All language subtitles for American.Ninja.Warrior.S17E10.1080p.WEB.h264-EDITH

[dramatic music]

- "The American Ninja
Warrior" finals are here,

and we're making history.

For the first time ever, the
best ninjas in the world will

race head-to-head
in an epic tournament,

where the winner takes all

with a $250,000 prize
on the line.

- We're gonna see some of the
fastest ninjas on the planet

doing what they do best.

- Everybody loves a race.

Here we go.

- Ten years ago,
I was just a little kid

on a farm with a dream.

And now I'm here
on the big stage.

And I'm gonna make it happen.

- Matt, my heart
can't take this.

I can't take this type
of stress in my life.

- This is something that
we've never done before.

It's uncharted waters.

- 60 athletes have qualified
for the National Finals.

And they've been seeded and
split into 15 groups of four

based on how they
performed in the semifinals.

They'll race three times,
once against each member

in their group.

And the two with the most
wins will continue on.

- I mean, you're gonna see
some crazy cool matchups.

- This is ninja chaos
at its best.

- Two women going against
each other in National Finals.

It's gonna be great.

- Let's go.

- It's Behrends.

- Versus Behrends.

- And may the best bro win.

- It's gonna be me.

- It's the National Finals
of "American Ninja Warrior."

Let's go.

[upbeat music]

- It's a National Finals
like we've never seen before.

And it starts right now
on "American Ninja Warrior."

Hello, everyone, and
thanks for joining us.

I'm Matt Iseman.

- And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.

We've talked about
the past this season,

but now we're looking
to the future.

And the future of "Ninja"
is fast.

- Absolutely, big man.

We're going racing.

We'll have brother racing
brother, men racing women.

It's gonna be insane.

For a preview of tonight,
let's go down to Zuri Hall.

- Buckle up, guys.

It is gonna be
an action-packed night.

And it starts right here
on our two-lane course.

The first of our
six iconic obstacles

is the Shrinking Steps,
which debuted in season 11.

Then it's the Swinging Frames.

Kacy Catanzaro
shocked the world

when she became the
first woman to conquer

the obstacle 11 years ago.

- Yes.

- She followed that up
by being the first woman

to get past the Pole Grasper--

- She's done it!

- --which is our third
obstacle tonight.

Up next for our athletes
is the "Ninja"

staple, the Salmon Ladder.

That leads to
the Floating Monkey Bars,

which first appeared
on the course a decade ago.

- Whoa!

- The final test is Piston
Plunge, last seen on stage 2

at the National Finals.

- Hold on.

No!
[air horn blares]

- Whoever conquers the
most obstacles or hits

the buzzer first wins
the race.

- Thanks, Zuri.

So much "Ninja" history
with these obstacles.

And now we'll see them on this
special side-by-side course.

And first to take it on
will be this all-star lineup

in group one.

What a foursome this is.

Our first race will feature
Taylor Greene versus RJ Roman.

On one side, you've got RJ,
one of our top contenders

to win it all this year.

And on the other, it's
the history-making Colorado

teenager, Taylor Greene.

RJ, the rock 'n roll musician,
is known for speed

and has never lost a race
in "Ninja" competition.

But Taylor knows how
to run with the boys.

[rock music]

- Taylor Greene
rising to new heights.

[buzzer blares]

- To be in the National
Finals for the third time

feels really, really
incredible and really special

now that it's racing.

- Head-to-head racing, this is
what Taylor Greene lives for.

[buzzer blares]

- On "American Ninja
Warrior Junior,"

I did lots and lots of races,
and the majority of them

were against boys.

- She turns into a different
person on the course.

- Taylor Greene gets the win.

- So that part of it doesn't
really intimidate me.

When I heard the
group that I was in,

I was a little bit blown away.

- He went for the big one.

Two moves.

- I'm excited to race RJ.

He's known to be very fast.

- One of the fastest times
we've seen all season.

RJ Roman.

- Yes!

What's up?

- I am gonna try to shred the
course faster than he can.

- Taylor Greene is money.

- I've always wanted
to race the best,

and that's definitely
what's happening tonight.

[cheers and applause]

- Taylor's got family
watching back in Colorado,

and her mom's leading the
cheers on the sideline.

RJ has his mom and friends
watching back in Florida.

- Come on, RJ!

- Yeah!

- Let's go!

- With his speed,
most people think of RJ

as a heavy favorite, but Taylor
is actually the higher seed.

She finished the semis
course and RJ didn't.

Here we go, Akbar.

