Original subtitles

[cheers and applause]

- Welcome to Las Vegas and our last night of semifinals

on "American Ninja Warrior."

Hello, everyone, and thanks for joining us.

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

Matt, this season is about to heat up in a hurry.

Next week, we're moving over to our two-lane course

to go racing in the finals.

- That is going to be insane.

All racing the rest of the season.

But tonight, it's the battle for the final 20 spots

in those races.

Our ninjas will once again face iconic obstacles

on our extended course.

And new tonight as the ninth obstacle

is the upper body test, the Dungeon.

- Oh, no!

- When this debuted five years ago,

it took out over half the ninjas who reached it.

- All right, a lot of weight.

[laughing] Oh, no!

- All season long,

we've been counting down great "Ninja" moments.

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

- Over the years, we have had ninjas

from all walks of life compete, including a few famous folks.

So tonight, we're counting down the memorable celebrities

we've had on the show, the entertainers

and athletes from other sports who've tackled the course.

- Here we go. - Come on, Nikki. Hold on.

both: Oh, no! [air horn blares]

- Our first ninja tonight is a celebrity of sorts

in his Iowa hometown.

It's 37-year-old Spencer Johnson.

The gym owner started a program along with his dad

called Change Course.

They use Ninja to help those who face significant struggles

have a second chance at life.

- I think there's things that happen in our lives

that shape us, that sculpt us into the people that we are.

On that note, let's overcome some obstacles.

[all cheering] OK.

Part of the reason I started this program

was because of my dad.

My dad went to prison when I was younger.

- Our family wasn't being fed.

I diverted money into my account

that shouldn't have been there,

and that began this two-year Ponzi scheme.

I finally just confessed and everything fell apart.

- Yikes. - Aren't you cute?

- Look at all that hair.

To have your hero who you, like,

looked up to your whole life all of a sudden be like,

hey, I've made some mistakes, I'm going away, that--that's--

that's a hard thing to grasp.

- I spent six months there. That changed me.

I met men that I would never meet

outside of that experience.

They made me realize that not every person has

the same opportunity in America.

And I thought, that's not right.

That's when we started Change Course.

- Just pull, reach, and go.

all: Yeah! [cheers and laughter]

- Seeing him go to prison, come out,

and overcome the obstacles that he went through

and never give up?

I mean, that's why I'm here today.

When he sees me beat those obstacles,

he's going to know he is a big reason

why it was even possible.

- And folks from the Change Course program

will be watching from back in Iowa.

[all cheering]

Spencer's dad, wife, and kids will be on the sideline.

[countdown clock beeping]

- This season is a return to ninja competition for Spencer.

He last appeared eight years ago.

- Now he's 37 years old. Looked amazing in qualifying.

Made it all the way to the fifth obstacle.

- He'll need to go further tonight.

This extended course is ten obstacles long.

It's a marathon, not a sprint.

[all cheering]

He'll have those rowdy Iowa ninjas cheering him on.

Big test here.

Log Runner's been a Ninja-killer all season.

- Nice!

- Growing up, Spencer was an elite gymnast

who was ranked top 30 in the country.

He can use those skills on Crank It Up.

- Nice!

He's doing a good job so far.

- He's going to need his best performance ever to continue

in this special season 17.

Only 20 from tonight will move on to the National Finals.

Probably need to get to that eighth obstacle

to have a chance.

Well, Spencer Johnson gets a chance to avenge his fall

in qualifying, staring down V Formation.

Got to slam the triangle up to the top,

then hop down the Vs on the backside.

Wow. Good power, Akbar.

- One Team, One Dream. That's Spencer's motto.

- That's so great for him,

having his dad on the sidelines.

So often in life, we're faced with adversity.

It's how you respond.

- Come in. Good.

All right, now he's starting to fish around.

Ooh, get that big swing.

Good.

Yeah, you see that smile? Look at that smile.

- He conquers the obstacle that got him in qualifying.

He now gets to take on the Warped Wall.

Well, back in season 9,

he made it onto the back half of the semifinals course.

14 1/2 feet away from doing it again.

all: Beat that wall! Beat that wall!

- Can his 37-year-old legs get him up?

Nice. - He's up.

- Big, aggressive run.

[all cheering]

- Four more obstacles to go on the back half.

He's been here before eight years ago,

but it didn't last long.

On his way up the Salmon Ladder,

missed the third rung.

- Revenge. He's on a revenge tour, Matt.

- Gotta get up four rungs.

- It's all about getting better and learning from your mistake.

Boom, just like that. - And he did it, Akbar.

But now it will be his first time facing Corkscrew,

a wild ride that ended the runs

of seven semifinalists last week.

- Better hold on for dear life!

Great job.

- 37 years old.

All these young ninjas,

it's good to have some more mature people.

- He's getting better with time.

- [laughs] - All right, this is a big one.

He's going to need a lot of power for this one, Matt.

Here, gets--good swing.

Throw yourself up. Nice.

Got it! Ooh, yeah!

- Amazing job holding on. - The furthest he's ever gone.

- Spencer Johnson continues this incredible run at 37.

Starting to look like it's catching up to him,

but Spencer Johnson is having the run of his life.

all: Spencer! Spencer! Spencer! Spencer!

- What does he have left for the Dungeon,

this brutal ninth obstacle?

- You got to climb up the pegs and lock the board in place,

then work your way across.

- Well, we always say it, Akbar.

If you're a coach, if you have a gym,

if you're a trainer, what a good commercial

being out here on "Ninja Warrior"

crushing this course.

- Come on, come on, come on, come on.

You're 160 pounds. Get to the top.

Lock it in.

All right, this is going to be

a real test of the grip strength here,

the vertical pegs.

- Oh, my goodness, Akbar!

- Oh, wow. - I'm amazed!

Oh! - No!

[air horn blares] [audience groans]

- Just like the folks he helps back in Iowa,

Spencer Johnson got a second chance

after being away for eight years.

And he made the most of it.

- I love that Spencer got

his redemption on the Salmon Ladder,

but after Corkscrew, you could tell he was slowing down.

Didn't have enough left to finish the Dungeon,

but that should get him to the finals.

- Spencer, talk about redemption.

This is such an incredible run that you've had so far.

- Oh, man, I've just--

man, does it not matter where you're at.

There's always going to be an obstacle.

But if you can remember that-- [sighs]

Come on, pull it together.

That there is hope right behind that one.

And it's not only going to bring hope to you,

but to so many around you.

And what an opportunity for me to be able to do that today.

- Come on in here, y'all. Get in here.

- Yeah!

[laughter and cheering]

- What? - Good job, buddy.

Proud of you. I'm so proud of you.

- We're just getting started.

We've got old favorites, new stars,

and some of the best ninjas on the planet,

including our reigning women's champ, Addy Herman.

Yes!

Plus, Bob Reese has millions of followers

for his outrageous stunts.

- [screams]

- Tonight, the social media star

tries to pull off another one on our course.

- What? - Oh, my God!

And up next...

- One, two, three, catch!

- Teenager Kenzie Hughes can make the plays

on the football field.

Is she ready to run to the finals?

It's all coming up on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to the semifinals.

And we've got a run already underway.

It's New York teenager Brandon Griffin.

The 16-year-old rookie is making his way

through Crank It Up.

His mom and other family members are on the sideline

along with coach and mentor Xavier Dantzler.

- He's having to really work

to crank his way through this one.

- And these are hard swings, Akbar.

That means that is taxing that upper body.

It's a lot of momentum you're generating,

having to hold on to it with those fingertips.

But he gets through it.

[all cheering]

Brandon is a Ninja superfan.

At two years old, he was doing Ninja tricks,

then got into gymnastics.

Has always dreamed of being on the show.

[cheers and applause]

- Well, this is great 'cause now he can use

some of those skills here on V Formation.

Nice.

- This is the obstacle that took him out in qualifying.

Real efficient there, two strong moves.

- Yeah, he's feeling good about it now.

OK, now make sure you get narrow on this drop.

You see him looking down? Get narrow.

Nice.

- The key is keeping those hands balanced as well.

You don't want your weight going one side or the other.

- Nice. Look at that.

Nice.

- And Brandon Griffin getting

his first shot at the Warped Wall.

all: Beat that wall! Beat that wall!

- A big moment for this high schooler.

No problem.

- Tie your shoes.

I'm just looking out for you.

I got you. Go get it.

- Looked like a 16-year-old. Whatever.

All right I'll tie my shoes. - Yeah, I'm trying to be cool.

Like, you know, at 16, you want to be cool, you know?

- Well, he won't really need the shoes for this back half.

It's four upper body obstacles.

