Original subtitles

[cheers and applause]

- Welcome to the bright lights of Las Vegas and the semifinals

of "American Ninja Warrior."

Hello, everyone, and thanks for being with us.

I'm Matt Iseman. - And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.

Tonight 20 athletes will punch

their ticket to the national finals,

but they're going to have to earn it.

- That's right, big man.

It's a longer 10-obstacle course.

And tonight, it features one of the all-time favorites,

Corkscrew.

This classic made its debut back in season 12,

and some ninjas are still dizzy.

- Ahh!

- All season long, we've been looking back at Ninjas'

unforgettable moments.

And Zuri's got a preview of what we'll see tonight.

- They are some of the most dramatic moments on the course.

Tonight we're looking back on some of the most sensational

saves in "Ninja" history.

[suspenseful music]

both: Oh! Oh!

Ohh!

- We've got epic one-handed grabs.

- Oh, my goodness.

Oh, my goodness.

Oh, my goodness.

Wow!

- --and miraculous recoveries.

- Oh, what a save.

What the what?

- You will be on the edge of your seat.

Guys.

- Leading us off tonight is a true warrior.

From the kingdom of Texas, it's Trent Lintzen.

This knight fights daily battles at Medieval Times.

And tonight, he's on a quest for a buzzer.

[cheers and applause]

- I feel very comfortable in front of a crowd.

Lights, people yelling at you, cheering for you,

that's what I do on a daily basis.

Sword fighting,

horse riding, jousting.

* *

Riding a horse is a full-body workout.

And then you got to get off the horse and fight someone.

Keeps you in good shape.

Keeps you sharp, a lot of core work and body awareness.

So you have quick reflexes.

The Knight Ninja is going to slay this course.

* *

[cheers and applause]

- Backing him up on his quest tonight

are some of the other knights from Medieval Times.

[cheers and applause]

Trent's fiancée and parents will be

cheering from the sidelines.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Well, this will be pretty cool, Matt.

If he can hit that buzzer, he will be knighted as a ninja.

- Almost made it to the buzzer in qualifying.

Got to the fifth obstacle before falling.

That's pretty good for a rookie with limited ninja training.

But tonight, it's a much tougher test with 10 obstacles.

5'10", 185, he really has to be efficient, Akbar.

He's on the bigger side for the ninjas we'll see on the course

tonight. - Big up here.

Oh, he thought about it, hesitated.

You got to commit to it.

Nice.

All those extra swings, especially on this knight.

Save your strength, Sir Trent.

[cheers and applause]

- Now, a test of balance, the always dangerous Log Runner.

- All right, stay on top of your center mass.

- Oh! - Oh, my goodness.

Just got cut down by Log Runner.

[together] Ahh!

- [laughs] - He's laughing about it.

- Wow.

- He says, 'tis but a flesh wound.

- Well, let's take a look at that one.

That was an epic fall.

He's driving one, two, three.

His heel goes over the top, and boom.

Gets suplexed.

Oh, my goodness.

Right in the sternum.

That was major.

- We're going to time warp now from medieval to modern.

This is 16-year-old Paxton Myler.

- Whoo!

- Part of the YouTube sensation, The Ninja Kidz.

He and his family have conquered social media.

And now they're making their mark in Ninja.

- I've got 15 hours left of this 24-hour challenge.

- But I don't know.

Paxton can be a little devious sometimes, so--

- Smash that like button, and wish me luck.

It's almost been eight years since we started

making YouTube videos.

[screams]

- Paxton.

- [laughs]

Working with my family is super interesting.

- Whoever does the best flip wins.

- You guys are the judge.

- Oh, I got this.

- You guys are going down.

- No, I can do this. - Me too.

- Most people aren't with their family as much as I am.

[all shouting]

We're always training together,

filming together.

- Go.

- It's been super fun,

and I'm hoping to keep doing it.

I've been training super hard.

* *

I may be the little brother, but I'm going to come up big.

* *

- Attaboy.

- Paxton's brother, Ashton in the red runs later tonight.

He's watching with the family.

And a lot of Ninja Kidz fans in the stands.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Paxton and Ashton will both be in action tonight.

See if both Ninja Kidz can move on

to our head-to-head racing that will

be the finals for season 17.

Imagine their 40 million subscribers

are interested in watching them perform.

- That's a lot of pressure.

- All of the family members are good athletes.

They started out in martial arts.

They do gymnastics and pretty good at Ninja too.

Paxton hit a buzzer in qualifying.

- Attaboy!

Gets through Flywheels, but the Myler family

doesn't like this next obstacle, Log Runner.

His older brother, Bryton, and twin sister, Payton,

went out here in qualifying.

- Here we go. Watch it.

Ta, ta, ta, ta, ta, ta, ta.

- Right through it.

- Mama, there go your boy.

- And Mom's relieved to be through that one.

Now it's Spin Cycle.

- That first basket, it's got a 25-degree tilt.

The second basket, a 35-degree tilt.

Big swing.

He's got those long arms.

5'8".

Nice.

- Paxton Myler holding up the Ninja Kidz name.

On now to Ferris Wheel.

You can just see how this saps the grip,

the forearms, the upper body.

- It's kind of crazy like a carnival.

It really is.

- Big ride here. - Here we go.

Ooh.

- He's got great body awareness, upper-body strength.

He's been doing some Ninja training

but is a level six gymnast.

- Also a black belt. 5'8", 135.

Good strength to weight ratio, Akbar.

[all chanting "Paxton"]

- The crowd chanting his name.

- He's trying to really stay focused on this one,

knows that this drop is coming.

Nice.

Ooh, yeah, you can see that other handle

hit him right on the knuckles.

But he's like, all right, I'm good.

- Paxton Myler through it, back to the Warped Wall.

[all chanting] Beat that wall! Beat that wall!

- Well, I think this just adds validity to what

they do on social media.

Like, they're doing it for real.

- Paxton Myler showing his buzzer in qualifying

was no fluke.

You got to give him credit, 40 million subscribers,

billions of views.

And to come out here and put your ninja name on the line.

- They're not just YouTube sensations.

- Absolutely.

- They're Ninja sensations.

- Trying to get to the finals in his rookie season.

And the first Ninja Kid on the back half

of the "Ninja Warrior" course.

- Oh, he's going to do the Salmon Ladder

with the switch grip. Good.

- Oh, he's been putting in some work.

Solid.

Now he'll be the first athlete in four years

to get his hands on Corkscrew,

and it is wild.

Get ready to go for a ride.

Whoa.

And good job with that lower body.

You see?

He tried to absorb some of that speed, that angular momentum,

getting the hips away from the center.

- It's so good to be 16.

You see the flexibility?

If that was me, I would have torn my oblique

and everything else.

- I thought his arms were going to be ripped off.

- Uh-oh. Big one. Look at that. Look at that.

He's like a--oh!

Like a pretzel.

The centrifugal force on Corkscrew screwed him up.

Take a look at what happened to Paxton Myler.

He made that big 3-foot leap on that last Corkscrew.

And this is a 540-degree turn.

It just literally ripped him right off.

That right there will make you twist and shout.

- The top 20 at the end of the night

will move on to the finals.

Paxton Myler could be one of them with that run.

Coming up, our second night of semifinals

is stacked with "Ninja" favorites,

including teen phenom, Taylor Greene.

She's hit many buzzers in her young career.

If she does it tonight, she'll make history.

Plus, firefighter Kai Beckstrand's

a favorite to win it all.

- Oh, looks like he's going for the speed again.

- Tonight, he just wants to outrun his little brother.

- And up next, this ninja was bedridden for three years.

Now he's got a chance to make the national finals.

It's all just ahead on "American Ninja Warrior."

- The second night of semifinals is off and running.

Minutes ago, Megan Rowe hit the course

trying to continue her comeback.

After a knee injury kept her out for two seasons--

- Oh, my God.

- Rowe returned to competition

and got a buzzer in qualifying.

With her husband, Dalton, and dog, Lumos, watching,

the 27-year-old from Colorado took down

the first two obstacles.

But the graphic designer was cut down on Log Runner.

- Ohh!

[dog barking] - Lumos did not like that.

- Xzavian Ochoa is a Chase Tag world champion,

and he had no trouble running through Log Runner.

- Hustle hard.

- Yes.

- The 20-year-old from California made it

to the fifth obstacle in qualifying.

And he got back there tonight to set up a rematch

with the Ferris Wheel.

- Uh-oh.

Hold on.

Nice.

- He made it all the way to the end--

- Get out of there, X!

Ohh!

- --but came up just short.

Teenager Andreas Johnson is an artist

who created hand-drawn portraits of us this season.

- This is beautiful.

- The rookie from Minneapolis had a masterful run

in qualifying, getting a buzzer in his debut.

