on to the third obstacle.
He fell on the Air Surfer in Vegas.
That was near the end of stage two.
Raised by a single mom, who grew up--
really had a work ethic, though,
that has served him so well.
This guy trains seven days a week
up to four hours a day.
- Ooh, putting in that work. - Yeah, he is.
Watch that left side, though.
- In his short career so far, Matt,
he hasn't had a semifinals buzzer.
[cheers and applause]
- He's keeping it moving, taking off on Diamond Dash.
- Nice, nice, nice!
- Little stumble, but he's through.
Ready for Kaleidoscope.
He's long and lean but wasn't always that way.
He had a huge growth spurt.
The shortest kid in his middle school,
now 6'1", only 145.
- And all of them are watching him
here on national television. What a display.
What a display of athleticism.
- And he's gonna go counter-clockwise here.
- Yeah.
- That ledge in front of him is moving.
[cheers and applause]
- All right, he's got to watch out on that swing.
He's got that long body. Nice.
- Isaiah Thomas is through!
[cheers and applause]
- Get up there!
- And right up it!
- That's a bad boy right there. That's a bad boy.
- Just a point.
That kid is cool, man. - Yeah, he is.
- You think those cousins don't look up to him?
crowd: [chanting] Flyboy! Flyboy! Flyboy!
- This crowd's behind him. They're chanting "Flyboy."
Made it to the semifinals last year,
went out on the ninth obstacle.
- Ooh! Okay! - It's all right!
- He said, "I ain't scurred. I got this."
- Rat-a-tat-tat. Now on to Ghost Town.
This is one of the many obstacles
that came from our obstacle design challenge.
Now, if you have an obstacle idea,
go to anwobstacledesignchallenge.com
to submit your ideas for next year.
- All right, come on.
- And then elevate, an 18-inch ascension here,
the second to third cradle.
- You got a name like Flyboy,
you know you can fly up 18 inches.
Nice. Nice power, nice technique.
- Well, we've had three finishers so far
on this unrelenting semifinals course.
- You're good, you're good, you're good!
- And he's through!
[cheers and applause]
Stopping to look down at Split Decision.
- He says "Which one?"
- Mom's pointing at Flipped Around.
- Well, he's got a chance to beat Nate Hansen
for the fastest time,
and the quicker option is Diving Boards.
- He went out on a balance obstacle
last year in the semifinals. It was Tuning Forks.
But he may still be thinking about it.
- Oh, yeah, he's going Flipped Around.
So he'll have to hurry if he wants the fastest time.
Only 145, but at 6'1", has a little more leverage.
- Anticipate the drop before you let your feet go.
Nice. Get a hold. Nice.
- Got it locked. - Nice.
- Now got to do it all over again.
- Matt, he told me he was gonna do this.
Oh! Almost missed that.
- But he got that foot on that cleat,
that might've saved him.
- Yeah, all right, before you let go,
make sure you secure it. Nice.
- Well, just gotta get the dismount.
[cheers and applause]
And he's through.
- Yes! Come on!
- Still has a shot at the top time,
but it is gonna be close.
Just 35 feet away from his first semifinals buzzer.
- He is looking tired.
How fast can he get up the Spider Trap?
Speed could get him to the Power Tower.
- Oh, this is gonna come down to the wire.
Can he push through these last few seconds?
10 seconds left to get that top time.
- Oh, one more! - Lot of ninjas still to come.
It's gonna be close. - If he can just get it!
Oh, my goodness, hurry, hurry up top!
Hurry up top! Hurry!
- Not gonna be the fastest,
but still gets his first semis buzzer!
[buzzer blares]
[cheers and applause]
- Oh, boy.
- And the Flyboy overcome with emotion.
- I'm built different!
- Let's go!
- That gives me chills, man.
- I love you! - I love you, Isaiah!
- He wanted to set an example for his cousins,
and he did that.
Took down these difficult back half obstacles
and then climbed to the buzzer with the second fastest time.