- Mama giving him the two thumbs up.

- Well, let's see what he does on the Salmon Ladder.

both: Oh!

[air horn blares]

- Made it to the back half,

but a quick exit for Brandon Griffin.

- Well, let's take a look at it.

Instead of jumping up,

his momentum pulled him away from the ladder

and he couldn't land the bar on that second rung.

- It probably won't be far enough

to get him into the finals,

but still an impressive debut season for this rookie.

Well, we've got another teenager

heading to the start line.

It's 16-year-old Kenzie Hughes from Libertyville, Illinois.

And when she's not at the Ninja gym,

you'll find her on the football field.

- Right, right. - I got it!

[all shouting]

- Growing up, I always did, like, solo sports.

And one year ago, I started playing flag football.

I'm a defensive back and rusher.

I have to fight as hard as I can

to catch the receiver.

My teammates have become some of my closest friends.

And they cheer me on whenever I pull a flag

or catch an interception.

[all cheering]

In Ninja, I need a lot of grip strength for things

like rings and laches, but I also need

a lot of grip strength to hold on to the ball.

And you need speed, agility, and strength,

which I need for Ninja to get through the course.

- One, two, three, Cats!

- I can't wait to tackle that course tonight.

- And some of her teammates will be showing their support

from back in Illinois.

And training partners from her Ninja gym are also watching.

- Let's go!

- And Kenzie's parents and sister

will be cheering from the sideline.

- Come on, Kenzie!

[countdown clock beeping]

- 5'8", 120, one of the tallest women

we'll have out here tonight.

- Decent height for a defensive back.

Tough to throw to a receiver over those long arms.

- Using the long reach here on Lunatic Ledges.

- You got it!

- Taking an extra swing.

- Come on.

Nice little kick to that board.

- Got that second ledge moving.

Gets off.

[all cheering]

Now here it is,

the obstacle that took her out of qualifying, big man.

- This will give her a ton of confidence

if she can get through it.

All right, defensive back, got quick feet.

- Got it! - You got it.

You got it.

[all cheering]

- And that's big.

Always a big boost when you avenge yourself

on an obstacle that eliminated you.

- Let's go! - Take your time!

- And now her first time facing Crank It Up.

- Big swing on the backup, just like that.

- She's been doing Ninja since she was nine years old.

Did very well in competitions,

beating some of the top women competitors.

She'd be very tough on herself when she lost.

Started not to enjoy competing.

But then she took up flag football, Akbar.

- Yes, something to kind of break it up.

And sometimes the monotony of it

can really weigh on you, you know.

And she found flag football.

Look at her. She's back at it.

- It reinvigorated her competitive spirit.

- Keep going! There we go! Come on.

- Ninja can be tough, Akbar, because you're out here alone.

- It's just you and the course.

- Ninja Kenzie continues to get through these obstacles.

- Yes! - Let's go!

[all cheering]

- Well, it is nice having

a crew of friends supporting you.

- Get busy, Kenzie. - Let's go! Big!

- Wow! - Nice!

Nice! - Look at that!

That's power, Akbar.

- She is locked in and locked on.

- This is what you talk about there.

OK. - Nice transfer.

She's 5'8", so that's really good.

Nice reach.

All right, here we go.

- And she's going down to the third.

- She's going down to third.

- Nice job! - Good.

- Very good control of the V here.

Now body control here going lateral.

Nice!

- Kenzie Hughes just needs the dismount.

- She's the youngest female competitor out here tonight.

- And Kenzie Hughes gets a showdown

with the Warped Wall!

Well, here it is,

her first time tackling the Warped Wall in competition.

all: Beat that wall! Beat that wall!

- Done it in practice. Trust the process.

The same thing you did in practice.

See where you're going. - Got it!

- Got it. I watched her eye.

The body goes where the eyes go.

Nice! - Kenzie Hughes!

- There it is. - And look at her.

Her coach, Mike Silenzi, the Stallion,

has been working with her.

He's got to be proud.

- Aww, look at him doing the Stallion Stampede.

- His star student has already exceeded expectations.

How far can she go?

all: Kenzie! Kenzie!

- We've seen in her submission video

she's done the Salmon Ladder before.

She knows how to work it.

There you go.

OK. - Two more rungs.

- Get busy, Kenzie.

Get busy, Kenzie!

- This is remarkable.

The rookie has made it to the eighth obstacle.

Can she survive Corkscrew?

- Ooh, be careful on the narrow grip.

She's got to make that adjustment for this next one.

- Well, we've seen it, Akbar.

If you don't get the height,

your hand placement is compromised.

- Get up. Oh, no! [air horn blares]

[cheers and applause]

- Can't make the grab,

but I don't think she's too disappointed.

An impressive run by Kenzie Hughes.

Could very well earn her a spot in the National Finals.

- Even she was surprised by her success.

She was smiling after every obstacle,

and her friends and family definitely enjoyed it.

I think we're going to see Kenzie Hughes in the finals.

- Kenzie plays football, and so does the group

that kicks off our countdown of memorable celebrities.

- I can't believe this!

- We had a roster full of NFL stars

try the course over the years.

- Whoa, what?

- Most didn't get far before they were sacked.

- Oh, no!

- But defensive end Kamerion Wimbley

was the exception.

In season 4, the former first-round draft pick

was able to finish the qualifying course.

At 255 pounds, he's still the heaviest athlete

ever hit a buzzer.

Kamerion Wimbley's record-setting finish

makes him number five on our countdown.

Coming up, he's got more buzzers than anyone.

- That's how we do it!

- And he's never failed to qualify

for the National Finals.

- Yeah!

- Joe Moravsky tries to keep his streak alive...

- Yes!

- When "American Ninja Warrior" returns.

- Two Massachusetts ninjas hit the course moments ago.

Casey Rothschild is a former college track athlete,

and she cruised across Log Runner.

- OK, Casey.

- The seven-time veteran was looking to make

her third appearance in the National Finals.

- Oh! [air horn blares]

- But couldn't reach the top of V Formation.

- Ah!

- Tate Becker's a student at Boston University,

and he had some of his classmates

and the school's mascot cheering him on.

The 19-year-old gave them a run to get excited about,

conquering one obstacle after another.

- Catch your breath. Better get going.

- The rookie made it to the back half

and survived two spins on Corkscrew.

- Oh, here you go.

- But he couldn't reach the third.

[air horn blares]

Still, that could be good enough

to advance to the National Finals.

- Joe Moravsky has a perfect record.

He's qualified for the National Finals

every season he's competed.

Can the weatherman keep his streak alive tonight?

His résumé is unrivaled.

The 35-year-old legend

has more buzzers

than any Ninja in history.

- Joe's wife, Stephanie, watching back in Connecticut

with one of their three kids. - Come on, Joe! Whoo!

- Go, Joey!

- His cousin Rob, the Adonis, who ran in qualifying,

leading the cheers on the sideline.

[countdown clock beeping]

Well, Joe Moravsky, this is his 11th time

facing a ten-obstacle semifinals course.

Has seven clears before. That's more than anyone.

He's now twice the age of some of the teenagers,

but hasn't slowed down much.

- And, Matt, and the reason why

he wants to go for the fastest time,

not just for pride and to put the young ninjas on notice,

but he wants to give himself the best opportunity

to survive in the finals.

- You're right, Akbar.

He wants to go fast, get an advantageous seed,

because there are a lot of young ninjas

who could push this father of three.

- Yeah.

- Come on, you got it!

- A great pace to this point.

We've talked about Ninja has been

turning it over to the next generation.

But some of the old guard, they want to remind

these young ninjas they still got some game in them.

- Nice. Big move.

- As we look back on the history of "Ninja Warrior,"

Joe has been such a big part of it.

- Ooh!

- Last Ninja Standing twice, seasons 6 and 9.

More buzzers than anyone else, 35.

- He's got a big hustle to him.

He's got a nice hustle to him.

He's locked in.

- And headed to the back half.

You know Joe's got a plan for these final four obstacles.

He wants that clear.

He wants 36 buzzers on his résumé.

- All right, come on.

- Skips a rung.

- Wow, nice!

- Well, Moravsky, when he's on these obstacles, Akbar,

he is really moving.

- Yes, he is.

This is why he's been one of the most

consistent ninjas of all time.

- It is an upper-body gauntlet on the back half of the course.

- Nice, got it.

- Joe Moravsky looking strong!

- Don't quit. Do it.

- Now two obstacles away from another buzzer.

He'll try to be the first tonight to conquer the Dungeon.

- Yes!

- 170 pounds,

on the heavier side for Dungeon.

- All right, skipped that first one,

and made his way all the way to the top.