[countdown clock beeping]

- I think her strategy
should be run her race.

Anything can happen
in this race.

- And look at RJ.
Good power there.

Shifting to the frame.
Wow.

Good throw.

- Nice, and right there.

Taylor's right there
on the second flight.

- I like it, Akbar.

She's running her race.

She knows RJ is a speed demon,
but she is putting pressure on.

- Speed demon

is not even a word
that describes RJ.

Here goes RJ.

- On to the Salmon Ladder.

- He's moving now.

Oh, he just skipped a big one.

- Wow.

Two moves on the Salmon Ladder.

On now to the
Floating Monkey Bar.

- Oh, watch out.
He saw that.

He snatched that one, did it.

- Oh, no.

Oh.

RJ's down.

Oh, my goodness.

RJ's in shock.

Everyone is in disbelief.

- What the what?

- And now the door is
open for Taylor Greene.

But she has to
complete the Salmon

Ladder and then Floating
Monkey Bars to get the win.

[cheers and applause]

- She can take her time, but
the path to victory is clear.

This could be a huge upset
in our very first race.

This is why the National Finals
this year is gonna be special.

All RJ can do is sit and watch.

Taylor Greene has this
race in her hands.

- Yes, she does.

And literally she has
that pole in her hand.

- Just locking it in, Akbar.

She's one move away
from a major upset.

- Oh, my goodness.

- And there it is.

- She did it.

- Taylor Greene with a big win.

She never ceases to amaze us.

[cheers and applause]

Now, she could stop here
but wants to keep going

and try Piston Plunge.

She may need the experience
for future races.

She got a buzzer in
qualifying and semis.

Taylor Greene one obstacle away
from getting another buzzer.

- Matt, she wants that buzzer.

That was the look.

Go back and look at her very
first look at the start line.

That look was,
I'm getting that buzzer.

- And she's getting a free
practice on Piston Plunge.

- Oh, she's starting
to feel it now.

She's got to throw
herself up, Matt.

- Oh, wow.

- I'm looking at her, and
she is fighting through pain.

- And Taylor Greene
has the buzzer.

Unbelievable.

- Hey, you go, girl.

You go.

Oh, my goodness.

- Taylor,
it is a magical season.

What's it like?

You took out one of the
all-time greats, a speed demon

in RJ Roman.

- I'm surprised.

[laughs]
I didn't expect that at all.

- Hit that buzzer
one more time.

And congrats on an awesome win.

[cheers and applause]

RJ was flying
through the course

but missed his placement
on Floating Monkey Bars

and shockingly went down.

That opened
the door for Taylor,

who avoided mistakes and made
it all the way to the buzzer.

RJ's still in shock.

- That was crazy.

- But he's got two
more races to run.

He's still got
a chance to move on.

- And now it's the other
two from this group.

And on paper, this looks
like another mismatch.

Nacssa Garemore is the number
one seed in these finals.

And Zhanique Lovett is
the 60th, the very lowest.

- Ah, there it is, keeping it
loose at the start line.

- Zhanique's coming in

with confidence.

She got her first buzzer

in qualifying,

but she's 38 years old.

Nacssa, on the other hand,

is just 17.

He had the fastest time

in his semifinals

and has a streak of completing

90 obstacles without falling.

Zhanique's family is
watching from their home

in Visalia, California.

Nacssa has got a big group
watching from Florida.

And his mom is leading
his cheering section

on the sideline.

- This is a tough first
race for Zhanique.

[countdown clock beeping]

Nacssa has got 90
obstacles without falling.

That's 91.

- And you can see Nacssa's
creating that separation.

- Well, Nacssa always runs
with his-- oh, my goodness!

Nacssa is down!

- Oh, my goodness.

Oh, my goodness.

- His streak is done
at 91 obstacles.

And Zhanique Lovett could score
the biggest upset in history.

- Are you kidding me?

Did that really
just happen again?

- And Zhanique gets the win.

- Yes.

- Our top seed just got
beat by our lowest seed.

- No.
- This crowd can't believe it.

Well, Zhanique is going
to keep going,

get some experience
on the obstacles.

But, Akbar, what just happened?

- Well, when you're going
fast like a race car,

you'll make mistakes.

Nacssa tried to leap from
the back of the second frame

all the way to the third.

That's about 10 feet.

And he came up short.

The Vegas odds
were against Zhanique

winning this race right here.

But she beat the odds.

- And Nacssa is still
in disbelief.

- Matt, I'm in disbelief.

- The men
in these first two races

went out fast
and made mistakes.

The women played it smart.