And he's still got a shot at the Power Tower.
You told me you were gonna get
that semifinals buzzer, and you did it!
- Bro, I worked for this every day.
If it wasn't for my mom taking me to the gym,
I don't know what I would do, bro.
I love everyone down there,
I love everyone cheering for me.
- I love you!
- Hey, you got to do this one with us, all right?
Here we go, on three, we're gonna
do that "built different."
One, two, three.
all: I'm built different!
- Let's go!
- Coming up, her last run brought me to tears.
What's the Sparkly Ninja, Barclay Stockett,
going to do tonight?
She is coming up on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back.
Minutes ago, an old friend and a couple of new faces
took their shot at our semifinals course.
Illinois firefighter Dan Polizzi
looked good for 40. - Flex on them!
- With his mom and his fiancée,
fellow ninja Heather Wysinger watching,
the ten-time Ninja veteran was trying
to blaze a trail back to Vegas.
- I see you, big boy.
- Polizzi fell on Diamond Dash two years ago,
and he made it interesting tonight.
- Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa!
Almost had déjà vu.
- But one obstacle later,
he went into a tail spin on Kaleidoscope...
- Everything you got! Hang in there!
- And couldn't recover.
both: Oh! [air horn blares]
- 20 years younger, Brooklyn, New York,
Zack Eichenstein came out charging.
- Boy, he is hustling. Hustling, hustling.
- The Orthodox Jew wears a yarmulke when he runs,
and it stayed on even as he sprinted through the course.
- Boy, he is not even taking a break in between,
he's just going.
- In only his second season,
the 20-year-old was impressive,
making it to the Salmon Ladder.
- Oh! [air horn blares]
- But his speed to that point
guaranteed him a spot in the top 15.
- Whoo!
- Rookie Jaelyn Bennett was trying to earn
her first trip to the National Finals.
She's a full-time mechanical engineering student,
a waitress, a gymnastics coach,
and girlfriend to Ninja great Austin Gray.
The 22-year-old is getting a minor in aerospace,
and she flew through Air Surfer.
- Nice! Good job!
- But Diamond Dash was a different story.
- Oh! [air horn blares]
- She's now in third among the women with one more to run.
And that final woman athlete
is one of our most popular ninjas,
it's the Sparkly Ninja, Barclay Stockett.
She has had a couple of tough years,
including losing her mom to cancer.
But as we told you in qualifying,
her fiancée, Tee, has helped
put Barclay on the comeback trail.
- Let's go, babe! - Let's go, Barclay!
- * When it gets hard to breathe *
* I gotta dig down deep *
- Qualifying was a very emotional run for me.
- She's got that sparkle in her eyes, Matt.
- Seeing Tee on the sideline is just magic.
The victories are so much sweeter
when you have someone to share them with
and who has seen how hard you've been working.
- * I finally feel like *
* Someone new *
Tee and I realized that we were in love back in 2019,
and we're just now sharing our love publicly.
Once our story aired,
I couldn't believe the response.
- And you can see the joy back on her face once again.
- Barclay!
I'm so proud of you.
- Tee and I have had so much support,
not only from the public, but from our Ninja family.
It's already been such a great comeback season for me,
but hitting a buzzer,
that would be icing on the cake.
- * Someone new *
- A buzzer tonight would be amazing.
Getting a return to Vegas would be pretty good too.
- Come on, B! You got this!
- Tee is gonna be cheering for her
along with other Ninja friends.
- Let's go, babe! - Let's go, B!
- Everybody loves Barclay.
[countdown clock beeping]
Well, running last among the women,
she knows what she needs to do.
If she gets to Kaleidoscope, she's going to Vegas.
- Yes! Let's go! You got this! - Come on! Come on!
- She's the smallest athlete out here tonight,
but she's a gamer.
[cheers and applause]
- And Barclay just attacking. That's impressive.
5'0", 117, and she went over the top.
- Nice. - Again, good power.
She is through.