He's doing a good job so far.

- Locked it in. Here we go.

- All right, nice. Not wasting any time.

Watch the hand placement.

Here we go. Watch the back swing.

It can peel you off.

Good!

- And Akbar, Joe Moravsky has reached

the final obstacle once again.

- Good job!

- Back in season 7, he got to take on

the Invisible Ladder the first time that we had it.

And he had some stumbles on it,

but he managed to get through it.

But Akbar, that was a decade ago.

- A decade ago, wow! - He's 35 now.

He's got three kids. - All right.

- He's got to pump his arms

all the way up the 35-foot tower.

This would be his eighth extended course buzzer.

That's just remarkable!

- Come on. - Joe Moravsky, little bites.

Little bite-sized climbs here.

And you can see his eyes are closed.

He's just-- - He's playing.

- Just finding a rhythm.

- Let's go, Joe! Let's go, Joe! Let's go, Joe!

- 10 more feet!

You don't give up here, Joe Moravsky.

- Heck no.

He's got it right there on his shirt, don't quit.

Uh-oh, that's when you start feeling your age.

Father Time is undefeated.

- This is why you work, Joe. You got it!

- Do it for your kids.

- Oh, no! - No!

- No, babe!

- The Invisible Ladder has stopped

a lot of good ninjas this year, even the great Joe Moravsky.

Still very likely to move on,

but no buzzer means he'll have a lower seed in the finals.

- It's all right, Joe! - All right, Joe!

- Up next,

he's one of the smallest athletes in Ninja history.

But you can't believe what 4'11" Jason Behrends can do.

- I made history in qualifying.

I'm about to make history again tonight.

- Let's go! Let's go!

- His run's next on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Minutes ago, we were in a New York state of mind

as three ninjas from the Empire State hit the course.

Emily Gardiner, AKA Big Em, always brings big energy.

- Whoo!

- The three-time Ninja veteran

had a lot to get excited about.

She made it past the fifth obstacle for the first time.

Then it was on to the back half.

- Let's go!

- That's what I'm talking about!

- She conquered the Salmon Ladder

and the first two spins on Corkscrew.

- Nice! Whoo, it is violent!

- But not the third.

- Oh! [air horn blares]

- East Harlem's Sebastian Ramos

knows how to handle obstacles.

The 23-year-old delivers food

across the five boroughs on his electric skateboard.

Tonight, he got slowed down by Lunatic Ledges,

having to take extra swings.

- He's trying to find a location.

Just drop off right here. Nice.

- The former track star was able to recover,

but he was gassed halfway through the course.

- He's feeling it. He's feeling it.

- He gutted his way to Corkscrew,

but that's when it caught up to him.

- Ah, it's not enough power.

Ooh! [air horn blares]

- Shelter Island, New York's Luke Lowell-Liszanckie,

AKA Triple L, was all business

as he worked his way to the back half.

- Not saying much. Just locking in.

- The 22-year-old rookie works as a dockhand.

And it was smooth sailing for him through Corkscrew.

- Big swing. Nice.

- The rookie's run finally ended on the Dungeon.

- Whoa! [air horn blares]

- Now all three of these New Yorkers will have to wait

and see if they went far enough

to advance to the finals.

He's one of our smallest competitors,

but no one's made a bigger impression this year

than Iowa's Jason Behrends.

He's got a distinctive look

and a cool nickname he got from Akbar.

[upbeat music]

- A couple years back,

I was on "American Ninja Warrior Junior"

at only 4'1".

Akbar said...

- Hey, Jason, I got to name you after one

of my best rappers, man.

You're small, but you play big.

Great job, Biggie Smalls!

- Now I'm 4'11" and I'm the big show.

- This is literally three times his height.

- Jason Behrends!

- Let's go! Let's go!

- You're only 4'11"?

You are the shortest athlete ever to get that buzzer.

- Let's go! - You made history.

- Yeah!

It feels so great to make history.

It's just so fun.

I proved in qualifying that size doesn't matter.

I'm about to prove it again tonight.

* *

[cheers and applause] Love you, guys.

- Well, this kid's got a rock star following.

Two groups are watching back in Iowa

wearing his signature glasses.

And of course, the Behrends ninja family on the sidelines,

led by big brother Ben, who runs later.

- Big, big!

- 15 years old.

Got his chain on, hat on backward.

[countdown clock beeping]

He is way too cool.

- I love that shirt, by the way.

That's the logo he designed, his glasses and his hat.

You know it's going to get loud on the sidelines.

These Iowa ninjas are known for their rowdy energy.

They've really built a strong Ninja community there,

led by Jason's dad, Scott, who runs the gym Ninja Youth.

- Yeah, it's one of the premier Ninja gyms in Iowa.

- Let's go!

- With his size, he needs big strides on Log Runner.

Right through it! That felt so easy.

It didn't look strenuous at all.

- Well, apparently it wasn't,

because he's going right into Crank It Up.

4'11", 95 pounds, and, Akbar, you talk about

not carrying a lot of weight through the course,

but the kid's got a big heart.

- Well, it says it on the back of his shirt.

I told him that back in "Ninja Junior"--

you're small, but you play big.

And that's always been a part of his game.

And I'm glad to see that

he's carrying it on to the big course.

- Well, I will say, sometimes his moves hypnotize me.

And you see his brother, Ben, there losing his mind.

Let's see what Biggie Smalls does here.

- You just can't help but to root for him.

- Oh, look at him!

- Ooh, OK.

- He's looking even stronger than he did

in qualifying a few weeks ago.

- Uh-oh, that's a big drop.

That's a big drop. He's doing the 1-3-4 combo.

Got it.

Matt, he's not even huffing and puffing.

He's like--[chuckles]

- And look at this!

His sister's already on the verge of tears.

Biggie Smalls once again at the Warped Wall.

15 years old, 95 pounds.

And no problem!

- OK!

- His sideline crew is hustling to keep up.

They're screaming in the stands.

- Let's go!

- And they're going nuts back in Iowa.

As you said, you can't help but root for him.

How far can he go on the back half?

- You got it! - We love you, J. You got it!

- Should have no problem on the Salmon Ladder.

- This is easy.

He can do this one in his sleep.

Nice. Wow!

- All right, now on to Corkscrew.

Big lache up.

- He knows how to take off. - 540 degrees of rotation.

- Here we go.

Whoa!

- At 4'11", Jason Behrends, a big throw here on Corkscrew.

- All right, it's a big--nice! - Wow.

And look at that hand placement, Akbar.

- All right, now, Matt, he's gotta lache 5 feet across,

which is taller than him.

And then he's got to go 3 feet up.

Big power!

- Whoa! - Yes!

Yes!

- And those hands were perfectly at nine and ten.

- Whoo-hoo-hoo!

- Jason Behrends!

- Oh, man!

- But at his size, the Dungeon is going to be a big ask.

- Come on, Jason. Let's get into it.

- I don't even know if he weighs enough

to move this big board.

- If Jason Behrends is David, the Dungeon is Goliath.

And we know how that story went.

All right, here we go.

Get all the way to the top, and dead weight it.

Right, as you can see, it's barely moving.

His 95 pounds is just not adding up.

- This bar, it weighs more than him!

- Oh, my goodness.

You see he's trying to kick. - Trying to rock it.

- Oh, yes! - Yes!

- Yes! Come on!

- Jason Behrends, what power!

- Oh, man.

- That is straight physics.

I'm not even sure that should be possible.

- I don't know, he's not even ready for physics yet.

He's only 15 years old.

I think he's got to take that in senior year.

- Well, now he's got to transfer to this next board.

- Throw yourself into it.

Oh! - The feet slip off!

- Come on, come on.

- Rotating it. - This is it.

And that board weighs about 60 pounds.

- Locks it in place.

Jason Behrends!

- Oh, boy.

Man, look at this.

Tears on the sideline.

- 35 feet away from being

the smallest, lightest athlete ever

to complete an extended obstacle course.

- Go, baby! - Let's go, dude!

- Don't let anyone ever write your story.

All night, Jason Behrends has been in control of his story.

- Oh, my.

- Matt, he hits this buzzer, I don't care what anybody says.

At 4'11", 95 pounds, he is the big man on campus.

- Biggie Smalls turning in another huge performance.

- Matt, it was all a dream, and now he's about to do it.

It's about to become a reality.

- Oh, look at this!

- Play big now.

Even his big papa can't believe it.

Look at this! That's what I'm talking about!

That's what I'm talking about! - Let's go!

- 15 years old, Biggie Smalls

is our first finisher tonight!

- Let's go!

- Oh, man.