They stayed under control,
and it paid off.

- Well, Akbar, this is
why we run the races.

both: Oh!

- Out on Salmon Ladder.

But a big win
for Zhanique Lovett.

She gets a victory over the
top seed in these finals.

- Let's go!

Let's go!

- Zhanique and Taylor
Greene are 1 and 0.

Nacssa and RJ Roman
are 0 and 1.

But all of them
have two more races.

It's not over for
anyone at this point.

And we're just
getting started.

Tonight, you'll
see some of "Ninja's"

best running for their lives.

We'll have beloved
"Ninja" veterans

facing rising
young stars, "Ninja"

coaches racing their students.

Plus, the first-ever brother
versus brother battle.

all: Whoo!

- Two members of the YouTube
sensation the Ninja Kidz

have to race each other.

And all season, we've been
looking back

at "Ninja's" past,

but we've saved
the best for last.

Over the next four
weeks, we'll count down

the 20 memorable
moments that inspired

us and touched our hearts.

They're the stories
you can't forget

on opening night
of "Ninja's" National Finals.

- Welcome back to Las Vegas.

During the National Finals, we
are counting down the greatest

moments in "Ninja" history.

We'll look back at the 20
that made the biggest

impact, the history
makers and those that

inspired countless viewers.

Our first one was
life-changing.

In season eight,
Kenny Niemitalo

shared the story
of his baby daughter,

Hazel, who was in desperate
need of a kidney transplant.

- The only cure
is a new kidney.

- It just blows my mind
that this is reality.

[somber music]

- That story touched the heart
of "Ninja" viewer Amy Schlee.

- That's one of the reasons
we watch the show is

because we love the stories.

Seeing Hazel really hit home.

I wanted to donate a kidney.

- At that point, Amy amazingly
offered her kidney to Hazel.

- It's mind-blowing that
some random stranger

would donate
a kidney to somebody

that she has never met.

- We have a living
child because of it.

- One year later, both Hazel
and her kidney donor, Amy,

were on the sidelines.

- "American Ninja
Warrior" literally

saved his daughter's life.

What other show is doing that?

- In future seasons, Kenny
Niemitalo paid it forward,

using his appearances to
connect donors with those

in need of transplants.

- Without this show,
my daughter wouldn't even

be here right now.

- That's number 20
on our countdown

of "Ninja's" memorable
moments.

- While we were away,
round one continued

and another one of our
groups started their races.

This foursome features
Isaiah Thomas,

Sean Bryan,
Enzo DeFerrari Wilson,

and Anabella Heinrichs.

The Colorado
hairstylist had to start

things off by facing Thomas,
the top seed in this group.

- He can fly,
but she can soar, too.

- Thomas,
known as "The Flyboy,"

showed why he's one of the
favorites to win it all,

jumping out to an early lead.

- He wants this badly.

He's not messing around.

- And he hit a buzzer
in just over a minute.

- Let's go!

- Anabella never backed down,
making it all the way

to the Floating Monkey Bars.

So it's Isaiah Thomas
with the win.

He's now 1 and 0.

The Flyboy is gonna
be tough to beat,

so our next two
may be battling

to be the second person
to move on from this group.

It's Florida teenager
Enzo DeFerrari

Wilson racing against
the Papal Ninja,

40-year-old Sean Bryan.

A more than 20-year
age difference.

But they have one
thing in common.

They're both big
on social media.

[upbeat music]

- Oh.

- Since I was last on
"American Ninja Warrior,"

my YouTube channel
has blown up.

- Oh, my gosh.
Oh.

* *

People love to watch fails,
and some of my fails are crazy.

Whoa.

- Oh!

- I've been getting a lot
of views on the internet.

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

- I need overtime.

- No overtime for you.

- Definitely don't try
these things at home.

- No, don't touch
this one, no!

* *

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

but I hope my run tonight
breaks the internet.

* *

- These two have huge
followings offline as well.

Enzo always has family and
friends screaming for him.

And Sean Bryan's got a big
group led by his parents.

- Big question here,
can Sean Bryan's 40-year-old

legs keep up with Enzo,
who's half his age?

[countdown clock beeping]

- Both 5'10", around 160.

Enzo, a slight edge,
and watch who finishes first.

In the event of a fall,
that's the tiebreaker.

- Link--nice.

Ooh.

That's a great
link right there.

That was a hot link.

- Ooh, Enzo an extra spin,
though,

and Sean Bryan takes
advantage.

- Seanny, he says I got
that old-man strength.

You better respect your elder.