- Everything he sees, he can see it in fine detail

just like that grab right there.

[cheers and applause]

- But his run came to a shocking end on Spin Cycle.

- Oh!

What the what?

- Johnson completely missed the landing area,

another early exit on this tough semifinals course.

And now it's another teenager.

Talan Yorn's had an unbelievable journey

to get here.

He's going to take a bite of a lime.

That's to raise awareness for Lyme disease,

which both he and his mom suffer from.

And the disease hit him so hard,

that just three years ago, he couldn't even get out of bed.

- I was born with Lyme disease.

[gentle music]

It can cause fatigue, fevers, flu symptoms.

It can be disabling for some people.

And it was for me at one point.

- He just kept getting sicker and sicker.

And for three years,

he became completely bedridden.

- That was really hard for me, giving up all of the things

that I loved.

I remember just thinking, like, what did I do to deserve this?

- All you want to do is have your kid be OK.

That's all I wanted.

* *

- I remember seeing "Ninja Warrior."

I told my mom--

I'm like, I'm going to do that.

I'm going to be on that show.

- And he did everything in his power to make it happen.

* *

Nice.

- When I started training,

that was like me taking my life back.

I get IV treatments two times every month.

- So you want it this side?

- Yeah.

I have to do shots in my stomach every day.

And I also have to make sure that I'm eating

really clean and healthy.

- Talan has handled this roller coaster of a disease

like a warrior.

Come on.

Nice.

He was the smallest sick kid.

And now he's flying through the air.

[inspirational music]

- I want to prove tonight what this disease has taught me.

Any obstacle can be overcome

on or off the course.

* *

[cheers and applause]

- His parents have to be in disbelief at how far he's come.

Talan now raises awareness

through The LymeLight Foundation.

That's his friend, Katie

cheering him on.

- Come on. Whoo!

[cheers and applause]

[countdown clock beeping]

- To see him out here is truly remarkable.

- Wow. That's a great recovery story.

And now look at him, 16 years old,

just having fun here in the semifinals.

- Lyme disease can affect your heart, your nervous system,

as well as your joints.

It can be extremely painful and cause fatigue.

- Yes.

- Mom's already out of breath,

and Talan's got eight more obstacles to go.

- Careful on Log Runner.

It's knocked out a lot of good ninjas this year.

- Not that time.

[cheers and applause]

- And Mom trying to hold it together.

She knows how important this is for Talan.

- It's a great comeback story.

We love the comeback stories.

It really defines a lot of these athletes,

their mentality.

That is the ninja mentality.

- Well, at 16 years of age too.

What a courageous thing to be out here

to share your story to raise awareness

for something bigger than you.

[cheers and applause]

- You got it.

- His qualifying run ended here on Ferris Wheel.

We'll see if he handles it differently this time.

- All right, Talan. The climb.

- Nice rhythm here.

Just keep that same rhythm.

- Watch the drop.

- Nice anticipation of that jolt.

- And Talan looked really locked in.

5'8", 135.

- And that's a 3-foot gap in between.

And you can see the Ferris Wheel has

a 20-degree tilt on it, so that makes it

a little bit more challenging.

- And here comes the drop.

Trying to get it rolling.

- Nice.

- Just needs the dismount.

- OK.

- Bests the Ferris Wheel.

- Now you got the Warped Wall.

- Well, already a victory for the Lyme Ninja

to imagine this kid from 10 to 13

completely bedridden and now-- - Here we go.

- --right up the Warped Wall.

OK. - I see you.

- I see you.

So far, Matt, he's taking Lyme and making Lyme-aid

out of it on this course.

- Well, Talan works with The LymeLight Foundation

to raise money and awareness about the disease.

He may be the poster boy after this run.

After all he's been through,

how amazing to be taking on the back half

of this semifinals course.

On the Salmon Ladder.

Look at this.

- How sweet is this at 16 years old?

- Making short work. - Come on. One more.

Come on.

- Ah, just incredible.

- Whoo! Oh, my gosh.

- But what does he have left for Corkscrew?

[cheers and applause]

both: Oh!

[buzzer blares]

- He just didn't have enough swing.

- We're so proud of you!

- What a great run by Talan Yorn,

and more importantly, raising great awareness

to battle Lyme disease.

- From a kid who couldn't walk to now running

up the Warped Wall, Talan Yorn showed

his resilience out there.

As a rookie, he made it to the eighth obstacle.

[cheers and applause]

- Talan, congratulations on an incredible run.

You looked like you were having so much fun out here tonight.

How did it feel?

- It's just a dream come true to even just be standing here.

Like, three years ago, I was bedridden.

So clearly, the impossible is possible.

- Absolutely.

Mom, I see you're very emotional there

for good reason.

Talk to me a little bit about what you're feeling right now.

- I couldn't be a happier mom.

I couldn't be more proud.

No matter how far he made it, he is my hero.

He keeps-- he has saved my life.

And-- - You're my hero.

Well, you're my hero, Mom.

- Guys, we clearly need a moment over here.

Thank you so much for sharing those beautiful words.

You have so much to be proud of.

- Thank you. - Guys, back to you.

- Well, he'll have to wait and see,

but that run could earn Talan a trip to the national finals.

Coming up, after a brutal injury and months of rehab,

Katie Bone is back.

Can she earn a spot in the finals?

She's next on "American Ninja Warrior."

- They started on season one of "Ninja."

And Brian Kretsch and David Campbell were back

on the course tonight.

Kretsch was first, fresh off a triumphant run

in qualifying where he got his first buzzer

in five years.

- There it is. [buzzer blares]

- Yeah!

- The 41-year-old from Alamo, California,

has a history of falling on balance obstacles.

- Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Watch yourself.

Ooh, no.

- He fell on another one tonight.

Then it was his good friend, The Godfather, David Campbell,

who had his new baby watching.

- Oh, look at Luke.

- At 47, Campbell is one of the oldest

competitors tonight.

And he set out in search of his 25th career buzzer.

- That's that baby bottle grip strength right there.

- Campbell hit a buzzer in qualifying,

but tonight-- - Oh!

- --his season ended on the Ferris Wheel.

[baby crying]

And no one's more disappointed than Luke.

We're counting down "Ninja's" greatest saves tonight,

and The Godfather has one of them.

Back in season 12, Campbell didn't dismount

quickly on the Lunatic Ledges.

- Old man Campbell's never had a problem with this.

Once you lose momentum, it's almost impossible

to get it going again.

- But the cagey veteran didn't give up

and kept looking for a solution,

including climbing up

and taking a leap to the landing pad.

- Ay-yi-yi.

Whoa.

That's the way you do it.

- Campbell went on to not only finish the course,

at 43, he tried the Mega Wall.

- Get that money.

[buzzer blares]

- The Godfather's $10,000 save

is number five on our countdown.

- Put that money in the bank.

- And the ninja who always looks like a million bucks

is on the course now.

It's the Classy Ninja Donovan Metoyer hyping up this crowd.

Now he's quickly on to Ferris Wheel.

Donovan's the 10-time veteran from the Kansas City area

who always wears a suit.

Classy Ninja looking sharp.

Not often you see a three-piece burgundy suit

on the Ferris Wheel.

- Well, it's more like Merlot, first off,

a little Cabernet color.

- He's had many suit colors over the years.

Back in qualifying, we got him a tie clip to commemorate

this being his 10th season.

Smooth.

Got to be the tie clip.

- That boy looking clean.

- Going to take on the Warped Wall.

You may remember five years ago during his semifinals run,

he did a 360 going up the wall.

- Oh! He just 360'd.

- He was younger then.

He's not going to try it tonight.

- Nice.

Uh-oh.

Oh, he's just going to go in the vest?

- Well, stripping down for the back half.

He's been here before.

During that season 12 run five years ago,

he was the first person ever to conquer Corkscrew.

And he'll see it again tonight.

But first has to get through Salmon Ladder.

You know he's thinking about Corkscrew already.

OK, look at that. - Boom.

- I like it in his cabernet-colored suit

on to Corkscrew.

- And great job.

You see him lifting himself up, getting that center of gravity

away from the middle.

- Ooh.

Look at him, looking like fine wine.

- Says this is one of his favorite obstacles.

He's got the technique down.

- Here we go. Nice.

- Donovan was the first to get through this five years ago,

and he's the first to do it tonight.

- Donovan is looking a little like vintage Donovan.

- And here he is on Doorknob Arch.

Well, this is his fourth time facing the ninth obstacle.

Will this be the time he finally breaks through?

- There are 27 knobs.

And those with the blue circle will spin.

- It's part of a puzzle here because you've

got six knobs that spin.

- Moving quickly.

37 years old, and he's putting together

the best run of his career.

- Matt, it's got to be the "Ninja Warrior" tie clip.