- We've had so many

history-making runs this season,

and Jason Behrends just gave us another.

- It was all a dream.

He's the smallest to ever do it.

At 4'11" and 95 pounds,

he just crushed a course

that stopped many of the top ninjas.

His family couldn't contain their emotions,

and I don't blame them.

This is amazing. I'm 6'6". You're 4'11".

But tonight, you are the big man,

and I look up to you.

- Let's go! - Great job, man.

- And Biggie Smalls, you're going racing, buddy.

We'll see you on the course!

Hit that buzzer! [buzzer blares]

- Oh, man. - Well, what a run.

What a night.

Jason went the distance,

but some of our memorable celebrities

haven't always had such luck.

- Oh, my gosh!

- We've had some of the best fighters

in the world take the course.

[both exclaiming]

But they often didn't get past the first round.

- [shouts] - No!

- Abraham Nova was the reigning

WBA featherweight champ,

and even he was knocked out early.

- Oh, a little rope-a-dope here.

Oh!

- But one fighter who packed a punch

was Jason "The Specimen" Soares.

Back in season 5, he made it all the way

through a ten-obstacle semis course

to hit the buzzer,

the only fighter who's ever done it.

- What an impressive run by the young rookie.

- And with that run, Soares punched his way

to number four on our countdown.

[boxing bell rings]

Still to come...

when Addy Herman won the Women's Championship,

she went to work for others.

- Definitely something I've never done before.

- See how she's paying it forward

when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.

- It was pandemonium moments ago

as 4'11" Jason Behrends hit the buzzer.

- Look at this! That's what I'm talking about!

- 15 years of age!

- Oh, man!

- And while we were away,

Jason's big brother, Ben, got his shot.

- All right, let's go, Big Ben.

- Ben's known as the Hype Guy

because of his enthusiasm for other ninjas,

but the crowd was behind him tonight.

Though only 5'3", he made the big moves on Corkscrew.

- That's 3 feet up you got to travel.

Nice.

- He followed his brother's footsteps

and climbed all the way to the buzzer.

He's going to the finals for the third straight year.

- Big Ben Behrends is hyped!

- New Jersey's Rachel Degutz got hyped up

with her signature scream at the start.

- Whoo!

- The five-time "Ninja" veteran

fell on V Formation in qualifying,

and it looked like it might get her again.

- She's got to get off right now.

Right now, now, now!

Yes!

- With her boyfriend cheering her on,

the middle school teacher made her way to the back half

and took on Corkscrew.

- Get up, get up, get up higher.

Nice. Oh, yeah, her grip.

- She couldn't hang on, and now we'll have

to wait and see if that gets her to the finals.

- Oh, you love me.

[chuckles]

- You're amazing.

- On the course right now is Degutz's training partner

and fellow Jersey girl Abby Clark.

Her dad and fiancé, Joe Capo,

cheering her on from the sideline.

Abby was one of nine women who hit a buzzer in qualifying.

Looking confident so far as she takes on V Formation.

- Oh, my!

- Look at that power!

Two moves for Abby. That was outstanding.

- Matt, we're looking at a repeat performance

where in qualifying, she went one, two, three, and four.

Let's see the combination she's using tonight.

Nice, that's two.

- And we talked about having to be efficient.

And Akbar, that ascent was efficient.

- Nice. - And I don't mind this.

Don't make any big throws.

Just take them one bite at a time.

- I like it.

Same combination, one, two, three, four.

She's got a system and it works.

Boom, just like that.

- No problem so far,

but the Warped Wall has not been a gimme for her.

Three times she's reached this point on an extended course,

and she's failed every time.

But she did get it in qualifying.

all: Abby! Abby!

- Nice! - There it is.

Big boost for Abby.

- OK.

- Well, here she goes on to the back half

for the first time in her career.

- Don't sleep on Abby Clark.

- She's been one of our top women the past few years.

Has been to the National Finals three times.

She and Joe run a Ninja gym.

Should be able to handle Salmon Ladder.

- Come on.

Nice. Good, good, good.

- She's the fourth woman to reach Corkscrew tonight,

but she did it the fastest.

That puts her in good position to move on.

- Nice, good technique. Whoo!

Great flexibility in the oblique area.

- Trying to be the first woman tonight

to survive this obstacle.

- Nice!

- You can see she's doing a good job, Akbar.

Get your chest up.

Get your center of mass away from the pole.

- This distance is so big!

Oh! [air horn blares]

- Her run comes to an end,

but made it to the eighth obstacle.

And with her time to that point,

has a good chance to move on.

- We've seen this all night.

These spins on Corkscrew are diabolical.

They twist you into a knot.

She got through two spins but not the third.

- Well, now it's another East Coast ninja

who looked strong in qualifying.

Xavier Dantzler, better known as X,

just 20 years old.

And we've seen him grow up in Ninja.

When we first met him four years ago,

he was a high schooler learning from Joe Moravsky,

but now he's a coach himself

at one of New York's biggest Ninja gyms.

- Hey!

- Xavier will have Brandon Griffin,

one of his students, and Joe, his old coach,

on the sideline along with X's family.

[countdown clock beeping]

This is X's fourth time competing on the show,

last season the first time he made it to the National Finals.

And had a very fast time when he hit a buzzer

in qualifying a few weeks ago.

Back in season 13, made it to the extended course

but went out on the eighth obstacle.

It was Padlock.

He'll have to do better now if he wants to move on to racing.

We just have a loaded field.

both: Oh! [air horn blares]

- That hurts.

- His friends and family in disbelief.

Had such high hopes for this season.

Just shows you, you can't take any obstacle for granted.

- On that second log, he came up a little short

and his left foot spun.

That tripped him up,

and he slammed hard into that third log.

He didn't see that coming, and neither did I.

- Coming up,

some of Ninja's best are about to hit the course.

Any one of them could be this year's champion.

Plus, it's another Ninja romance.

- Obviously, he's so cute too. Look at him.

[laughs]

- Jay "Lache" Lewis will be cheered on

by his new girlfriend, Maggie Owen,

on the semifinals of "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to "American Ninja Warrior,"

where we're midway through tonight's semifinals.

- And our old-school obstacles are proving

they can still be a challenge.

Michigan's Philip Scott made a triumphant return

to competition a few weeks ago.

After four years away, the graphic designer

was able to power his way to a qualifying buzzer.

- I'm back! Whoo!

[buzzer blares]

- So the three-time veteran had high confidence

as he took the course tonight.

- Oh, no, his feet hit the water!

- His comeback season ended

when his toes grazed the water,

but the crowd showed him their appreciation.

- Phillip's good friend, Ethan Gardulski,

was able to get past Log Runner.

- And he's through.

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

just like his mentor.

Gardulski made it to the back half,

but on Salmon Ladder...

Oh, no! [air horn blares]

His fall means he's unlikely

to make the top 20 and move on.

- Our next Ninja is going to have a big cheering section

for his run.

It's Matt D'Amico.

He and fellow Ninja Lucas Reale run a gym in Massachusetts.

And dozens of their students and families

have come out to show their support here in Vegas.

- Let's go, Caden.

Teaching the next generation of ninjas means so much to me.

Yeah, good bump. Quick feet right through.

I started off when I was 14 years old,

but seeing some of these kids start off at four years old,

I can only imagine where they're going to be

when they're my age.

You got to go, Fin. Go, go, go.

[all cheering]

Yeah, get that dismount.

- Matt is a really great coach.

- Let's go, Caden.

- When I grow up, I want to be just like my coaches

and be on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Matt D'Amico is moving!

And do you see him smiling at the kids he coaches?

- Having so many kids fly out from Boston to see me compete

is the coolest thing ever.

[upbeat music]

- D'Amico delivers!

[buzzer blares] - Let's go!

My hopes for tonight are to go out there,

have a really good time, put on a good show for them,

and go get a buzzer.

[all cheering]

- Look at all those kids.

They came across the country with their parents

to be here for their coaches.

- Man, that's impressive. - Let's see what we can do.

- And kids who couldn't make the trip

are watching back at the gym.

His shirt says, "Every course is a speed course."

That's his motto.

[countdown clock beeping]

This kid has one speed, and it is ludicrous.

I will say, Akbar, in qualifying,

I thought we saw him be a little more methodical,

cognizant of trying to avoid any mistakes.

- Well, he's getting a little older,

so the theme and the mindset is there,

but maybe the speed is just a little bit more controlled.

- Need to be careful on Log Runner.

- Come on, come on, run for it. Nice!

- Got to be so great hearing those kids cheering.

- I do believe Matt D'Amico

is saving his speed for the finals.

- Wow, two moves, Akbar!