Oh.
- Wow.

- He's showing that
he's still got it.

- And Enzo closes the gap.

He was the first off.

Oh, but he kicked
the bar off the cradle.

- Oh, no.

What will he do?

- Still has to
finish Salmon Ladder.

Enzo's only hope is to
lache through with one bar.

This is gonna be tough.

It's like a mini version of
the Flying Bar on stage 3.

- What?

- This is almost impossible.

- How is he doing this?

- Enzo is gonna go for the
long dismount and makes it.

- Are you kidding me?

We have never seen
anything like this.

- But easily,
he could make a mistake.

And Sean Bryan's got his back,
and I don't think he's aware

that Enzo is closing on him.

- It's dead even.

Whoa!
- He misses.

- Enzo makes the grab,
but he's still got to finish.

And he does at the wire.

- Oh my gosh.

- Enzo is in disbelief.

- He's in shock.

- That's why it's never over
till you hit the buzzer.

- Sean Bryan was
so close to a win.

- Wow.

That was a race right there.

- Enzo kicked the
bar out of the cradle

on Floating Monkey Bars,
and he was like, what now?

But he figured it
out using one bar.

Sean Bryan was one move
away from finishing

but missed with his left hand.

Enzo comes from
behind for the win.

Enzo, what were you thinking
when you lost the bar?

- I thought I was done.

I was like, actually, I
practiced this at the gym once,

so I thought in my mind--

- No kidding?

- I knew I had to
get out of there.

I got it.

- Yeah, you did.

[cheers and applause]

- Hit that buzzer.

Go celebrate with your
family and friends.

[cheers and applause]

- What a race.

Sean Bryan was so close,
but it's Enzo

who gets an important win.

[cheers and applause]

Now we'll start with round
one races for group three.

Luke Beckstrand is the
top seed in this foursome,

but the first race will
be between two other

top competitors in this group.

These two can go fast.

It's Massachusetts college
student Jonathan Godbout

in his fourth season
of "Ninja."

He's facing
"The Boss" Elijah Browning.

And this year, the Tennessee
teenager is built for speed.

[upbeat country music]

- Over the past year,
I've been building

a lot more "Ninja" rigs.

We tore down the course
at our house,

then I built a huge course
down at my grandpa's farm.

We built that up.

It's bigger than the course
I even had at my house.

And I've been
coaching kids there.

Yeah, buddy.
Get it.

What's awesome
with coaching kids

is they're pushing me
really hard as well.

But some of my kids
are getting good

enough now that I'll
set up a speed course,

and we'll both run it.

- You're beating
him by so much.

Go.

- Matt, this race is gonna
be big time, primetime,

showtime, all time, good time.

Whoo.

And the Boss is back.

Wow, he's about to get
another stage 2 buzzer.

- And he is pumped.

- I'm definitely confident
going into these races.

I've trained for
this my whole life.

I'm very excited.

Now, obviously,
anything can happen,

but, you know, I'm
definitely one of the guys

that can win this show.

The Boss is ready to race.

* *

- Elijah's mom, Renee, will
be leading the cheers for him.

Godbout's got his
own side business.

He's a drummer
in a heavy metal band.

He's getting support from
one of his bandmates,

Evan Lavallee,
a ninja who's also made

it to the National Finals.

- Elijah is the 28th seed.

And Godbout's the 33rd.

So this may be a close one.

[countdown clock beeping]

Here we go, Akbar.

And, Godbout, a quick start.

- Yeah, Godbout
knows that Elijah Browning

will bring the heat.

Both these competitors
will bring the heat.

- Oh, my.

Neck-and-neck.

Neither could link
that dismount.

Elijah slightly ahead.

That's huge.

- And the one thing
that can be intimidating

is when you have a
ninja right next to you

breathing down your neck.

They are facing
each other, Akbar.

What an even matchup.

- They are gonna
push each other.

Uh-oh, and now Elijah's
got separation.

- And it's huge.

Remember, whoever finishes
the previous obstacle

in the event of a fall.

And Elijah first on the
Floating Monkey Bars.

- He's got a 7-inch
height advantage.

He can use
those long arms here.

- Uh-oh,
but here comes Godbout.

- Oh, this is about to go down.

- And you can see,
Elijah first off.

He's right into Piston Plunge,
about a half obstacle ahead.

- Very easy to make
a mistake here.

Very slippery here
on Piston Plunge.

- And you can see
Godbout stole a glance.

I think he made
a decision, Akbar.

He knows he's not
gonna catch him.

Pray for a fall.

