All language subtitles for American.Ninja.Warrior.S17E09.1080p.WEB.h264-EDITH

[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]

* *