Talk about efficiency.

Moves it going backwards and forwards.

That's how you do Crank It Up.

That was insane! - Whoo!

[cheers and applause]

- Feeding off the crowd.

Hopping up onto V Formation.

Oh, nice!

Three kick stands in one move!

D'Amico looking dynamic.

And you see him, Akbar.

He's calming that first handle before he makes the move.

- There you go. Good technique.

- This is really a good, mature approach

out of D'Amico while still moving fast.

- Nice!

- The Warped Wall should be no problem for D'Amico.

And he gets it easily.

- What's up, guys?

- Got your hat on backward, got your cheering squad.

Look at that.

- Look at this.

It's crazy.

- That's the next generation right there.

- For real.

- He's not excited about being on this course

as much as he is excited

having his kids that he teaches cheer him on.

- These kids will never forget this.

- Well, if you're in Massachusetts

and you want to get trained by Lucas Reale or this guy,

go check out Ascend.

They're doing some good things.

And they are great coaches!

- Nice!

- Just dialed in.

So smooth!

- Well, it's one thing to teach your students in the gym.

Matt D'Amico is showing how it's done on the course.

Wow.

Whoo!

- And you saw those hands, nine and three.

D'Amico, textbook again.

- Look at the joyous jumps out of the kids on the sideline.

They're going nuts!

- They love Coach Matt.

- This is where it gets real, the Dungeon.

It's maniacal, but it's also mechanical.

You got to climb your way up to the top

and then you got to get this big 100-foot wall...

flat, just like that.

And then you got to kind of go across these handles,

these vertical handles.

That's hard.

- His students came across the country to watch.

And he's giving their money's worth.

- Can he get the dismount? - Come on, D'Amico.

- Got it!

Spins it around! - D'Amico's ready.

- Oh, my!

- Come on.

- He says I got one more to go.

And it's the big one,

35 feet up the Invisible Ladder.

Can he close it out with a buzzer?

Even if you have good technique, this is a struggle.

So many runs by top ninjas have ended on this obstacle.

- We've been talking about technique.

Look at this, nice and tight.

You can see the knees and the elbows touching each other.

And now he's starting-- now the fatigue.

At about 25 feet, you can see

he's starting to break his technique.

- But Akbar, think of the efficiency

on Crank It Up, on V Formation, on Corkscrew.

- Come on. - That's why he's here.

- That's it. He's right at the top.

- That's it.

- Get all the way in there, though.

- Matt D'Amico gets a buzzer!

What a show he put on for these kids.

- Let's go!

* *

- Matt, I got to say, man, you're only 24 years old,

but seeing your approach on the course and, more importantly,

seeing the way you and Lucas are handling these students,

you're all grown up, Matt.

And I can't wait to see you go racing, buddy.

Hit the buzzer and go celebrate with your crew!

- I can't wait to go racing.

I can't wait to see these guys go racing someday.

Let's go!

- Matt D'Amico, just a great run.

[dramatic music]

Coming up, his stunt in qualifying broke the internet.

- He did a flip and then found the handles?

Are you kidding me?

- Now social media star, Bob Reese,

has another trick planned for tonight.

- I am absolutely ready to go viral again.

- Whoo! - Oh, my gosh, I did it!

- He's next on "American Ninja Warrior."

- The action rolls on in Vegas.

Travis Nguyen was flipping out about his first appearance

in the semifinals.

- OK!

- The 21-year-old college student

at St. John's University added more tricks during his run.

- Flip mode, come on now.

- The rookie fell on V Formation during qualifying,

and that's where his run ended once again.

- Nice! Oh! [air horn blares]

- Barry Boyd also fell on V Formation during qualifying,

so he was determined to get through it tonight.

- Get out of there.

Nice!

OK, Barry Boyd!

- The musclebound stay-at-home dad

powered his way up the wall and up the Salmon Ladder.

- That is a "I go to the gym" bod.

- The 28-year-old was hoping to get to the finals

for the third straight year.

- You got to throw yourself up.

Oh!

- But his fall on Corkscrew means

he's in danger of not moving on.

Captain NBC, Jamie Rahn,

was hoping to earn his ninth trip to the National Finals.

- Nice!

- Mwah!

- The 36-year-old costumed superhero was

able to safely fly across Corkscrew.

- Big leap up!

Nice.

- Over the years, the 15-time Ninja veteran's faced

every obstacle on the course tonight,

including the Dungeon,

which knocked him out five years ago.

- No!

- And tonight, he fared no better.

- Oh! [air horn blares]

- Well, not many ninjas have been around longer than Jamie,

but our next one has.

It's Ryan Stratis.

He's coming to the start line with buddy Mike Bernardo,

who's going to give him

the traditional Japanese back slap before his run.

- Go, baby.

Yeah!

[both shout in Japanese]

- Talk about throwing it back.

- At 41, Stratis is one

of Ninja's elder statesmen.

He competed in

the very first season

and has collected 23 buzzers

in his storied career.

all: Strat!

- Jamie Rahn and other ninjas on the sideline to watch Strat.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Yosha!

- Well, Stratis has been so strong through so many years.

Trying to lock down his tenth trip to the National Finals.

- Ryan Stratis really wants this.

It's go big or go home.

Ooh! [air horn blares]

He's going home. - What?

- No one saw that one coming.

- Oh, I had to try.

I had to try.

- You can hear him. He said he had to try.

Here's what he meant.

He tried to go straight to the second ledge

without swinging, but he came up short.

Stratis gambled and lost it all.

- It just didn't pan out but that's how it goes, man.

That's the game we play. That's the game we play.

I get another free towel. Thank you, sir.

- We're counting down our memorable celebrity moments,

and we had plenty of them on our Red Nose Specials.

- Look at that!

- They featured many of your favorite stars,

putting themselves out there for charity.

- Ooh, Flip with the assist.

- Including dancer Derek Hough and comedian Nikki Glaser.

- Hold on, hold on. No!

- But actor Stephen Amell topped them all.

He made it up the Warped Wall, but didn't stop there.

- I want to do one more.

- For eight seasons, he played the superhero Arrow,

who trained on a Salmon Ladder,

so Amell showed he could do it in real life, too.

- Oh, my goodness!

- And then even attempted the eighth obstacle.

- You have been a wonderful audience.

[laughter]

- No!

[cheers and laughter]

- Stephen Amell's super heroic effort makes him number three

on our memorable celebrities countdown.

Our next athlete is also an entertainer,

and Zuri's going to get him started.

- Guys, you have to hold your breath when

Bob Reese hits the course.

The social media star went viral once again

with the stunt he pulled in qualifying.

He gave his millions of followers a thrill when

he pulled off an unbelievable trick on the course.

* *

- What? both: Oh, my goodness!

- Reese's landing stuck like peanut butter!

What? - Reese!

- Right after I flipped into the Jumping Spider,

it was all happy, but I was like, man,

how am I going to top it?

And I always thought like, man, it'd

be so cool if there's a place where I can do, like,

a backflip and re-grab on the obstacle before it's over.

And in qualifying, I saw the opportunity, and I took it.

- Big throw!

- Oh, my God! - What did he just do?

- What was that?

- Are you kidding me?

- He did a flip into the handles on Crank It Up!

- Every time I achieve one of these crazy stunts

that I'm trying to do, I celebrate for a little bit,

I enjoy it, but for me, it's inspiration.

It's like, oh, I've proved that's possible.

What else is?

- He didn't even know what to do with himself.

- I don't know what to do. We don't know what to do.

- That was insane.

- One of my favorite parts is getting to see

Matt and Akbar's reactions when I land these stunts.

- We're not worthy. - Come on.

- Hopefully, I'll get to blow their minds again tonight.

* *

- Matt, I don't even know if I'm going to call this run.

I got my popcorn ready. - Oh, yeah?

- Waiting to see what he's going to do next.

- His number-one fans, his wife and young son,

are watching back in South Carolina.

Crowd here in Vegas excited to see what he might do,

as are the many ninjas on the sideline.

[countdown clock beeping]

Akbar, looks like he's gearing up for some--

what is he doing?

What? - What the what?

- Oh, my God! - Get your popcorn ready, baby.

- Bounding down one side!

What a start!

- I told you I got my popcorn ready.

- Wow, always exciting when Bob Reese is on the course.

- Whoa! - Come on!

Are you kidding me?

- Let's go.

- This is like a playground out here for Bob Reese.

- This is the semifinals, and he's flipping out.

- Akbar, I have a feeling he's not going to use all the logs.

That's what I'm guessing.

- No, no, that's impossible.

It's actually technically impossible.

I'm about to choke on my popcorn.