It's the very first time he's gotten past the ninth obstacle.

- You got one more.

Hey, you got one more.

You ain't get this far just to get this far, man.

You might as well finish.

- But the final obstacle is a killer, the Invisible Ladder,

a 35-foot upper-body climb that many top ninjas

couldn't finish last week.

Can Metoyer make his way up it?

- Matt, he's got a triple Windsor knot in his tie.

Come on.

You don't sport a triple Windsor

and not get to the top.

- Oh, no.

- Come on now.

- The arm's extending.

- You're about to put this one on your LinkedIn.

This is a part of your résumé.

You already--

[all shouting]

Come on, Donovan.

- Donovan Metoyer.

- Get that buzzer.

- Oh, no.

This would be absolutely crushing to come up short.

He's so close to a buzzer he's wanted for so long.

But now starting to come back to life.

Fighting--

- Come on.

He's almost there. He's at 30. - 5 feet away.

- Come on. You're there now.

You got it. Come on.

Donovan Metoyer, second wind!

- Put your back into it.

Put your tie into it.

Put your tie clip into it.

- Can he do it?

- Come on. Come on.

Oh, right there. Edge it up.

Edge it up.

- So close.

- Come on.

Come on.

- And Donovan Metoyer.

- Oh, my goodness. - Ohh!

- He fell through it.

I am sick for Donovan.

- No.

- Everything he had and just came up short.

- He looked dead in the water, then dug deep

and reached the top, had his feet up on the platform,

but just couldn't pull his body up.

That's got to be heartbreaking to be that close.

- Still a gaudy run.

And that's almost guaranteed to get him

to the national finals.

Moving on, we've got one of our top women competitors,

and Zuri's going to get her going.

- A devastating injury kept Katie Bone out of "Ninja"

for two seasons.

But the former women's champion made an emotional comeback

just weeks ago.

all: Beat that wall! Beat that wall!

- There it is.

That's what I'm talking about.

- Katie Bone is back. - Katie Bone!

[cheers and applause]

- Hitting the buzzer was one of the coolest nights

in my career.

- Hit that buzzer one more time.

- You deserve it.

* *

- Because I really was not sure if I'd ever come back.

About a year and a half ago, I completely blew out my knee.

And coming back from that has been really hard.

I've been through a lot since then.

And I've changed a lot.

And I've grown a lot.

Hitting that buzzer just vindicated

all of the hard work, and all of the PT,

and rehab, and late sessions.

Tonight in semifinals, I'm telling myself

to remember this moment.

It's so much bigger than me

because I get to share my story.

And even if I inspire one person, that's a win.

* *

- Katie's got a lot of friends on the sideline,

including Taylor Greene, who will run later.

- And check out that knee brace.

Still wearing it. Not 100%.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Slowly coming back from that injury.

Both in "Ninja" and in professional climbing

has started competing in events around the world.

- She still hopes to make the U.S. Olympic team in 2028.

- Only 5'2", needs a big jump here on the Flywheels.

- And just to think, she was climbing in the World Cup

in China just six months after her surgery.

- You can see the insulin pump on her arm.

She's a type I diabetic, has to monitor her levels at all

times, just another obstacle Katie Bone has to deal with.

- Come on, Katie.

- And gets through Flywheels. You see her wincing a little.

That knee may be hurting.

- Come on, Katie. - Come on.

- Oh, here we go. Log Runner's next.

And with that knee brace, got to be a little worried.

- Oh, no.

- Oh, my goodness.

- Come on. Come on. Come on.

You're fine, Katie. Come on.

- Well, this climber is not done.

Akbar, we've seen it with the height.

Only 5'2", it's so hard to get between the logs.

- And, Matt, who could forget her emotional run

in qualifying?

She's overcome so much in her life.

At 5'2", this--

Oh, no. - Ohh.

- With her climbing skills, she might have gone far

on the upper-body obstacles.

But unfortunately, it's over for Katie Bone.

- On the very first log, her right foot overshot it,

and she never recovered.

Fell hard into the third log.

And though she tried to save it, her foot hit the water.

A heartbreaking end to her comeback season.

- Katie, we're feeling it for you,

but I know this is not the end of your story.

It's so good to see you back out here.

We love you. We're so proud of you.

Great job.

- Love you, Katie!

- Coming up, this competitor's secret weapon

is Ninja Nuggets.

- Mmm, that was a good egg.

- Virginia chicken farmer Colt Elder runs next

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- We're counting down "Ninja's" greatest saves.

And number four happened in season seven,

when Geoff Britten became just the fourth athlete ever

to reach stage three's final obstacle,

the Flying Bar.

Britten needed to finish the obstacle

to climb for $1 million,

but he was running on fumes.

- That grip giving out!

- With one move to go, he was hanging on by his fingertips.

- Hold on.

Hold on, Geoff.

[shouting] Oh, yes.

Yes. Yes. Yes.

- Are you kidding me? - Yeah, I see you, baby.

Yes!

- That save allowed him to be the first ninja

to climb stage four.

Though, he lost out on the million to Isaac Caldiero,

Britten hit a record six buzzers that season.

And his save is number four on our countdown.

Well, like Geoff Britten, Evan White is known

for his impressive Popeye-like forearms.

And minutes ago, the Wisconsin teen

tried to muscle his way through the course.

- My goodness.

His forearms acted like brakes.

Wow.

- But even with those formidable forearms,

he couldn't conquer Doorknob Arch.

- No!

- I have no idea how he pumped out with those forearms.

- Tree trimmer Carter Ray had no trouble

taking down the Log Runner.

- He made that look easy.

- He cut a path through the back half--

- Watch yourself.

Nice.

- --and reached the 10th obstacle.

But the man who climbs trees for a living

wasn't ready for the climb up the Invisible Ladder.

- His face is red.

His shirt is red.

The ring is red.

Oh!

That 10th obstacle is diabolical.

- Our next ninja may ruffle some feathers.

This is Virginia chicken farmer Colt Elder.

And the energetic teenager gets his ninja strength

from his own backyard.

[twangy music]

- I live on a farm that's 100 acres.

We have a bunch of animals, like, three goats,

about four ducks, and...

about 50 chickens.

Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.

The eggs that the chickens here produce

are called Ninja Nuggets

because they fuel me during my ninja runs.

* *

Once the chickens lay the eggs, I collect them,

package them up, and then sell some genuine

Colt the Bolt Ninja Nuggets.

Mmm, that was a good egg.

On the farm, I can find many creative ways to stay strong.

I chase the chickens sometimes.

Got to keep them active.

I get faster chasing the chickens.

I get more agile.

I like eggs.

But when it comes to running the course, I'm no chicken.

I'm going to be the GOAT.

* *

[cheers and applause]

- His run is big news back in Virginia.

Half his school is watching.

And his parents are here on the sideline.

[countdown clock beeping]

Powered by Ninja Nuggets-- and Akbar,

he had a great run in qualifying.

We'll see if he can crack open another good run.

- He lived up to the name Colt the Bolt.

He was fast, lightning fast.

- 5'10", 145.

Very lean.

Got a decent reach.

Good explosive athlete too.

Be careful on Log Runner.

Real good balance there, Akbar.

[cheers and applause]

Now on to Spin Cycle. And he's linking them.

- Oh, come on.

- Wow. - Come on.

- Colt Elder.

- Running this course with authority.

I see you, baby.

- Now, this Colt's looking like a bit of a thoroughbred, Akbar.

- Say what you want; he's the elder statesman right now.

- Watch the drop here.

And you can see what he's doing.

He's holding the hands at 11 and 12.

Went back to 11 'cause that drops him at three,

which makes this transfer--

Look at that. He went up.

- Nice. Big reach. Big climb.

You can see 5'10" using all of that.

Now trying to use his body weight to get it to drop.

- Well, you can see he's trying to be clever with the handles

again, but he's losing the momentum.

- I think that time, he went backwards.

He should have went forward.

Oh, good.

Colt the Bolt absorbing the jolt.

[cheers and applause]

all: Beat that wall! Beat that wall!

- There we go.

Hey, Colt, you need any Ninja Nuggets?

- Yeah. - Protein.

All right. Go get it, man.

Go get it.

- The power of Colt's Ninja Nuggets works every time.

Akbar, he does need to keep an eye on the time,

because as we know,

it's not just about who goes far enough fast enough.

It also determines your seed,

because for the first time, all the finals will be racing.

No problem with Salmon Ladder, but the rookie's

gonna get ready for a ride on Corkscrew.

Watch this big drop.

540. - Nice.

- And you could see him try to use that lower body,

control your momentum.

Think of a figure skater.

- And big up. You got to go up.

Look how far you got to travel.

You start to get dizzy.

Going 540 degrees like that, you start getting dizzy.

- And it's a big drop down.