- Piston Plunge can
make you go plunging.

- And Boss just
glanced at Godbout.

- Oh, he's going for it.

And he gets the win.

- What a race.

"The Boss."

Godbout trying to finish.

- Oh.

- Godbout goes down.

He kept it close for
a while but couldn't

keep up with Elijah Browning.

The Boss looked good,
and he's 1 and 0.

[cheers and applause]

Coming up, they've already
got one win apiece.

Now Taylor Greene and Zhanique
Lovett go head-to-head.

It's the mom
versus the teenager

when "American
Ninja Warrior" returns.

[cheers and applause]

- Welcome back to
"Ninja Warrior's" all-racing

National Finals.

Minutes ago,
group three finished

up their first round of races.

This was a battle between
two prolific "Ninja" families,

Florida's Caitlyn
Bergstrom-Wright

running against Utah's
Luke Beckstrand.

Between them,
these families have

produced almost a dozen
"Ninja" competitors

over the years.

- Fighting for
family legacy here.

- Luke, the 17-year-old
high school student,

has been one of the
fastest ninjas all season.

And he came out
hot again tonight.

- Come on.
Are you kidding me?

- Caitlyn kept a
steady pace, but no one

was catching Luke, who smashed
the buzzer with the best

time of the night so far.

- Yeah.

- Wow.

He just did that in a
little over a minute.

- Caitlyn battled to the
Floating Monkey Bars.

- Whoa.

- But she's still got two
more chances to get a win.

Female competitors have given
us many memorable moments,

and one in particular
was fantastic.

Before season eight,
only a handful of women

had ever gone far
enough in qualifying

to make it to the semifinals.

But on a magical
evening in Philadelphia,

four women did it
on the same night.

It started with occupational
therapist Rachel Goldstein.

- You can hear the crowd
chanting Goldstein.

all: Goldstein.

- Followed by schoolteacher
Allyssa Beird.

- Look at that.

- And recent college grad
Jesse "Flex" Labreck.

- Whoo-hoo-hoo!

- Then gym owner Michelle
Warnky reached the fifth

obstacle, making it
a record-shattering

four women in the top 30 and
advancing to the semifinals.

- Michelle Warnky has done it.

- We dubbed them
the Fantastic 4,

and their groundbreaking
performance paved the way

for future women competitors.

The history-making
Fantastic 4 are

number 19 in our memorable
moments countdown.

And now we're gonna move on

to start the round two races,

beginning with group one

and a showdown between

the two women who lead

this group at 1 and 0.

Zuri is gonna get them
started.

- They've already pulled
off two epic upsets tonight.

Now, 17-year-old Taylor Greene
and 38-year-old Zhanique Lovett

will have to face each other.

And this race has
huge implications.

Whoever wins will
be 2 and 0 and

in great position to move on.

- And what a year it's
been for these two.

Zhanique, a mother of three,
got her first buzzer.

Her family's watching,
including her daughter,

who's older than Taylor.

And Taylor Greene's on
an unprecedented run

for a female competitor.

She's got three buzzers,
one on every course

she's faced this season.

- Come on, girl.
Let's go, Tay-Tay.

- Everyone wants to see if she
can keep that streak alive.

This is a huge race.

The winner will be on top
of probably the toughest

group in the entire finals.

[countdown clock beeping]

Gotta make Taylor the favorite,
but never count out Zhanique.

- Very even.

Well, Zhanique got her
first-ever buzzer, just

the third mom ever to do that.

And look at this.

She is even with the
great Taylor Greene.

- And, Matt, we've seen
Taylor Greene here.

She's really good
at running her race.

It may not seem like
she has a quick pace,

but you better believe
she's got a plan.

- But Zhanique was
the first to dismount.

- Uh-oh, and she's
sliding on Pole Grasper.

She's got to get up higher.

She's gonna lose a
lot of time, Matt.

- She is in trouble.

- Oh, boy.

Oh!
[air horn blares]

- Zhanique is down,
but Taylor still

has to finish the obstacle.

- There she is, navigating
through Pole Grasper.

She is one determined ninja.

- Well, there it is.

Taylor Greene takes
care of business.

Gets the win over Zhanique.

But Taylor is gonna keep
going, see if she can

get a record fourth buzzer.

She got one in qualifying,
semifinals, and her first race.

- Let's look at what
happened to Zhanique.

She caught that
first pole too low

and just couldn't
get a good grip

and slid down into the water.

An early exit for
Zhanique Lovett, but she

still has one race left.

Taylor Greene is just setting
a new standard for women.