- I've never seen anyone-- OK.

- What is he doing? - I don't know.

He's going for a big run-up here, Akbar.

- Wait. What's this? - This looks insane.

No!

What was that?

- Well, Bob Reese may not be moving on,

but, man, does he know how to entertain!

- Bob Reese is a human highlight reel.

He hopped down one side of the Quad Steps,

flipped off Lunatic Ledges, then did another flip

and tried to land on one of the logs.

Remember, those spin.

- He risked it all for a viral stunt,

and now his season is over.

- I'll do a flip in the water.

- Ninja stars Addy Herman and Jay "Lache" Lewis

are still to come.

- One of Ninja's power couples hit the course minutes ago.

First up was Allyssa Beird, back in competition

after missing the past two seasons due to injuries.

With her fiancé, James McGrath, watching,

the Massachusetts schoolteacher

tumbled across Lunatic Ledges.

- Uh-oh. Watch out!

[upbeat music]

- Oh!

- But like many others,

she was tripped up on Log Runner.

- Whoa, no. Whoa, baby. [air horn blares]

* *

- Then it was McGrath's turn.

Though he's known as The Beast,

the 37-year-old was beat halfway through...

- That's an OG move right there.

- And looked unlikely to finish.

* *

- Look at him stretching it out,

doing that old man stretch.

- But on the back half, the shirt came off,

and The Beast came out.

- Now that's a stretch right there.

- The 13-time Ninja veteran

powered his way to the final obstacle.

- The Beast ain't old, he's experienced.

all: Beast! Beast! Beast! Beast!

- With a gutty climb up the Invisible Ladder,

McGrath completed his first extended course in nine years,

collecting his 25th career buzzer.

He'll be racing ninjas half his age in the finals.

- Yeah!

- Tonight's tallest competitor,

6'6" Caleb Vaughn, needed every inch on Log Runner.

- Oh, whoa, whoa!

- The high school chemistry teacher

had students cheering him on

back in Crab Orchard, Illinois.

- Let's go.

- The 25-year-old fell on V Formation in qualifying.

- He better get out of here. Better get out of here.

- And it ended his run again tonight.

Well, it's a big night for social media stars

on "Ninja Warrior."

We had Bob Reese earlier,

and now it's his buddy, Johnny Brown.

- Whoo!

- Just like Bob, Johnny has a devoted following

for his very creative content.

- I'm a squirrel!

- The 28-year-old's flying squirrel videos

have millions of views across all platforms.

- Yeah!

After I competed on season 15, my following doubled.

- And he recently added a new co-star,

his girlfriend, Jemini.

- We pretty much met through just the parkour scene

where she also does social media.

I'm just glad to have her by my side.

- You better make room.

- [screams]

[laughter]

- Jemini will be on the sideline

along with Ryan Stratis and Bob.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Uh-oh, he's backing up just like Bob did.

- Whoo! - Whoa!

- Hot dang! Hot diggity dog!

- And that's the move Stratis missed.

He's doing his training partner's greatest hits.

- Matt, that's all that parkour coming out of Johnny Brown.

- He's been doing it for ten years.

This guy knows how to move.

Should be good here on the logs.

- Well? - Oh!

- OK! See?

In parkour, you know how to fall.

You see that?

He took that stumble and turned it into a roll.

- Can he keep it going on Crank It Up?

He's rumbling through this course with confidence.

And he's being real efficient here.

- Matt, I think what we see, the difference

between qualifying and now, he is fearless.

- Well, his socials, you got to check him out on Instagram.

Nearly 700,000 followers.

- I'm following him tonight.

- Well, hoping to go viral, but not for a fall.

- Oh, he's cranking it up. He's cranking it up!

Nice.

- Johnny Brown!

This is where he went out in qualifying, Akbar.

He missed the first V, fell a long way down,

and landed flat on his back.

In his career, has never made it past the fifth obstacle.

- Matt, in social media, you're measured by likes and views.

Well, Johnny Brown, I see you.

- That's one view.

He knows, Akbar, if you want to move on,

you're going to have to go deep into this course.

We're talking the eighth, possibly the ninth obstacle

if not completing it.

This was the move that took him out in qualifying.

- Nice.

He's eyeing that third V. - Wait for it.

- You got it, you got it.

- He's trying to make a decision.

I like it.

I see you, and I like it.

- Well, he is spending a lot of time on V Formation.

Wants to get it right.

Wants to do something he's never done.

Just needs the dismount.

- Come on, get to that back half.

- And you can just see, Akbar, he's having trouble.

- Oh!

- Oh, my goodness! - Oh, no!

- V Formation takes him out once again.

But Johnny Brown made it interesting.

- In his videos, Johnny goes all-out,

and he did that tonight,

flying all the way to V Formation.

Made it to the final V,

but just couldn't hang on.

- Well, Johnny may not be a winner this year,

but viewers at home can be in our "American Ninja Warrior"

Win Like a Warrior sweepstakes,

presented by the Wells Fargo Active Cash Credit Card.

Just go to nbc.com/ winlikeawarriorsweepstakes

to learn more.

Coming up, Noah Meunier's a hard hat-wearing

blue collar guy who can turn it on

and become one of the best ninjas in the world.

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

- Tonight, we're counting down

Ninja's memorable celebrity moments,

and we're revved up for number two.

When Ninja came to Indianapolis in season 10,

some of racing's best came out to take the course for a spin.

Castroneves survives!

Including multiple Indy 500 winners.

- Ooh! [air horn blares]

Ain't no time for a pit stop!

Oh!

- It was Daytona 500 champ Ricky Stenhouse Jr

who did the best among all our drivers.

Though he had no Ninja training,

Stenhouse surprised everyone

by making it all the way to the fourth obstacle.

- Oh!

- For that effort,

Ricky Stenhouse Jr takes the checkered flag.

He's number two on our countdown.

Josiah Pippel's a big motorsports fan.

The New Jersey teen races go-karts and refurbishes cars.

And minutes ago, he put the pedal to the metal.

- Oh, what the heck? - One move!

The 19-year-old showed why

he's one of the top contenders to win it all this year.

- He is putting every single Ninja who's watching on notice.

- Pippel's never failed to finish a qualifying

or semifinals course.

[buzzer blares]

And he kept that streak alive tonight.

Deren Perez is more than twice Josiah's age,

but the 40-year-old from Guam was feeling confident

after getting his first-ever buzzer in qualifying.

- Another one. - Go get another one.

[all cheering]

- Perez is an officer in the Coast Guard,

and he stayed dry all the way to the back half.

- Fatigue can get you out of your game.

Oh!

- But the 40-year-old still has a good chance

to move on to the finals.

Well, If the lights go out on the course tonight,

we know who to call.

It's our next athlete, Massachusetts' Noah Meunier.

Not only is he a strong contender

to be our new champion, he's also a working electrician.

[upbeat music]

- When I'm on the job, I got to be quick and efficient.

* *

I'm holding lights, climbing ladders, running wires.

I'm basically troubleshooting all day.

I would not want to work a job

where I'm sitting down all day.

I like getting up, moving, working with my hands.

And I think Ninja has prepared me to do that.

I have to balance my body

while I'm holding large objects.

Using hand tools all day

definitely helps with my grip strength, too.

This is my third year competing, but it's

my first attempt at the extended ten-obstacle course.

Hopefully, my run tonight is shockingly fast.

[electricity buzzing]

[cheers and applause]

What's up, guys?

- He's got family watching from back home

and girlfriend Addy Herman, who will run later,

leading the cheers on the sideline.

In two seasons,

Noah Meunier has never fallen on an obstacle.

He currently sits at 80 obstacles cleared

to start his "Ninja Warrior" career.

- There's 81.

- If he gets through all of them tonight,

he'll be at 90, tied with Nacssa Garemore

for the longest current streak.

They're both chasing the record of 99

that was set by Kaden Lebsack.

- Oh, look at Addy.

She can barely watch Log Runner.

It's knocked out so many.

Open your eyes. He's through.

- He climbed Stage 4 the past two seasons.

Definitely a contender to win it all this year.

- Wow!

But, Matt, the way he moves

just makes me so excited to see what he does in the final.

My goodness, look at the way he's moving.

He can link the most complex obstacles

together like it's nothing.

- Good job there.

Meunier.

And honestly, the real good ninjas, Akbar, they move fast,

but you see them move efficiently.

And that's what Noah is doing.

I mean, at 19 years old, he's still got that young motor.

- He hasn't even broken it in, I don't think.

- You're awesome. - You're awesome, buddy.

Speed does matter because how you finish here

determines your seeding for the racing.