[cheers and applause]
She's used to flying through the air.
She'll need to do that again here on Air Surfer.
She was a high-level gymnast and made it to level 10,
the highest level for the amateurs.
That's why she looks so comfortable
making these big moves.
- This is the old Barclay, only better.
Now a big lache here, about 4 feet.
No problem.
- She's made it to the back half
three times in her career. We know she can go far.
- And she's through. - And look at the smiles.
She's having fun.
- Yeah!
- Well, now, if she can get through Diamond Dash,
she'll be assured a spot in Vegas.
- You know she wants this so bad.
She's come so far.
There you go. Nice footwork.
- She is looking strong, big man.
And she can smile now.
She knows she just earned a ticket
to the National Finals.
And Tee is applauding. So is this crowd.
Barclay just a fan favorite.
- Oh, shirt's coming off!
You know what that means! She means business!
- You can just see how much happier she is than last year.
She is the Sparkly Ninja.
But what a ferocious competitor.
- And Matt, you see how fast
she's turning the Kaleidoscope,
making sure she gets that quickly enough,
and then she's gonna make her move.
Calming her body so she can generate momentum
and then make that lache. Nice.
- Great. Great technique.
And she's smiling on the obstacle.
- She's got sticky fingers. Look at her, Matt.
It's like as soon as she hits it, she sticks.
- Easily controlling these windmills,
but now the quarter inch ledge
on this fourth and final window.
- The Sparkly, Sticky Ninja. Watch this stick. Stick!
Ooh! - Oh, no!
[crowd groans] - Ooh! Icky.
- Didn't get the buzzer she wanted,
but she does earn herself a return trip to Vegas.
- She looked like the Barclay of old
running through the early obstacles,
but on Kaleidoscope, she seemed
to rush that last one, her left hand was too low,
and her right hand was too high.
- And she's down with Zuri.
- Barclay, that was a great run, girl, so close.
- Thanks. - We were one away.
What happened on Kaleidoscope here?
- I think I just should've taken one more swing,
I was starting to feel a pump.
And I probably should've taken, like,
a little bit more of a break,
but I was so excited, I just, like,
really wanted to get on it. - Yeah.
- But I mean, every time I come out here,
I just--I'm so grateful to be here, so.
- And to that point, after everything
that you've been through, I mean, it must feel
like a victory just to get to the start line today.
- It does, it does.
'Cause, um,
you know, last year--
it just, uh--
I didn't even want to be here.
And actually, like, wanting to be here and loving it
and feeling that sense of accomplishment is just,
it's priceless to me. - Wow.
Well, we are so grateful to be a part
of that journey with you.
It was awesome to see you celebrate
out here on the course.
It was also far enough, fast enough
to secure a spot in Las Vegas.
You're headed to the National Finals!
Congratulations! So happy for you!
- Thank you so much! I'm so excited!
- We'll see you in Vegas, girl. Guys, back to you.
- Coming up, his roommate, Nate Hansen's,
in line for the Power Tower.
Can Austin Gray get there too?
We'll see him next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- A big dog, a junior champ,
and a flamingo kid
walked to the start line while we were away.
First up was 6'6" Jody Avila,
who was given the nickname Big Dog
by Akbar five years ago.
- He's lived up to the name. - Go!
- With his two kids watching back home
and his wife on the sideline,
the heating and air-conditioning technician
was cool early.
- Balance obstacles can be trippy for him,
but not this time.
- But at 215 pounds, he's our heaviest competitor,
and it was tough to hang at Kaleidoscope.
- Ooh! [air horn blares]
- Oh, man.
- Ah. It's a rough one.
- Then it was former "Ninja Junior" champ
Vance Walker, who was able to fly past Kaleidoscope.
- Look how fast he's moving. Oh, he's going for that time.
- The 17-year-old had a breakout season last year
when he was one of the final four ninjas.
- He's got a lot left in the tank, Matt, he's ready.