She still has not
fallen this season.

She's been perfect.

- Well, we've been so impressed
with this 17-year-old.

4.0 student.

We saw her
on "Ninja Junior" racing,

made it to the final four.

She's collecting her Ws, Matt.

- Akbar, we've never seen this
amount of success this early,

and she's all but
guaranteed to move on

from probably the toughest
group in these finals

with Nacssa and RJ.

- Big reach.

Got it.

[cheers and applause]

And Taylor Greene--

- Nice.

- --just needs the dismount.

- She's getting that buzzer.

She's getting that buzzer.

- And another buzzer for the
incomparable Taylor Greene.

[cheers and applause]

Still some races
to go, but it looks

like Taylor will be moving on.

She'll be among the final
32 athletes competing

to be this year's champion.

- She's gonna be scary.

- Oh, yeah.

- Up next,
Enzo DeFerrari Wilson's

finally met his match.

- Oh, let's go.

Yeah.

I don't think I've
ever met anyone

in my life that matches my
energy the way that Emily does.

- We'll meet "Ninja's" new
power couple when we come back

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Round two races got underway
moments ago for group four.

It was the Papal Ninja,
40-year-old church worker

Sean Bryan, going up against
20-year-old hairstylist

Anabella Heinrichs.

Both lost their first
races, so they were

in desperate need of a win.

- Sean trying to
get that first W.

- Bryan, appearing in his
eighth National Finals,

used his veteran
savvy to pull ahead.

But Heinrichs never gave up.

- That's it, Anabella.

- Closing in on a buzzer,
Bryan needed a fingertip

save to stay alive.

- He's on the back end.

He's-- oh, my goodness.

Oh, get out of there.

- He made it through
and rolled to the win.

[buzzer blares]

Heinrichs battled
to the final obstacle.

- Oh.

- She falls to 0 and 2, while
Sean Bryan is now 1 and 1.

Now it's the two
others from this group,

both of whom won
their earlier races.

- And this should be
a good one,

as Enzo DeFerrari Wilson
squares off against

Isaiah "The Flyboy" Thomas.

It's already been
a good year for both.

Isaiah has three
buzzers and earned

10 grand on the Mega Wall.

And Enzo, well,
he got a new girlfriend,

fellow Ninja, Emily Gardiner.

- [laughs]

[horn honks]

- Oh, yeah, we're moving now.

My nickname is
"Electric Enzo" for a reason.

If you're not careful,
it will tip over.

It's a little unstable,
you know?

- Tip over?

- I've always been one of the
loudest people in the room,

one of the most energetic.

Stop, stop.
There's no brakes.

There's no brakes.
- Ahh!

- Then I met Emily,
and I don't think

I've ever met anyone in my life
that matches my energy the way

that Emily does.

- You got it.
Come on.

- Emily lives up in New York,
and I live in Florida.

- Oh, my gosh.

No way.

Long distance isn't
really bad, honestly.

Like, we make it work.

- Oh.

We make sure to call
each other every day.

And with trips that we plan,
we get to see each other two

to three times a month.

[laughter]

When we see each other,
it's always so much fun.

- It's like a little
celebration every time.

both: Sunshine State just
got a little brighter.

- Hey!
- Let's go.

- Yay.

Cheers.
- Oh, no.

- Oh, no.

- Come on, Em.

When I'm out on the
course, I always

look for Emily in the crowd
because I know if she's there

and she believes that
I can get through it,

then I can definitely do it.

- Emily will be cheering
along with Enzo's family.

You know they'll
make some noise.

- Yo, I love y'all.

- And Flyboy will
have his mom leading

the group on his sideline.

- Flyboy is the top
seed in this group.

He's one of the favorites
to win it all.

Enzo's fast, but the Flyboy
will be tough to beat.

[countdown clock beeping]

Good start.

Enzo with a slight edge.

- OK, here we go.

- Wow.
- Nice.

He's got the reach there.

You can see Flyboy
using his reach to extend.

Here we go.

Nice.

And you see Flyboy
going up high to make

sure there's no mistake.

- Wow.
- Whoo!

- He just flew through
that, and Ferrari

is selling out to keep pace.

- Two moves.

- Well, this is gonna be
the fastest time we've

seen, barring a fall, Akbar.

These guys are moving.

But can they avoid mistakes
when they're going this fast?

- Well, keep in mind,
with these fast times,

you could lose this
race and still advance

if you can get that buzzer.

Here comes Enzo.

- This is where
Isaiah Thomas needs

to have situational awareness.