- Now, Corkscrew is going to slow you down

because you have to go through

those 540-degree turns on each of those corkscrews.

Here we go.

Watch the centrifugal force here spin him out.

- A great job.

You see him using those arms to push the center of his mass

away from the center of the corkscrew.

- Yep. Fighting it.

- Big throw here.

- Throw it all the way up.

5 feet across, 3 feet up.

Nice. - Great job.

- That's not easy to do.

- He's now up to 88 obstacles conquered.

Can he keep his streak alive

on these brutal final obstacles?

- To have that type of consistency at this age,

at this high level?

It's impressive.

And now on to the Dungeon.

- Oh, my goodness.

Now he's hitting the afterburners.

- Nice.

All right, lock it in.

Good.

Matt, I think it's safe to say that he is on a mission.

I've got my eye on him.

He's the most dangerous one going racing.

- And just locked in. So impressive.

[cheers and applause]

All right, it comes down to this.

- OK, here he goes.

- One final obstacle.

Wants to keep his streak alive.

But he's also got a shot at the fastest time

if he hurries.

- Man, this Invisible Ladder is brutal.

This is no gimme.

We've seen many of the best ninjas fail to reach the top.

- And he's going to slow down and make sure he finishes.

And, honestly, Akbar, I salute the maturity.

- Push it! Go!

- Just get it, just get it. Accomplish it.

Do something that very few ninjas have done--

start your career off with 90 completed obstacles.

- Oh, Akbar, does he have it?

Five more feet! - Oh...

Just because you get to the ring doesn't mean that you--

you got to get all the way up there.

Come on. - Noah Meunier!

It's not the fastest time,

but it is his 90th-straight obstacle.

And he remains perfect-- 90 for 90.

[cheers and applause]

- He was knocking down obstacles no problem

until the Invisible Ladder.

And the electrician had just enough juice left to finish

and keep his streak alive.

And Noah gets a big hug from Addy.

He may want to give her some advice,

because the reigning women's champion

will run the course when we come back

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Two East Coast ninjas hit the course while we were away.

Brandon Singletary is from the Brick City--

Newark, New Jersey.

And he was hoping to build on last year's success

when he made it to the National Finals.

- That was pretty efficient right there.

- The 27-year-old car salesman cruised

to the back half of the course,

but ran out of gas on the Salmon Ladder.

- Salmon Ladder tells you-- whoa!

- That won't be far enough to get him to the finals.

Connecticut teenager Christian Hart was knocked out

by V Formation in qualifying.

But he wasn't going to let that happen again.

- He knew it. He knew it.

- That meant the 16-year-old Ninja superfan

got his first run up the Warped Wall.

- Let's go!

- On the back half,

the rookie handled Salmon Ladder and Corkscrew...

- Get up. Nice, whoo!

- But couldn't lock the Dungeon in place

and just had to drop.

- Oh!

- But it's far enough to secure him a spot

in the finals.

On the course right now,

it's Massachusetts gym owner Lucas Reale.

- Ah!

- Just like his partner, Matt D'Amico,

he's got that big cheering section--

fueled by those students on the sideline.

all: Beat that wall! Beat that wall!

- Warped Wall's normally not an issue,

but took him three tries in qualifying.

But not this time. [cheering]

- Yeah, first try. All right, OK.

- He's laughing about it as he heads to the back half.

- Look at that. The kids are rushing to the next obstacle.

Look at that.

- Lucas would love to follow in D'Amico's footsteps

and get a buzzer.

Some of their other students still watching

back in the Boston area.

- He had no problem on the first six obstacles.

What does he have left for the final four?

- And he gets through Salmon Ladder,

but he's not done, Akbar.

- Yep.

- Great technique here on the Corkscrew.

- Get up. Nice, good.

- That hurts my arms just watching it.

- That hurts my head.

I've got a headache with all the spinning.

Just keeps spinning.

- And he's got it! - Let's go!

- Continues his march towards another buzzer.

- Ah!

- And just like Matt D'Amico,

he's feeding off his students' energy.

- Matt, this type of performance

in front of your students,

it will motivate them in the Ninja gym.

It will motivate them at school.

And it will motivate them at home to be the best.

- The last time he hit a buzzer was season 12.

- Well, you can see him starting to really--

This is a laborious process. - Ooh.

- Look at this. Oh, nice.

- Locked in.

- OK, move through it quickly. - He's moving quickly.

- Yeah, don't spend too much time holding on.

He's starting to slip. He's starting to slip.

Get out of there!

Ooh, watch out for the back swing.

- Oh, how is he holding on? - Oh.

He got lucky on that one.

He hit it right at the elbow on the handle.

- He earned it. - Yeah, he did.

Heck, yeah, he earned it.

- And Lucas Reale, 35 feet from another buzzer.

[cheers and applause]

26 years old-- shaking the arms out.

This climb has stopped so many other good ninjas.

Reale hoping he can get a buzzer

like his partner, D'Amico.

Can he make it to the top?

all: [chanting] Lucas! Lucas! Lucas!

- Ooh, look at those arms.

He started off in the L position,

and now he's got the long--

Well, he's got the I position.

- Love the fight in Reale.

- Oh, boy.

- Continuing to fight.

His students came from Massachusetts

to cheer him on in Vegas.

He wants to deliver a buzzer. - Ah!

- Oh, my! - Just fight for it.

Fight for your ever-loving life.

- No! - Oh!

- His grip gives out on the final obstacle.

Doesn't get a buzzer,

but that's far enough to secure a spot

in the National Finals.

- You can tell Lucas got a boost

with his students cheering him on,

and he looked good until Invisible Ladder.

- Ah!

- He just didn't have enough to finish.

But don't worry-- he's going to the finals.

all: National Finals!

[cheering] - Yeah!

- Our reigning women's champ, Addy Herman,

is ready to race in the National Finals.

But, first, she's got to survive

our tough semifinals course.

But Ninja's not the only thing on her mind.

Since graduating from high school,

she's taken a year off to help others.

[uplifting music]

- I've traveled across the country during my gap year.

I did a lot of volunteer work.

I also worked with Vitalize.

It's a fundraiser campaign that I started

with Mass General Hospital,

raising money for cancer research.

Last year, as you know, we raised almost $11,000

for cancer research, which is amazing.

We do the fundraiser through a Ninja competition.

And this year, we're hoping to do the same or better.

[children chattering]

The most amazing and impactful trip that I was able to take

was a trip to Sierra Leone, Africa,

where I went to an orphanage.

And I was able to build a Ninja Warrior course

for the children there.

Come on, squeeze, squeeze.

Yes, Jeremiah.

We had cliffhangers, cannonballs, monkey bars.

all: Yeah!

- Honestly, they taught me

more than I could ever teach them.

- Every single season

it seems that she gets better and better.

- My qualifying run definitely felt amazing.

both: No! [air horn blows]

- I would have loved a buzzer,

but I know exactly what I can do to improve.

I really think that I have

what it takes to clear this course.

[cheers and applause]

- Many of Addy's family members

watching from back home.

Her mom and boyfriend, Noah, who hit a buzzer minutes ago,

are leading the cheers on the sideline.

[countdown clock beeping]

Reigning Women's Champion, three-time national finalist--

but despite all her success, Akbar,

she's only got one buzzer in her career.

And that was last year in the racing semifinals.

She completed the course, beating Brittney Durant.

She'll need a good run here

if she wants to get back to the finals.

[cheers and applause]

- Mom's looking a little nervous about Log Runner.

But Addy's through.

- She's been at this for five years,

and she's done a great job.

She's gotten better every single year.

- Well, in the history of "Ninja Warrior,"

only five women have ever hit a buzzer

on an extended ten-obstacle semifinals course.

Two of those came in the past two weeks,

when Isabella Folsom and Taylor Greene did it.

If you had to choose what woman might be next,

it could very well be Addy Herman.

- Absolutely.

It takes tremendous upper-body strength

to finish an extended course, and Addy's got that.

[cheers and applause]

And now a big test for her-- V Formation.

This took her out in qualifying.

- The good ones adjust.

They make adjustments from past mistakes.

- She's being very careful with her moves,

not taking any chances.

- I like that she crawled over.

- She's going to-- - Yeah, good.

- Oh, nice! - Good, OK!

- Well, it's not just a fun double play in baseball.

1-3-4, that's an efficient way to get through V Formation.

- I don't know baseball.

I don't know what 1-3-4 is in baseball,

but she's about to hit a home run.

- And Addy Herman gets redemption on V Formation.

And she's excited, Akbar!

- She's feeling the burn, and she's feeling the excitement.

[cheers and applause]

- She's taking a minute to collect herself

before the Warped Wall.