- Tonight, he had a shot at the Power Tower
as he worked his way across Flipped Around.
- Easy enough for Vance. Oh, oh! Oh!
[air horn blares] He slid right off!
- But his fast time to that point
guaranteed him a spot in Vegas.
Arkansas teenager Owen Dyer was ready to fly
with his trademark pink flamingo hat.
- Could he hit his first semifinals buzzer?
- The 17-year-old quickly rolled
his way to the back half.
[Matt laughs]
- I think he's doing a fire drill.
- The high school senior sailed past Ghost Town.
- Nice!
- That's how you go, baby!
- And then he dared to take on Diving Boards.
- Oh, go, go, go, go, go!
Oh, hold on!
Are you serious?
- Dyer then scrambled to the top
to get his first semifinals buzzer
and was overcome by emotion. [buzzer blares]
- I see you.
Dreams come true for Owen Dyer.
Wow.
- Dyer's time wasn't in the top two,
so right now, our Power Tower matchup
would be Gnarly Nate Hansen
against the Flyboy, Isaiah Thomas.
But our final runner may have something to say about it,
so Zuri, get him going.
- Guys, Austin Gray has to be considered
one of the favorites to win the million dollars this year.
After all, he's been runner up the past two seasons.
But he doesn't want to come in second again.
So he's been putting in extra training
with his roommate, Nate Hansen.
So far, their hard work has paid off.
[upbeat rock music]
- This season, we've had a lot of success.
- Oh, he ain't messing around, he going for the fastest time.
- And he's gonna do it! [buzzer blares]
- Let's go!
We were buzzers in qualifying,
and we were ballin' 'cause we got that fast time.
- Whoo!
- Whoo! That's what's up!
So you know what the trend says?
Back to buzzers. - Right.
- You see what I'm saying?
- Let's go!
Tune in next week for more stock tips with Nate Hansen.
- That's right.
- We're going into the semifinal round.
We've been training, we've been grinding
till 2:00, 3:00 in the morning.
- Ah! - That's what's up.
With all the training that
we've been putting in together,
we are destined for greatness.
In "Ninja Warrior,"
some of the legends end up on banners.
People like Jessie Graff,
Naj, and Jamie Rahn.
I've gotten second place twice now,
and I think it's time for a banner.
Nate, he's also been looking for a banner spot.
- My left side's my good side,
so it's got to be my left side.
Maybe a little bicep flex.
Or maybe me on a Salmon Ladder.
- Imagine driving down the highway,
and you see your face on a billboard.
That's basically what being on a banner is,
but they better not put us on the same banner.
- I'm not-- - Ab--nope.
- I'm not selfish, but-- - Absolutely not.
- We already sleep in the same room.
- Yeah, no shot.
There's only room for one of us on a banner.
[upbeat music]
[cheers and applause]
- Oh, I think he's ready, Matt.
- Well, joining Nate on the sideline
is Austin's girlfriend, Jaelyn, who ran earlier.
[countdown clock beeping]
Last year, he came so close.
Fell on the next to last obstacle on stage three.
Only Kaden Lebsack went farther.
- And the word on the Ninja street is,
he's gonna be battling
for that million dollars once again.
- Only 25 years old, but he's one of the ninjas
everyone looks up to.
He's become a sought-after coach.
Katie Bone is just one of the young ninjas he works with.
And he is running with an urgency.
You know he's gunning for that Power Tower.
Well, he did it last year, beat out Jake Murray
on the Power Tower, got that Safety Pass.
Didn't have to use it because he didn't fall
on stage one or two, but he'd love
to have that insurance policy again.
- He's got a nice sense of urgency like you talked about,
but he's not rushing through these obstacles.
- Taking a breath before Diamond Dash.
Wow, effortless. Skips that final diamond.
Right into Kaleidoscope.
- And every time Austin Gray runs the course,
he's spreading his message about organ donation.
- Yeah, you can see his shirt says "Share Your Spare."