Doesn't need to
make a crazy move.

[buzzer blares]
- Yeah, boy!

- Got it.
- Whoa.

- And Flyboy crushes
the fastest time.

46 seconds.

Are you kidding me?

- And this is big for Enzo.
[buzzer blares]

And Enzo gets a buzzer as well.

Two great times.

- You're fast.

- An unbelievable race.

Enzo, I thought I saw
you hanging your head.

Don't, baby.

You guys were both flying.

Under a minute
through the course.

- Oh, that's good at least.
- Yeah.

Heck yeah, that's good.

- So, Isaiah,
what did it feel like?

You were pushing
the pedal to the metal.

- This guy's electric,
so I know I had to go.

I ran my race, and I'm just
happy it followed through.

- All right, boys.

We'll see you in the next one.

[cheers and applause]

- We've got two more
speedsters about to face

off in our next matchup.

Zuri is gonna get them
started.

- Guys, this is a race
everyone wants to see,

"Ninja" vet RJ Roman
versus his former student,

Nacssa Garemore.

RJ started training Nacssa
nearly a decade ago.

Now these two friends
face each other.

And both desperately
need a win.

[cheers and applause]

- I first met Nacssa when he
was about 9 or 10 years old

and half of my height.

There you go.
Absorb it.

Up.

Nice.

- RJ Roman was my
first ninja coach.

- It was obvious
that he was gifted.

- And Nacssa is on a whole
nother level right now.

- Everybody knew this kid
was gonna go places.

- Whoo!

Oh, my goodness.

- He made that look easy.

- We've never seen that
on the Falling Shelves.

- My Ninja career wouldn't have
been this good without him.

- Uh-oh.

Still got it.

That was crazy.

- Me and him
connect really well.

- We do hang out
outside of training.

- Sauce it up.
- Mmm-mmm-mmm.

- We'll eat some good food
together and sometimes

even go go-kart racing.

[dramatic music]

- Whoa, buddy.

Nacssa went from student
to training partner,

and now he is
teaching me a lot.

Making me nervous.

- I'm excited to
race my teacher.

[upbeat music]

- Well, we got
excited when we saw

these two in the same
group, but nobody

expected them to
be 0 and 1, which

makes this race so important.

The loser will be 0 and 2,
and it will be very

difficult for them to move on.

- That's a lot of pressure.

Go hard or go home.

[countdown clock beeping]

Here we go. Whoo!

- They are gonna push
each other like they

do in training every day.

- I say, look forward.

Don't look side to side.

You got to cancel out
your peripheral vision.

- Each taking an extra swing.

RJ first there.

- Matt, these guys are
highly competitive.

- Wow.

- Nacssa is 4 inches taller.

Should have
a little better reach.

- RJ staying ahead.

Wow.
Did he pull away there?

And Nacssa has got
to be feeling the pressure.

Nice. Big move.

A risky move there by RJ.

- RJ onto
the Floating Monkey Bars,

but he's a little hung up,
Akbar, and here comes Nacssa.

- I think Nacssa is
running a very smart race.

He might be behind, but it's
not over until it's over.

Oh, a slip.

- RJ onto
the Floating Monkey Bars.

And that's a big finish.

- Oh, he's going for it.

- Are you kidding me?

Nacssa Garemore,
who started off perfect,

90 obstacles in a row.

- But now he's starting
to put it on now.

- Made the final climb twice.

- Oh!
- RJ's down.

- Sha-na-na.

- Are you kidding me?

Nacssa has new life.

- Well, it was Nacssa
running the smart race.

- On the final move, RJ's down,
and Nacssa comes from behind.

[buzzer blares]

A heartbreaking end
for RJ Roman.

- I love you, man.

- Matt, my heart
can't take this.

I can't take this type
of stress in my life.

- We love you, RJ.

- That's why we say it's never
over until that buzzer is hit.

- Nacssa, man, you trying
to give me a heart attack?

- You know, we both just
wanted to clear, honestly.

I love RJ, man.

He taught me everything I
needed to know about ninja,

and I appreciate
that so much, bro.

- Well, I can tell you,
RJ Roman's training paid off.

Well done, man.

That was a great race.
- Thank you.

I appreciate it.

- But RJ, who came in as one of
the favorites, is now 0 and 2.

He's down with Zuri.

- RJ, now, you know,
I think most of us

would have expected me
talking to you twice

would be after two wins here.
- Yeah.

- Two losses.

Talk to me about what happened.

What went wrong here?

Because you were
looking really great.

- Yeah, that was on me.