This one really tests the grip strength.

- Here he goes. Another one.

- Launches up. Got it.

- He said, I'm 16.

I don't get dizzy. I get busy.

[cheers and applause]

- He probably is still dizzy.

Does he have enough left for these final two obstacles?

Here he is on Doorknob Arch.

And Akbar, we talk about it on these 10 obstacles,

your grip is getting taxed by this point.

- At 16 years old, he's showing these ninjas,

I am going to be a force to be reckoned with in the finals.

- And now we're seeing this kind of spin moves here.

- Yeah, redistribute the load using different muscles.

- That is just unbelievable confidence and creativity.

- I think it's showing off too.

A little bit of it is showing off.

- Well, look at this.

I think the elders are going to have to respect Colt.

He's staring down the final obstacle,

the Invisible Ladder.

all: Colt! Colt! Colt! Colt! Colt! Colt! Colt! Colt!

- 35 feet to the buzzer.

You can use the lower body, try to support it, use those hips,

swing side to side.

But that grip will give out.

- Well, now, check this out.

He's using all arms.

And my concern is, is that he hadn't

been in the weight room enough to be able

to just use all arms.

- The crowd trying to will him to the top.

He could be our first finisher if he can power through.

We've seen top ninjas struggle here, but not Colt Elder.

- OK.

He's saying, I don't need to go to the weight room.

I'm a ninja.

- Akbar, why would you doubt him?

- My bad.

- You think Colt's going to fail to fire

on this final obstacle?

- My mama and daddy raised me better than that.

I respect you, Elder.

I respect you.

[cheers and applause]

- The teenage chicken farmer, Colt Elder,

is our first finisher tonight.

The Ninja Nuggets deliver again.

He's going to the finals.

- After nine obstacles, you'd think he'd be gassed,

but Colt had great technique on the Invisible Ladder.

It looked like he was doing one- or two-arm pullups,

and it looked clean.

That's our first buzzer tonight.

- Colt, that was awesome, dude.

Congratulations. - Thank you.

- I figured you might be a little famished,

so I brought you some Ninja Nuggets.

- Thank you. - You know? There you go.

Now, you made that look easy,

but I am going to imagine it was not.

- I think that was anything but easy.

- What was the most challenging part for you out there tonight?

- So that obstacle, that obstacle, that obstacle,

and pretty much the whole thing.

- I'm sensing a theme here. - Yeah.

- Well, you're going to need plenty more

where that came from, because that

was a job well done.

And it got you to the national finals.

We'll see you there. - Thank you.

- Congratulations.

[cheers and applause]

Guys, back to you.

- Coming up, Zhanique Lovett's first buzzer

was a cause for celebration.

- Go. Go.

Yes. Yes.

[cheers and applause]

- She'll go for another

when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.

- A couple of Californians were dreaming

of a spot in the finals while we were away.

LA's Daniella Blanchard has to take

the honor of most improved.

Last year, she fell on the very first obstacle.

- Ooh.

- But this season, she went far enough in qualifying

to make it to the semifinals.

- Nice. Got it.

- And the 23-year-old followed that up tonight

with another good run,

getting past the fifth obstacle.

- OK, Daniella.

- She tried the Warped Wall... - Oh.

- But came up short... - Speed. Speed.

- On all three attempts.

- Go. Go. Ohh!

- Still a strong season for her.

- San Diego's Alex Nye was looking for

his second straight trip to the national finals.

- All right, come on, Alex Nye.

- The 33-year-old photographer had the focus

to get through Corkscrew.

- The wide base really controlling the force.

- He made it to the ninth obstacle,

but that's when fatigue set in.

- Oh, man.

I know he's just dreaming of getting off.

Oh.

- Well, now it's another ninja from California,

Zhanique Lovett,

the 38-year-old mom and business owner from Visalia.

She's riding the moment from her qualifying run

a few weeks ago.

She made it up the Warped Wall,

and in her seventh season, got her first buzzer.

[cheers and applause]

And she was excited.

- Ahh!

- Now you can tell from that smile,

she's feeling real confident.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Well, Zhanique Lovett a part of history,

she became the third mom to hit a buzzer,

shortly after Mady Howard became the second.

- Man, she crushed the Quad Steps.

Better approach than she had in qualifying.

- Absolutely.

- Just felt so comfortable.

Four steps.

Those four steps at a 45-degree angle.

- You can just see how much power she generates.

5'6", 150.

Gets through Flywheels.

Her husband and sons

watching from back home.

- Be careful on Log Runner.

We've seen too many good ninjas fall here.

- Got through it.

There's your sign.

Ah, Zhanique Magnifique.

And this personal trainer--

I mean, we talk about a walking billboard.

- Yeah, she is powerful, Matt.

Everything she does is powerful.

- If you're in Visalia, go check out Z-Fit.

And you can buy some of her own Z-Fit protein bars.

- Puts so much time and dedication into her craft.

- And she's just looking smooth, Akbar.

And she's pumped.

- She's got a lot of support in the stands.

- And on the sidelines as well, including Sean Bryan

giving her some tips for the Ferris Wheel.

And here we go.

Making the choice to go up.

And you can see her trying to use some momentum,

rocking side to side.

Lock up on that higher reach.

Transfer over. Big fall.

Watch those feet.

5'6".

She's a bit longer. - Nice.

Get control of it.

Those floating handles, they'll start moving.

- She actually reached--

Akbar, instead of the handle at noon,

she reached the handle at 1:00.

So she dropped down so far.

- Right now she's over at 11, at 12--

- And she's doing it again.

- All right.

Here we go at 1:00, at 2:00, at 3:00 rock,

down to 4:00.

And it works.

Zhanique Lovett again

back at the Warped Wall.

- Every time she gets to the Warped Wall,

it's now customary.

You got to take a bite of the Z-Fit Bar.

all: Beat that wall! Beat that wall!

Beat that wall! Beat that wall!

both: Oh.

- And you saw her peel off, but it didn't matter.

[cheers and applause]

- There you go.

Eating her protein bars worked once again.

- Well, Zhanique Lovett, 38 years old

and seems to be stronger than she's ever been.

- You got this. Come on.

- Let's go, babe. Let's go.

- And, Akbar, in a loaded field,

she probably needs to get past Salmon Ladder to move on.

- I have no doubt she'll get past this.

She is so strong.

Look at that.

I can name at least 45 muscles right now.

- And gets to the top of the Salmon Ladder, no problem.

Now she'll be the first woman tonight to try Corkscrew.

Good launch. - Ooh.

- Going for a ride on Corkscrew.

- Wow. Looking like Willow,

whipping her hair back and forth like that.

- Well, this is a big launch up.

You can see how high, how far you have to go.

- Come on.

You know this sister ain't trying to get wet.

- Oh! How did she hold on?

- That sister ain't trying to get wet.

- Zhanique. - Come on now.

- Remarkable effort.

- Matt, she got that motivation.

- Come on! - She got that motivation.

Come on.

- Launch.

both: Oh.

- No doubt, she left it all on the course.

Another stellar performance by Zhanique Lovett.

- She made it to the back half for the first time

in her career.

And her reward was a wild ride on Corkscrew.

Made it through two spins,

but then her hands just slipped off.

- Zhanique, girl, you crushed it on the course tonight.

Oh, my goodness.

How did it feel to finally be on the back half

of this obstacle course?

- It felt amazing.

I've seen so many strong, amazing women do it.

And today, I'm part of that!

And I'm so excited.

- All right, well,

you did an absolutely incredible job out here

on the course tonight.

We'll know soon if it was far enough, fast enough.

All right? - OK.

- Great job, Zhanique. Guys, take it away.

- Still to come, more ninja superstars will try to punch

their ticket to the finals.

Plus, more of our nail-biting ninja saves--

- Make it happen, captain.

I like it.

- --when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.

- Welcome back to Las Vegas and our second night of semifinals.

- And Matt, so far tonight, this longer course

is wearing out our ninjas.

Anna McArthur was the first of three Utah teens

to hit the start line.

She was hoping to make it back to the national finals

for the second straight season.

- Just 5 feet tall, but she's had some big performances.

- The college student has made it

to the fifth obstacle on multiple occasions

in her three seasons.

But tonight--

both: Oh.

- Cut down in the waters below Log Runner.

- Then 17-year-old Violet Kepo'o took on the course.

- Let's go, Violet.

- Kepo'o also made it to the national finals last season,

but she, too, was tripped up by the balance obstacle.

- Oh.

Can Kepo'o do something remarkable?

May not just have the reach.

- She battled to save it,

but ultimately couldn't hang on.

- Oh.

- Ultra Violet gets doused on the Log Runner.

- Our final Utah teen was 15-year-old Baylee Beckstrand,

and she was able to get past Log Runner.