A couple years ago, he donated a kidney
to his childhood friend Kaylee Adams and saved her life.
- Whoo! Let's go!
- And she's watching from home with her sister.
- Look at that, it's like he's just
sticking to it like a magnet.
Share Your Spare? How about sharing your secret
to beating this obstacle?
- Great control. - There we go.
- Using that lower body.
- Oh, he is in full control, Matt.
- Absolutely. And he's through.
And that guarantees him a spot in the top 15,
but you know he's aiming higher.
- Yeah! Come on, Austin!
- You know Austin wants a buzzer,
and he wants that Power Tower.
- Pace that breathing. Here we go.
crowd: [chanting] Beat that wall! Beat that wall!
- And right up the Warped Wall.
On now to the back half once again.
Nate's closely watching.
These two are such good friends.
In fact, Nate was the one who introduced Austin
to his girlfriend, Jaelyn.
- Let's go, babe! Come on!
- Austin versus Nate on the Power Tower?
That's the matchup everybody wants to see.
- Well, if he can keep this pace up, it'll happen.
Right now, he's in good shape to beat Nate
for the fastest time of the night.
[cheers and applause]
And no problem with Salmon Ladder.
- Nice and easy!
- Ghost Town here.
You can see that cradle is moving horizontally.
Such a unique movement here.
- Yeah. - He's figuring it out.
- Yeah, he's just got to get in sync
with the movement there, move with it,
and then as soon as you're on the top end, move it.
That's it, right there.
- And you know he and Gnarly Ninja Nate were talking,
and I'm sure Nate was sharing feedback on this course.
- Nice! - Let's go, let's go, come on!
- What's he gonna do at Split Decision?
- He's given himself enough of a cushion.
He could still go with Flipped Around.
He's taking a long look at Diving Boards.
Last season, he chose Diving Boards
and made it through.
- Just like last year, bro, let's go!
- You pretty much have to double step that second board.
Get on the front then get up top.
- He's got to go boom-bow, boom-bow.
Nice. Nice! Nice! - Whoa! I stand corrected!
He went single-step on the second
and double on the third,
and it worked! He is through!
- Great job! And look at his time, Matt.
- He is on pace to blow away Nate Hansen's time.
And that will push the Flyboy, Isaiah Thomas,
out of the top two.
It looks like it's gonna be Austin Gray and Nate Hansen.
- I tell you, Matt,
Zuri said it right in his introduction,
he's got a legitimate shot at becoming
the next American Ninja Warrior.
Austin Gray!
[buzzer blares] - Let's go!
[cheers and applause]
- That's what's up!
- And by almost a minute, Austin Gray,
the fastest time of the night.
So now, you and Nate are gonna be squaring off
on the Power Tower, Austin. - Yes, sir!
- Safety on the line!
crowd: [chanting] Austin! Austin! Austin!
- Austin, hit that buzzer one more time, buddy.
You earned it.
So these two friends are gonna get ready for the Power Tower,
but don't forget what's coming up next week.
[dramatic music]
It's the biggest show on the Vegas Strip.
- This is it.
- Only the best ninjas are left.
- They've got a legitimate shot
at becoming the next American Ninja Warrior!
- And they'll battle across all four stages...
- Oh!
- On a three-week television event.
- Nice! Nice! Nice! Oh, yeah!
- There's $1 million up for grabs
on the National Finals of "American Ninja Warrior"!
But don't go away,
because the Power Tower is next.
- Think you're ready to take on
the world's toughest obstacle course?
Go to anwcasting.com to see how you can apply.
We could see you on the course next season.
- Well, we've got one more race tonight in Hollywood.
It's our final Power Tower showdown
with a Safety Pass in Vegas up for grabs.
And it features two roommates and best friends,
Nate Hansen and Austin Gray.
Oh, and look at this, what a sign
of friendship and respect.
They're wearing each other's shirts.
- One big difference is Nate's height.
At only 5'2", he's 8 inches shorter than Austin.