- You got this!

- Addy, put that power into it.

- All right, now, don't think about it too much.

There you go. Come on.

I like it. She's got her technique.

Yes! OK! - Addy Herman!

- OK! - And she's feeling it!

That's the first time she's made it up a Warped Wall

in qualifying or semifinals.

But she can't celebrate too long.

To get into the women's top three,

she needs to beat Rachel Degutz's time

to the top of the Salmon Ladder,

or she'll have to get past Corkscrew.

- She's taking a lot of time to rest her arms.

She needs to M-O-V-E, move.

- Four women tonight have reached Corkscrew.

Remember, only the top three women

are guaranteed to move on.

- Come on, Addy, you got this!

- Well, she's not going to beat Degutz's time,

so now the pressure is on.

Calms her body.

Starts the ascent.

Great job.

But she was slower than the other women

who reached this point,

so she must finish this obstacle.

- She's in a zone, I can tell. She's in a zone.

- Well, we've seen, Akbar, if you don't get the height,

your hand placement is compromised.

- Get up. Big throw.

Nice! both: Oh!

[air horn blows]

- She's happy because it's her best performance,

but, unfortunately, it won't get her to the National Finals.

- Her slower pace early in the run

meant she had to conquer Corkscrew.

She survived the first spin but not the second.

And our reigning women's champion

is not moving on.

- Coming up, he nearly won it all three years ago.

Injuries have slowed him down.

But now Jay "Lache" Lewis is ready to run

with the best once again.

He's next on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Tonight we've been looking back

at our memorable celebrity moments.

Whether they were entertainers

or top athletes in other sports,

for one night at least, they were ninjas.

- Ooh!

- And at number one, we have to salute our Olympians.

Over the years, we've had more than two dozen members

of Team USA step up to the start line.

[buzzer blares] - Yes!

- Several had good success.

- There's the reason why you're an Olympic athlete, huh?

- And one that stands out-- Jonathan Horton.

The gymnast won silver and bronze in the 2008 Olympics,

then started Ninja.

He competed for seven seasons,

made it to the semis five times,

and got two buzzers.

[buzzer blares] - Yeah! Whoo!

- I see you!

- A long history of success

lifts Olympians to the top of the podium

in our countdown of memorable celebrities.

The last couple of ninjas

have turned in some gold-medal performances.

Minutes ago, it was Amir Malik.

- Oh, he is banging through this course.

- The 24-year-old's nickname is Sonic,

and he was moving like the famous hedgehog.

- Sonic boom.

- The Vermont baker missed three seasons,

but he looked strong in his return

and collected his second-straight buzzer.

- [shouting indistinctly] [buzzer blares]

- He's going to the Finals.

- [shouts indistinctly]

- Jackson Erdos made his return

to competition this season after two years away.

- Taking no break at the bottom of the Warped Wall.

- The former "Ninja Junior" champion

showed why he's a contender to win it all,

powering through the back-half obstacles.

- Wow, that was pretty impressive.

- The Pennsylvania teenager had a steady climb

up the Invisible Ladder

and posted the fastest time of the night so far.

[buzzer blares]

[cheers and applause]

And we've got another top contender

heading to the start line-- Jay "Lache" Lewis.

He's had injuries in recent years,

so he's been doing some rehab

but also some romance with fellow ninja Maggie Owen.

- Let's go!

- After a competition that we were both at,

I got a message.

- The gist was, I've liked you for a while,

and I hope you feel the same.

- I felt the exact same.

Made it easy on me that she made the first move.

Maggie is the absolute best.

Hanging out with her, you can't not laugh.

Giggling and just having fun.

- He's just fun to be around.

Obviously, he's so cute, too. Look at him.

[laughter] So...

- I live in Orlando, Florida,

and then Maggie lives in Chicago.

A lot of times we see each other at competitions.

But we make sure to do things that aren't Ninja--

bowling, air hockey, mini golf.

- Also, both of us really enjoy rock climbing,

so we do that together.

- Obviously, we're both very competitive,

so it's fun to be able to play those games

both with and against each other,

even though I lose, like, every time.

- Yes!

- It's every time. [laughter]

It's really nice going into the season

knowing that no matter what happens on the course,

I still have Maggie.

So I'm really excited to go out there and see what happens.

[upbeat music]

- Maggie will be cheering alongside Jay's parents.

And watching back in Florida

are Jay's neighbors and training partners--

Avery Glantz and Luke Dillon. - Whoo!

[countdown clock beeping]

How's this for a Ninja résumé?

Jay Lache's hit qualifying and semifinals buzzers

every season he's competed.

Season 14, made it to stage 4.

Did a climb-off for a million dollars.

Took a semester off of college to train

for the National Finals the next year.

Was perfect in qualifying and semifinals,

and then dislocated his ankle

the night before the competition started.

- Oh, that was heartbreaking.

5'4", 125-- this guy plays big.

- Whoo! - Wow!

You see that power?

- Ninja's in his spirit. It's in his blood.

Transferred from Syracuse

to the University of Central Florida

just so he could be close to Ninja training.

- And just storming right on to V Formation.

And, Akbar, what I love is, he's just looking so efficient.

- Yeah, he's a competitor.

He's got this competitive spirit in him.

- He wants to show this year that he is back,

recovered from that injury

and ready to be one of the elites again.

And he is looking great so far.

[cheers and applause]

Quick wave to Maggie,

and then he's on his way up the wall.

He's found a whole new Ninja community in Florida.

Living in a complex with Avery Glantz and Luke Dillon.

- Go, Jay! Come on! - Let's go, Jay!

- I don't think his Ninja career's stopping anytime soon,

big man.

Well, if he gets to the top of the Salmon Ladder

with the pace he's had,

he'll secure his spot in the top 20.

- Nice.

- So at this point, he's assured of moving on.

But he's thinking about his seeding in the Finals.

A finish, especially a fast finish,

would give him a higher seed.

- Look at this!

- And just great technique,

controlling the spins on that Corkscrew,

pushing that body out.

And if he keeps this up,

he's got a shot at the fastest time,

set by Jackson Erdos.

[cheers and applause]

Wow, a great pace to this point, Akbar,

and he's staring down Dungeon.

Competed on his college rock-climbing team,

and felt that has taken his Ninja game to the next level.

And that will be demonstrated here

on this diabolical ninth obstacle.

- First you got to lock this in,

transfer yourself all the way through on the other side.

It's pretty difficult.

- Great shot there.

That's just remarkable, those vertical handles.

That is so hard.

- But he just crushed it.

- Just absurd! - Come on, man.

Come on, that's not even fair.

- Jay Lache...

still got a shot at the fastest time,

but it's going to be close.

- Yeah, let's go. - Yeah, there we go.

- Jackson Erdos, that time of 04:01.

- There it is.

- Jay Lache, a little over 30 seconds to get to the top

and have that number-one seed from tonight.

- Here we go. This college kid is going.

We remember when he was just a young kid,

and now he's in college, all grown up.

Yes, his name, image, and likeness

is known in the Ninja community.

- A steady ascent.

Jay Lache wanted to prove he's back,

and he's gonna do it.

The final runner of the night

will have the fastest time.

- Whoo!

- Jay Lache delivers again! [buzzer blares]

- Oh, my!

[cheering]

- I love this kid.

- Makes it through in under four minutes.

Jay Lache, my man!

You're back, you're standing atop the tower,

and you have the fastest time getting there, buddy.

- Oh, man, feels great.

- Hey, hey, Lache.

- Yeah, semifinals are my favorite style of course,

so to get to run one again and put up a pretty decent time

is really nice.

- "A pretty decent time." [laughter]

- Yeah, well, I mean--

"A pretty decent time"-- you're being humble.

What about racing, man? Because that's what's next.

You ready to go racing?

- I'm feeling really good with my speed.

I cannot wait to show what I got on that course.

- All right, hit that buzzer

and go celebrate with your friends and family.

[buzzer blares]

What a way to end our semifinals.

So Jay sits at the top of our leaderboard.

He'll be a top seed when we go racing

in the finals next week.

We had 9 finishers in all,

including 4'11" Jason Behrends.

The non-finishers moving on include Joe Moravsky,

plus Iowa gym owner Spencer Johnson.

All 20 of these athletes

are headed to the National Finals,

which start next week.

Get ready for a National Finals

like we've never seen before.

- What?

- It's all racing till we crown a champion.

- Oh!

- Men versus women, brother versus brother--

anything can happen.

- Complete shock!

- And when it's all said and done,

someone's going home with $250,000.

- It's going to be the fastest National Finals

in Ninja history.

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

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

[dramatic music]

* *