- Oh, no.

Oh, yes!

What a save.

- She's the latest talent from the Beckstrand ninja family.

Though only 103 pounds,

she powered her way to the Warped Wall.

- Her first chance at the Warped Wall.

- Just 5'1," and she made it to the top.

- Got it!

She looks surprised.

- The rookie's remarkable run finally ended

at the Salmon Ladder.

- Oh!

- Now Baylee's brother, Kai, gets his shot.

This crowd's on its feet,

and Zuri's going to get him started.

- Coming into this season, many named Kai Beckstrand

as the ninja to beat.

And so far, he is living up to the hype.

He had the fastest time in qualifying a few weeks ago.

He followed that up by conquering

the Mega Wall for the third time.

And he's still a teenager.

- Kai's parents are on the sideline with his girlfriend,

Lexee, plus little brother Luke,

who will run later tonight.

[countdown clock beeping]

Kai won the 12-year-old division of "Ninja Junior,"

which was racing.

He is known for speed.

- Absolutely, especially the format this year

is going to be a little different.

It plays to the strength of Kai Beckstrand.

- Well, he goes fast, qualifying course,

every time he's been on it.

He's done it faster than anyone--

right through the balance obstacle.

And that's a big move.

And look at him linking here, Akbar.

Oh, my God.

- He's going for that seeding.

He knows.

He wants to be able to give himself an opportunity

to be in the best position.

Here we go.

- Locked in.

- I'm not worried about him on the front half.

- That's it. Come on.

- All right, here we go.

Watch this one.

Watch this earthquake.

Boom!

- Got a weight set with the Mega Wall money

from a past season.

Getting stronger to be a fireman.

And look at this. - Nice.

- He just crushed it.

And it's the same speed as in qualifying,

not slowing down for anything.

Well, faced a 10-obstacle course once before

in his career and crushed it.

Looking to do that again.

- Nice rhythm.

Good.

- Now, watch these drops here.

540 degrees of rotation.

And a good job.

You can see him splaying the hips,

getting those legs out to slow that rotation.

- He's still feeling the centrifugal force.

That thing will get you dizzy.

- Absolutely.

Big launch up. - Nice.

- Got it.

- Whoo!

- Kai Beckstrand going for a ride,

but he just looks like he's enjoying it.

- If that was me on Corkscrew, I would be like, oh.

He was like, whee.

- 180 pounds, though.

Doorknob Arch will be a big ask.

And this is where fatigue

normally starts to catch up to you.

- Especially once you get to the top of the arch here.

That's about 20 feet up, two stories up high.

That's big.

He is high up.

Don't look down.

- You can see he's skipping the ones with the blue circles.

Those are the handles that are free spinning.

The other ones are fixed in place.

- That's right.

Come on.

Get off that thing.

- Going for the dismount.

Got it. - Nice.

- And what a pace to this point, Akbar.

all: Let's go, Kai! Let's go, Kai!

- Well, this is the obstacle, though,

that really taxes you, particularly,

the heavier you are-- 180 pounds.

- So it's not just about having strength.

It's about having strength endurance here

on Invisible Ladder.

- And look at him just muscling it up.

Such power.

- 180 pounds is different, Matt.

It's real different, and he knows it.

- But you can see, Akbar, really

not using the lower body.

There he goes. Kip it up.

- Yeah. There it is.

- 10 feet.

And you can just see, Akbar,

this is when it catches up to you.

He's slowing down, but he's getting close.

We've seen so many athletes make it to this point

only to fall.

- He's 25 feet up.

- What does he have left?

- Almost at the 30 position.

Come on. Come on, Kai.

Come on, Kai.

- Right here.

Nice.

- Feet up.

- Oh!

- And Kai Beckstrand's gonna do it

and do it with the fastest time so far.

The kid is strong. The kid is fast.

The kid is good.

- And the kid has no quit.

We're used to seeing Kai fly

through a six-obstacle course.

But tonight we saw how much grit he has,

muscling his way through Doorknob Arch

and making it to the top of Invisible Ladder

at 180 pounds.

That's impressive.

Hey, Kai, did you think about letting go

for a little bit there?

- I was tired, but there was no way I was letting go.

- OK.

All right, Kai.

- You go fast, my friend.

How excited are you to start racing now?

- That's my home court right there.

- We will see you in the finals.

- It's easy to see why many think Kai could win it all.

In this season, viewers at home can be winners too

in our Win Like a Warrior Sweepstakes

presented by the Wells Fargo Active Cash Credit Card.

Go to nbc.com/winlike awarriorsweepstakes

to learn more.

Coming up, a rare disease slowed his mom down.

Tonight, ninja Evan Lavallee wants to give her a lift.

- I love competing in "Ninja" because I know it

puts a smile on my mom's face.

- Wow.

- Their stories just ahead

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- No one came farther for tonight's semifinals

competition than Alaska's Forest Strick,

who was cheered on by fellow Alaskan Nick Hanson.

- Let's go, Forest!

- The 28-year-old from Wasilla was making his second straight

appearance in the semifinals.

- Run, Forest, run.

- Yeah!

- The air force veteran was knocked out

by the Ferris Wheel in qualifying.

- He's spending a little bit too much time hanging.

Ooh.

- And that's where his run ended tonight.

New Jersey's Tyler Rizzo had a colorful crew for his run.

- Ooh, Team Tyler out in force.

- The teenager is a lifelong "Ninja" fan,

and running the course is a full-circle moment.

Six years ago, when he was 11, Tyler came to the finals

as the winner of our Obstacle Design Challenge

for drawing up the Barrel Roll.

Tonight, he was trying to earn a trip to the finals

as a competitor.

And he took a big step towards that

by making it to the back half.

- OK, Ninja Rizz.

all: Tyler! Tyler!

- But the rookie did not have a fast time.

So though he made it to Corkscrew before falling...

- Oh!

- His slower pace could keep him from moving on.

Speed wasn't a problem for 20-year-old

Massachusetts college student, Jonathan Godbout.

- OK, Godbout.

Godbout to do some good things right now.

- Along with fellow ninja Evan Lavallee,

Godbout plays drums in a heavy metal band.

And he got rocked by the Corkscrew.

- Look at him wobbling.

He can barely keep himself straight.

- Doorknob Arch was also an adventure.

- Ohh, ooh. That was almost a headbanger.

- So the four-time "Ninja" veteran had very little left

for the Invisible Ladder.

- Keep fighting. Keep fighting.

Oh.

- But he's in good position to move on.

So now his bandmate, Evan, gets his shot.

The Massachusetts teenager had an impressive debut

in qualifying a few weeks ago.

And he's dedicating this season to his mom.

[gentle music]

- My mom has been through a lot over the last few years.

* *

She's battled two different kinds of cancers

and constantly deals with Stiff Person Syndrome.

- * I've scaled mountains *

* I've climbed trees *

* I'm not scared of heights, you see? *

- All of a sudden, I would be standing,

and my brain would tell me,

you're going to fall over.

And there was literally nothing I could do about it.

Since then, Evan helped with groceries,

put things away, helped with the laundry, cooking meals.

Oh, that looks fantastic.

- That's definitely getting good.

- * Every morning *

* I see clearer skies *

- I feel so lucky to have a son like Evan.

* *

Nice.

- I love competing in "Ninja" because I know it

puts a smile on my mom's face.

- [laughs]

Watching Evan do "Ninja" has just kept me strong--

Wow.

'Cause it's--

it's not always easy for me.

- * There's magic in this life *

- I want to make my mom proud because that moment

of happiness we share together after means everything.

* *

[cheers and applause]

- Mom's going to be watching with Evan's dad

and his sister, Sophia, who's also a ninja,

competed three seasons ago.

[countdown clock beeping]

Lavallee had the second-fastest time in his qualifying round,

but can he keep up that pace with 10 obstacles?

- He's a guitarist in a heavy metal band.

You know he's going to shred this course.

Evan ready to go.

- Lavallee.

[cheers and applause]

Now facing Log Runner.

Great footwork. - Ooh.

- Well, his sister, Sophia, the Wandering Ninja.

Remember her from "Ninja Junior"?

Evan was also a competitor on "Junior."

- Well, Evan is all grown up now.

[cheering]

18 years old with that man bun.

- And look at that technique. - Looking like a grown man.

- Holding on to the 11:00 and 12:00 hands

and leans back to that 11 hand.

Doing it again here to get a little higher up.

- He got that 11 and 12 going down to 3.

- Great technique.

- Well, school's out at 3:00.

It's time to go.

- And Evan's not even breathing heavily.

Just about the same time he had in qualifying.

- Wow.

- All right. - Let's go.

- There you go.

- Evan and his crew are headed to the back half,

including mom with her walker.

- And we know this back half, Matt.