But these two train together, live together,
so this is personal.
[dramatic music]
- Nate and I, we've joked about being
on the Power Tower for a while, and now it's become a reality.
Tonight, we have the Safety Pass on the line,
and that's a big deal.
- The first time in Vegas last year,
struggled with the Jumping Spider
and went right in the water.
- He's been doubted for a long time, Matt.
Oh! - No!
- Having that Safety Pass in my pocket
is gonna be a nice insurance policy.
And I intend to get it.
- We've got another showdown, Matt.
Oh, got a slight lead! He's down!
[buzzer blares] It's Austin Gray!
- I got one last season. Didn't need it.
- Come on, Austin!
[buzzer blares]
- I'm gonna get it again this season,
not gonna need it.
- This is a roommate showdown.
Whoever loses the Power Tower tonight
will never hear the end of it.
Let's go!
- I'm really proud of Nate for coming this far,
but I'm sorry, chief, I'll take it from here.
- This Power Tower is gonna be gnarly.
* *
- With all the great ninjas who ran tonight,
it comes down to the two guys who live in the same house.
They're even wearing each other's shirts.
That's mutual respect.
- Two friends squaring off on the Power Tower
with safety on the line!
[countdown clock beeping]
- Okay, drive, drive, drive, drive!
Ooh, look at the speed, Nate Hansen!
- And it's dead even.
And look at this!
- Uh-oh, and then Austin Gray's got out!
- On the lead to the rope. Watch these transitions.
- You've got to be high on the rope,
and you got to be perfect on that grab!
both: Oh! Oh! - And he missed!
- Nate Hansen misses, giving Austin an edge!
And he is hung out! - Nate's still swinging!
This is gonna be tough to come back from!
- And Austin Gray can take his time,
just needs to avoid a mistake,
and the Safety Pass will be his.
Gonna be almost impossible for Nate
because Austin is flying!
Oh, no! [crowd gasps]
- Oh! - Austin Gray is down!
An almost certain victory slips away!
Now all Nate Hansen has to do is finish.
- It's never over on "American Ninja Warrior"!
- Well, we've never seen anything like this!
Looked like Austin was gonna run away with it,
but it changed in an instant.
But now it's up to Nate Hansen to avoid a mistake.
- Wow! Wow. And just--
- Oh! That was close! That was close!
- Oh, my goodness, can you believe it?
- Well, still needs to survive Falling Shelves,
but he can take his time.
[crowd shouting]
- And you can never count out Gnarly Nate!
5'2", but he always comes up big!
- So Nate Hansen is gonna do it!
He's earned safety! [buzzer blares]
- Go! Let's go!
- And Austin Gray will be thinking about that one
for a long time.
- Austin had the lead as he reached the ropes,
and when Nate missed that first grab
and had to take extra swings,
it looked like it was all over.
But as Austin was making the final move
on the Cliff Hanger, he just slipped right off.
A shocking fall!
That allowed Nate to take his time and get a buzzer.
[buzzer blares]
- Never underestimate Gnarly Ninja Nate!
He just delivered a phenomenal victory,
and he's got safety in Vegas.
- Austin! I love you, brother!
- And immediately throwing that love to his brother.
What a race between these two.
And joining them in Vegas will be the other finishers.
Isaiah "Flyboy" Thomas
along with Owen Dyer, Lorin Ball,
and Christopher Harding Jones.
Non-finishers moving on include Georgia teenager
Ethan Bartnicki and the Classy Ninja,
Donovan Metoyer, who's going back
for the second straight year.
Rock climbing teenager Katie Bone landed in the 13th spot.
Joining her in the women's top three
are Isabella Wakeham
and the Sparkly Ninja, Barclay Stockett.
So that's a wrap at Universal Studios.
Next stop, Las Vegas and the National Finals!
For Akbar Gbajabiamila and Zuri Hall, I'm Matt Iseman.
We'll see you next time on "American Ninja Warrior"!
[dramatic music]
* *