It tells a different story than the front half.

- Well, all four upper-body obstacles

designed to tax your forearms,

your grip, your fingertips.

Click, clack.

- There we go.

Whoa. - Going for a ride.

Locked in. - That's it.

- Boy, Lavallee showing tremendous power and control.

- Nice.

Boy, he's got an aggressive pace to it.

He just wants to get off Corkscrew.

Corkscrew can really screw you up.

Nice. Whoo.

- I haven't seen spins like this since Lynda Carter

turned into Wonder Woman.

- Oh, yes.

I remember that one.

[cheers and applause]

- On now the Doorknob Arch.

- Evan Lavallee is making a name for himself tonight.

He's out here as a rookie just crushing

this 10-obstacle course.

- And you can just see-- - Ooh.

Look at the feet.

- I was going to say that.

That's the technique, the same technique

gonna help him once he gets to the Invisible Ladder.

- Well, you use those hips side to side.

Let your momentum--

- Watch out. Watch out.

That arch can get you, now.

It can hit you.

Nice. - There it is.

[cheers and applause]

Well, his mother's been through so much,

poor health battles.

Got to be such a thrill for her.

Only two finishers so far.

We've seen a lot of ninjas run out of gas right here.

But this rookie seems like he's only getting stronger.

And look at this, Akbar.

We haven't seen this approach, leading with one arm.

Now he's doing a little switch.

- Yeah, it's almost like he's reaching up

and trying to get the biggest amount of movement here.

- This isn't a common obstacle to have in gyms, Akbar.

And it's really not intuitive motion.

You're seeing these ninjas.

They watch the others run,

but it's different between watching it and then executing.

- You're absolutely right.

It's counterintuitive.

We tend to have the crossbody coordination.

- Oh, my.

- But to use the same arm, same leg,

it feels a little uncoordinated,

but it's the most efficient way to get up.

But he's doing whatever he can.

- A couple feet away.

Can he get up? - Come on.

All the way.

- Evan Lavallee does it!

[cheers and applause]

[inspirational music]

And what a great moment for this family.

What a performance.

Evan, knowing everything

that your family has been through

with your mom's health struggles,

having her down there watch this moment, my friend,

what does it mean to you right now?

- It means everything.

I've been watching this forever.

And when I was on "Junior" doing well,

I saw how happy that made my mom.

So making it up all the way here, I couldn't be happier.

- Well, why don't you go down and celebrate with her?

- His first time on the back half,

but it was no problem for Evan.

He wanted a buzzer for his mom, and he got one,

our third finisher tonight.

- * There's magic in this life *

- Now mom will get to watch him

when he goes racing in the finals.

Moms hold a special place in "Ninja" history,

and a famous one is number three

in our greatest saves countdown, Sandy Zimmerman.

Best known for being the first mom up the Warped Wall,

Sandy was competing in the women's championship in 2022

when she took on the fifth obstacle, Wall to Wall.

- Ooh, oh, oh, oh.

What? Oh, my goodness.

- What a great save. Can she get back up?

- If she makes this save--

are you kidding me? - Oh, my.

- This is a--what? - Look at the bulldog--

- Of all mother--

- Sandy Zimmerman.

- Come on.

- Holy hell.

- She was down to her fingertips,

but somehow held on and climbed her way back.

Zimmerman went on to finish the obstacle,

and Sandy's save is number three on our countdown.

- Coming up, "Ninja's" favorite nurse, Mady Howard,

goes for another buzzer.

That's next on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Our second night of semifinals rolls on

here in Vegas.

Moments ago, 61-year-old Glenn Davis tried

to become the oldest ninja ever

to qualify for the national finals.

- Look at the form.

- Davis had an impressive run to the fifth obstacle

in qualifying, but tonight--

- Here we go.

Nice.

Oh. Ohh.

- --his run was cut short on Log Runner.

Then it was Marine Corps helicopter pilot

Landon Nagao, who flew through the first part

of the course. - Let's go.

Semper fi, baby.

Semper fi.

- In his fourth season of "Ninja"--

- Landon Nagao, your time is now.

- --the 29-year-old made it up the Warped Wall

for the first time in his career.

- OK.

Oh, that was nothing.

[cheers and applause]

- But the chopper pilot wasn't ready for the wild ride

of Corkscrew. - Get it.

Oh!

Spun off just like a helicopter.

[cheers and applause]

- On the course right now working his way

to the Corkscrew is Landon's San Diego

training partner, Nicholas Coolridge.

- Ooh.

Yeah.

- Coolridge, known as Modern Tarzan,

returned this year after being away for seven years.

And he's come back strong.

Hit a buzzer in qualifying,

and has made his way to the back half tonight.

Watch him trying to pull himself up,

keep his mass away from that center.

Slow that rotation.

Control that rotation.

- Yeah, for a guy that hasn't been doing this

for seven years, he's looking good at 36 years old.

There you go. Get it.

- And look at this.

Nicholas Coolridge--

- Oh!

- Rolls goes right through it.

That's no surprise.

He's big into acro yoga, has a huge social media

presence, almost half a million followers

on Instagram.

Likes to climb things in his videos.

Now going to try to climb the Doorknob Arch.

- All right. Here we go.

- Find your rhythm.

- I'm going to tell you right now, if you're Tarzan,

you do not fall on this Doorknob--

- Look at him. Look at him.

- He looks like Tarzan.

He's going for a long dismount. - Oh!

That was a dangerous dismount. - Wow.

[cheers and applause]

And now a rematch 10 years in the making.

Back in season seven, Nicholas Coolridge

was the first athlete ever to complete the Invisible Ladder.

- We got a finisher!

- But at 36, does he have enough left to do it again?

- Yeah, use your knees.

There you go. That's it.

Almost like riding a bicycle.

There you go. - Ooh.

After nine previous obstacles, your arms are spent.

We've seen so many top ninjas just not have enough to finish.

But credit to Coolridge, he's continuing to fight.

He may be trying to remember how he did it 10 years ago.

- I remember, it was epic.

It was the first time anyone saw this obstacle.

- Nicholas Coolridge was the first athlete ever

to complete Invisible Ladder.

And now in season 17--

Not yet, Akbar. - No, no, no, no.

- Oh, no.

- Oh, he's saying, I can't do it.

- No. - Oh, yes, you can.

Yes, you can.

- A few feet away.

I thought it was done.

But if there's one thing in "Ninja" we know,

it ain't over till the ninja hits the buzzer.

But the good news with that run,

he's virtually guaranteed to make the national finals.

Zuri, who's up next?

- Guys, Mady Howard's biggest accomplishment

is still her son, Beckham.

Hi, Beckham.

Say go, Mommy, go.

Go, Mommy, go.

- Go, Mommy, go. - Yeah!

But now she has another reason to celebrate.

In qualifying, the nurse from St. George, Utah,

became the second mom in "Ninja" history

to hit a buzzer.

[upbeat music]

- Oh! - Oh!

- Yes. Yes. Yes.

- Season 11, Sandy Zimmerman hit the buzzer

and became the first mom.

- The first mom!

The first mom!

- And ever since, there's been a drought.

I've fallen on the fifth obstacle

for many years in a row now.

- That's not all the way locked in.

- No!

Last time she got a buzzer--

- Oh, no. - Oh!

Good power.

both: Oh!

- So it felt amazing to hit that buzzer.

- Got it.

Mady Howard,

just the second mother ever to hit a buzzer.

- Being at the top of the Warped Wall,

looking down at my family, it was surreal.

[cheers and applause]

I can't believe I'm the second mom.

- Beckham will be blowing kisses throughout Mommy's run.

And Mady's got a lot of other fans cheering for her.

[together] Let's go, Mady. Let's go.

Let's go, Mady. Let's go.

- Mady made her "Ninja" debut six years ago,

a former college gymnast at Southern Utah University.

[cheers and applause]

Four-time national finalist

wants to make it a fifth time.

But to do it, she probably needs to

at least get to the back half of the course.

We've already had two women get that far.

- We know she's capable of that.

- Good job, Mommy.

- Good job, Mom.

- How cool would it be to be the first mom

to complete a semifinals course?

- Well, that would be--

oh, no.

- Wow.

And just like that, it's over.

- Oh, man.

- She was sliding over the top of the first two logs

and then slammed into the third.

Not the ending Mady Howard wanted.

- Mady's season comes to an end,

but she's still a hero to Beckham.

Coming up, you know him as The Papal Ninja,

but church worker Sean Bryan is also churning out

some insane viral video.

- [shouts]

- The new social media star is next

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to the semifinals,

where three top ninjas from Colorado just got their shot.

Two-time Last Ninja Standing, Kaden Lebsack led off.

And the gym owner was all business.

- You could just tell by his energy.

He said, you know what? I'm locked in.

- Lebsack barely broke a sweat as he knocked down

obstacle after obstacle.

- You can tell a lot by an athlete's body language.

And it's telling me he's hitting that buzzer.

- The 19-year-old is one of the favorites to win it all,

and he showed why as he climbed the Invisible Ladder

and put up the second-fastest time so far.

- That's what you call a ninja flex right there.

- His training partner, Max Feinberg

hit the course next and was equally impressive.

- You got a feeling that Max Feinberg wants to be

in the finals and win it all.

- Feinberg's a student at the University of Denver

and he aced the back half obstacles.

- Nice big spin.

- He climbed the Invisible Ladder

to secure his fifth straight trip to the national finals.

Finally, it was the youngest member of the Colorado crew,

17-year-old Hans Hertz,

who followed in the footsteps

of his training partners.

- Here we go. Whoo!

- Like his two buddies, Hertz was unstoppable on the course.

- Whatever he starts, he finishes.

- The recent high school grad made it all the way

to stage four his rookie season

and has never fallen in the water.

- OK, Hans Hertz.

I know it hurts.

- And he kept that streak alive tonight,

climbing up the Invisible Ladder

to become our third straight finisher,

the sixth overall tonight.

Well, "Ninja" fans recognize our next athlete.

It's The Papal Ninja, 10-time veteran Sean Bryan.

He's a Catholic church worker, and his faith is important.

But he's also got quite a sense of humor.

[ethereal music]

- If you're affiliated with the church,

people think you might be a little stale

or a little stoic, but that's not the case.

I think people who know me well know that I have a funny side.

Bicep show, bicep, bicep, bicep,

bicep, show, bicep, bicep.

That's right.

Oh!

I've been helping my friend, Anton, doing YouTube videos.

Most of the stunts that I do with Anton

are "do not try this at home."

Anton, you have to go home.

It all started when Anton decided

to just fall through the ceiling

when we were doing a demolition.

- This is how they teach you to work in America.

5:00 p.m., you must go home.

- We thought, oh, people like this sort of thing.

What else can we do?

Get back to work.

We've been doing these funny skits

where I kick them out of work.

Hey, Anton. What are you doing?

It's 5:00 p.m.

Your contract says no overtime.

So I cut him off of ropes.

I kicked him off the top of a building.

Go home. Go home.

Go home.

I've been getting a lot of views on social media,

but I hope my run tonight breaks the internet.

[ethereal music]

- Sean's already started his run

and has made his way to Ferris Wheel.

- There he goes.

- Survives the drop, spins his way to the landing pad.

- He can put that on social media.

There's his video partner, Anton,

watching with Sean's parents, who never miss a run.

Gonna take on the Warped Wall, which should be no problem.

all: Let's go, Sean! Let's go, Sean!

- Lots of Sean Bryan fans here tonight.

And heading to the back half once again.

And no problem on the Warped Wall.

- There you go.

- Pretty impressive at 40 years old,

Sean Bryan's still out here

competing against the teenagers.

He was a college gymnast at Cal Berkeley,

a great all-around athlete.

- Let's go, Sean.

- We used to have a super Salmon Ladder skill test,

and Sean Bryan won it one year.

That guy was a machine.

- Yeah, the Salmon Ladder is easy peasy for him.

- 10 years of "Ninja" experience.

He's seen many of these obstacles before.

And if he gets through Corkscrew,

he'll be in good position to move on

to his eighth national finals.

Good job getting those hips out,

getting those legs extended, trying to slow his roll.

- Ooh.

He's going to be dizzy after this one.

- Well, physics teachers will love this obstacle.

- 3 feet up.

That's a big up.

- Good job. - Whoo.

- Talk about angular momentum there.

Looking to get that eighth obstacle under his wings.

And he's got it.

[cheers and applause]

- Firing up the crowd.

[cheers and applause]

A little prayer before the ascent here.

Sean could probably make one of his viral videos

falling from Doorknob Arch.

It's 20 feet above the water, a long way down.

Well, Sean Bryan, smooth progress.

- Nice. Good.

Nice rotation. - I like it.

- This is a good technique,

especially if you're talented enough.

Now, 22% of these knobs will turn on you,

so making the turn, the blind turn,

can put you in a bad position.

- Well, I think he'd mapped out in his head

where those free spinning handles were.

And now you can see him shaking out those forearms.

Does he have anything left for the 35-foot climb

on the Invisible Ladder?

all: Let's go, Sean. Let's go, Sean.

- At his age, can he muscle his way up the tower?

It's stopped many other top ninjas.

Here we go.

165 pounds, and he is fighting, Akbar.

- Nice. Good technique, though.

- You see him using that lower body,

those hips and knees kipping up,

trying to take the load off.

Now he's going full kick.

This is never a good sign, Akbar.

- Oh, no.

That's a lot of force, especially on the rotator cuffs

and the joint.

- But he's still progressing.

- Yeah, especially when he's doing that big kick like that.

He's taking 165 pounds, and he's really

draining his grip strength.

And, Matt, he might've overshot it.

- I think he's just doing anything he can.

- Oh, boy.

- Oh, does he have it left?

- Whatever it takes.

- Find your salvation.

- You got five more feet.

Might as well.

- Sean Bryan continues to rise in the desert.

Can he get those feet up?

- If you want to go to heaven,

you've got a few more feet to go.

- Sean Bryan does it! - Hallelujah!

[cheers and applause]

- Finishes it.

And it may not have been his prettiest run,

but it might have been his gutsiest.

* *

[cheers and applause]

Sean Bryan, you're going racing, buddy.

Go get some water and celebrate.

- Matt, we're going to have some big,

big competition in the finals.

- Sean's a gymnast, and so is the star

of number two in our greatest saves countdown.

In season 11, Olympic gymnast Danell Leyva, a rookie,

made it to stage one of the national finals.

Leyva won silver and bronze for Team USA.

And he deserved a medal for his incredible acrobatics

on the diving board.

- Oh. What?

Oh. Whoa. - What a save.

- What?

Unreal!

[cheers and applause]

I would have never been able to do that.

- He got tripped up, but grabbed onto the last board,

then used his core strength to flip back up

and then stuck the dismount.

That's number two on our countdown.

Teen Phenom Taylor Greene and YouTube sensation

Ashton Myler are coming up

when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.

- Welcome back to the semifinals,

where two Utah teens took on the course minutes ago.

College student Colton Skuster likes to have fun.

His style is all gas, no brakes.

And it nearly cost him.

- Oh.

Oh, scoot, scoot, scoot, scoot.

Boy, he had to scoot his way across that one.

- With his frat brothers from the University of Utah

cheering him on, Skuster didn't

let the stumble faze him.

- How are we doing, fellas?

- I'm doing good, Scoots.

How you doing?

- Oh, I'm having a good time. - All right.

- See this back half, baby.

- The 19-year-old had one of the fastest times

in qualifying.

But tonight, the Corkscrew threw him for a loop.

- Oh.

Oh.

- He's still likely to move on, but won't have

a high seed in the finals.

Then it was Draper, Utah's, Ashton Myler,

another member of the YouTube sensation,

The Ninja Kidz.

- Look at that Ninja Kid.

- The 18-year-old hit a buzzer in qualifying,

and he was running with confidence tonight.

- This is a different type of click, clack, click, clack.

- His little brother, Paxton, fell on the Corkscrew earlier,

but Ashton showed him how it's done.

- This is the one that's going to make you go viral.

- Ashton had to have impressed his millions of followers

as he made it all the way to the final obstacle

and powered his way to the top--

- Come on, Ninja Kid.

Gut it out.

- --becoming our eighth finisher of the night.

And right now, we've got another talented Utah teen

sprinting through the course.

The third Beckstrand to run tonight, 17-year-old Luke.

Well, we already saw his brother Kai crush the course.

His sister, Baylee, did a great job.

Now it's time to see what Luke can do.

He's a top ninja in his own right.

Made it to stage two last year as a rookie,

but always a little overshadowed

by his big brother.

Luke was almost as fast as Kai in qualifying.

Right up there.

Oh, my goodness.

Shirt's coming off.

I don't think we've ever seen a Beckstrand

take off their shirt.

- There's his girlfriend, Payton Myler,

one of The Ninja Kidz.

- Let's go.

[cheers and applause]

- All right, come on, young fella.

Fly then. - Look at that.

- Oh, he's going for the fastest time.

- He's going for his brother's time.

You can see it there, 3:45.

- Yeah, he is not--

he is not happy.

- Akbar, he is attacking Corkscrew.

- Yeah, he's mad.

He's got a personal-- he's got a personal grudge.

- But doing a great job.

You see him elevating the body,

keeping his mass away from the center.

Nice, big up. Oh.

Almost missed that one, Matt.

He almost got in trouble.

His hands were very narrow.

That could have cost him.

He's got to be flawless with his technique,

even when he's moving fast.

[cheers and applause]

Well, take a look at this last one.

He had his hands very narrow.

Great save there by Luke Beckstrand.

- He still has two very upper-body dominant obstacles.

Here he is on Doorknob Arch.

And look at this ascent.

- Nice.

- Arm over arm.

- You see him crossing over now.

There he goes, using the different muscles there,

doing the rotation.

It's a great move.

It's a blind grab, but he's very comfortable

with his upper body and grip strength.

- This is just a kid in a candy store

walking through it. - I'm sorry, I'm done.

I'm done if I'm doing that. - Are you kidding me?

- Matt, he's in good position to get the fastest time.

And I think that's what he was going for.

all: Luke! Luke! Luke! Luke!

- Still has over a minute if he wants to beat Kai's time.

- He had a growth spurt, Matt, 3 inches, 20 pounds heavier.

You can tell he's got some muscles.

He's showing it off.

I think this should exempt him from PE forever

if he does this one.

- Well, I think he was jealous when his brother

got the Mega Wall and he didn't.

He wants to say, it's my turn now.

- I'm gonna tell you right now what he's feeling.

He's feeling the pain, but he does not

want the pain of his brother

holding this over his head.

He said, I will crush this time.

- A full-body effort, and he's going to destroy

his brother's time by more than 30 seconds.

- Luke Beckstrand has arrived.

We've talked about his brother, Kai,

as a favorite to win it all.

We better start talking about Luke the same way.

- Fastest time of the night, and Luke,

you beat your brother's time.

Smash that buzzer once more.

Go down and rub it in your brother's face.

Do it for younger brothers everywhere.

- Oh, my goodness. Yes.

[cheers and applause]

* *

- All night long, we've been counting down

the best saves from "Ninja's" 17 seasons.

- Oh, what?

- There were some great ones.

- Whoa.

Are you serious?

- But number one comes from Gary Weiland.

In season 14, Weiland, an amputee,

fell on the Log Runner and couldn't save it.

- Oh.

- In season 15, he fell there again.

- Go. Go. Go. Go. No. No.

No. Oh, no.

- It's almost impossible to recover from that point,

especially with a prosthetic leg.

But Weiland refused to give up.

all: Gary! Gary!

- Gary! Gary!

- With the crowd cheering him on, he mounted a comeback.

- He's gonna try to launch himself.

- You got it. Let's go!

- Just go for it.

all: Gary! Gary!

- Ahh! Ahh!

- Oh, my God.

Oh, my gosh.

Yes. Yes.

Get me out of here!

- The entire crowd on their feet!

- Get me out of here! Oh, my goodness.

- Gary Weiland, one of the greatest saves we've ever seen.

- Oh, my goodness!

- Gary Weiland's inspirational save

is number one on our countdown.

Up next, she's doing things no female ninja has done before.

The youngest woman ever to hit three buzzers.

Now Taylor Greene gets her first shot

at a 10-obstacle course.

We'll see her next on "American Ninja Warrior."

- We're down to the final runs of tonight's semifinals.

And minutes ago, Colorado hairstylist,

Anabella Heinrichs, tried to keep

her impressive season going.

The 20-year-old looked very strong,

getting her first buzzer back in qualifying.

- Come on now. Whoo. [buzzer blares]

- She made it up the Warped Wall again tonight

and took on the back half.

She survived the first spin on Corkscrew,

but not the second.

- Ooh.

- But that was far enough to earn her a spot in the finals.

We'll see her racing in a few weeks.

And now it's the run so many of her fans

have been waiting for.

17-year-old Taylor Greene makes history

on almost every run.

And she's aced every test we've put in front of her,

so we decided to hit her with multiple choice.

- We're going to do a this and that quiz, all right?

- Oh, OK. - OK.

Mountain lake or sandy beach?

- Sandy beach.

- Sweet or sour?

- Sour.

- Early bird or night owl?

- Night owl.

- Video games or corn hole?

- Corn hole.

- Dogs or cats?

- Dogs.

- Pull-ups or push-ups?

- Can I say neither?

- Matt or Akbar?

- I'm not answering that one.

How about Zuri?

* *

- Wow! What?

She picked Zuri over us?

That one hurts.

- If you asked her who her number one fan is,

that would be her mom, who's on the sideline with her Colorado

training partners.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Well, everyone is on the edge of their seats

when this woman's on the course.

Just continues to amaze us.

Third season on "Ninja Warrior,"

third qualifying buzzer.

No one has started like this.

- 17 years old.

And she's just starting, really, in her career.

She's still very, very young.

- Well, we remember meeting her on "Ninja Junior,"

and we knew she was special then,

but we had no idea how strong she would become.

[cheers and applause]

5'6", 145, already considered one of the top ninjas

in the world.

- Mean Taylor Greene.

Back on "Ninja Junior," she would race against the top boys

and often beat them.

If she gets to the finals this year with the new format,

she'll be racing top competitors again.

- I'd put Mean Taylor Greene up against any ninja.

Nice.

Matt, you know, I love the personality change too.

You see Taylor Greene off the course

and just the smile, the energy.

But when she's locked in, she is locked in.

She becomes Mean Taylor Greene when she's on the course.

- And doing a great job, Akbar,

of using the lower body to help that move.

- Yeah, she's a technician.

I think that's what separates her

from a lot of the young athletes.

She's really dialed into her technique.

- She has been money.

[cheers and applause]

- You see her taking a little step.

Big power. - Big up.

- Nice. - No problem.

- Nice.

- Yeah.

All right.

It's looked so easy to this point, but now it gets tougher.

She's never been on an extended course before,

but Taylor always rises to the challenge.

- Yeah.

And that's the crazy thing.

And we've seen it.

She's proved it every single season she's competed.

- Only the top three women from tonight will move on.

Taylor will be one of them if she finishes

Salmon Ladder.

Which she does.

That unfortunately knocks out Baylee Beckstrand.

Now Corkscrew-- this is a big test.

- Ooh. OK. - Wow.

- There it is.

- What a ride.

I want you to pay attention to that distance.

Whoa.

- Got it.

- Nice. - This is a big throw.

You really got to launch high.

- All right.

It's got a lot of force here.

Nice. Whoa.

[screaming]

- Taylor Greene.

- Looked like a ballerina,

a ninja ballerina.

- Rarified air, Taylor Greene.

- She's dope, man.

She's dope.

- Two more obstacles to go.

Well, here we go.

Doorknob Arch.

- Mean Taylor Greene means business when she's out here.

- We saw Isabella Folsom get the buzzer last week,

became the fourth woman ever to finish a 10-obstacle course.

Taylor could be the fifth and the youngest to do it.

all: Taylor. Taylor. Taylor.

- Yeah. There it is.

Right when you get up to the part

where you start traversing, give your muscles--

work in different parts of your arm muscles.

- Oh, my goodness.

- That's it right there.

- Taylor Greene.

- And that's not as easy as she's making it look,

making those blind grabs.

- Season 17, the women have been so strong.

Oh, my.

- Matt, it's the year of the women ninjas.

- Are you kidding me?

Taking a look up at the final obstacle.

If she can get past it, it will be another piece of history

for this high schooler.

This final obstacle is brutal,

but never underestimate Taylor Greene.

- The story writes itself.

If you can see her, you can be her.

- Well, Akbar, what a loaded field of women tonight,

and Taylor Greene rising above them all.

- She's her.

She's her.

- What a moment.

- She's her.

That's it. - 10 feet.

Does she have it in her?

5 feet.

- Come on. So close.

That's her.

That's her!

- Taylor Greene rising to new heights.

The fifth woman ever

to complete a semifinals course.

And at 17, she's the youngest to do it.

- Wow.

[cheers and applause]

Look at these spins on Corkscrew,

but she held on, then spun herself around

on Doorknob Arch

and still had enough to climb to the top.

Another historic run for Taylor Greene.

- You are money, Taylor Greene.

Hit that buzzer one more time.

[buzzer blares]

- She takes us out on a high note.

So here's a look at who's moving on.

Luke Beckstrand was our fastest finisher

of the night ahead of his brother Kai, who was second.

Of the 10 who hit the buzzer, none are older than 20,

except for 40-year-old Sean Bryan,

who finished just ahead of Taylor.

Among the non-finishers moving on

are a couple of veterans, Donovan Metoyer

and Nicholas Coolridge.

And rounding out the top 20 is Zhanique Lovett.

She and all the others will now be racing

in the national finals, which start in two weeks.

That wraps up another night of semifinals.

For Akbar Gbajabiamila and Zuri Hall, I'm Matt Iseman.

We'll see you next time on "American Ninja Warrior."

[dramatic music]

* *