I definitely ran out
of gas on that one.

When I landed, I just ran
right into the next one.

I knew if I would have given
him a chance to come back,

he would come back, right?

So, yeah, I punked
out a little bit,

and it affected
my technique, so--

- It's kind of
just a reflection

of how good of a teacher
you are, if we want to do

a little reframe here, yeah?

- Oh, yeah, shot myself
in the foot with that one.

- Well, you still
looked really good.

I know you're disappointed
with how this ended up,

but it's always good to see
you out here on the course.

- You, too.
Thank you so much.

- Of course, RJ.
Guys, back to you.

- RJ staying positive despite
his second straight loss.

- Great job, dude.

- I don't think we expected
this group to look like this,

RJ Roman at the very bottom.

He'll have one more
shot in race three

to keep his season alive.

When we come back,
two more must-see matchups.

It's experience
versus youth when

40-year-old Sean Bryan takes
on 19-year-old Isaiah Thomas.

And two of Ninja's fastest,
Luke Beckstrand

and Elijah Browning, battle it
out on the National Finals

of "American Ninja Warrior."

- It's the first night
of the National Finals,

and the races roll
on here in Vegas.

Minutes ago, it was
the second round

of matchups for group three.

First up was Luke Beckstrand,
who looked dominant

winning his first race,

going against
Jonathan Godbout,

who lost his first contest.

With his speed, Beckstrand
is a contender to win it all,

but in racing,
anything can happen.

- Oh!

- And Luke is out.

- Oh, my gosh.

- Luke tried to make a quick
move to the third frame

and came up short.

So a huge upset
win for Godbout,

and the drummer got
himself a buzzer.

Both are now 1 and 1 and will
need wins in their next race.

The group's next matchup
featured "The Boss"

Elijah Browning going
against Florida's

Caitlin Bergstrom-Wright.

The five-time veteran
kept up a steady pace,

but the Boss was too
strong and captured

his second straight buzzer.

He now sits atop this
group at 2 and 0.

Luke Beckstrand
and Jonathan Godbout

are right behind at 1 and 1.

Then we started round three
races for group four.

First up was
Enzo DeFerrari Wilson

taking on Anabella Heinrichs.

Enzo needed a win.

- Whoo!
- That's what's up!

- And he got it,
cruising to another finish.

So Anabella is eliminated, and
Enzo is sitting at 2 and 1.

His fate now will be
determined by this next race.

And it's all in
Sean Bryan's hands.

The Papal Ninja needs
a win to advance.

Otherwise, Enzo will move on.

But unfortunately,
Sean will have

to beat the ninja
with the fastest

time tonight, Isaiah Thomas.

the Flyboy is the top seed
in this group, and he's 21

years younger than Sean Bryan.

- Come on, Sean.

- Let's go!

[countdown clock beeping]

- Well, Matt, we know
the Flyboy Ninja's got

the speed and the swag.

- He can go for broke.

A fast finish will improve his
chances of being the top seed

in the next round.

Sean Bryan is a gamer
though, and he's

keeping it close, big man.

- Oh, never sleep
on Sean Bryan.

We know he always
comes ready to play.

Oh, but he's starting to slip.

He's getting a little lower.

- Wow, look at these guys.

Sean Bryan giving
it all he got.

But you can just see Isaiah
is so effortlessly fast.

- And look at that
excellent body control.

- That speed can be
hard to keep up with.

- And Isaiah just
destroying it.

- Matt, Isaiah is
gonna break his time.

He's gonna actually go
for the fastest time.

I think he's gonna do it.

- He set the mark at 46
seconds in an earlier race.

- He's got to get off.

He's got to get off now.

- An extra swing.

And he did it.

- Wow.

[cheers and applause]

- He ain't playing.

- Sean Bryan gave
it a good run,

but he's not gonna
get the win he needed.

- Oh, Sean Bryan.

A flipping dismount.

- This is flippin' crazy!
I want to see that again.

Sean Bryan's season is over,
but he went out in style.

So for this group, the Flyboy
and Enzo are moving on.

We'll see them in the
next round in a few weeks.

And now we move on to the
final races for group three

and a critical matchup
between Luke Beckstrand

and Elijah Browning.

Luke came in as the
top seed in this group

and one of the favorites
to win it all.

But he's 1 and 1
and needs a win here.

The Utah teenager is part

of that Beckstrand
"Ninja" dynasty.

His brother, Kai, another top
contender, runs next week.

There on the sideline are
Luke's girlfriend,

Payton Myler,
one of the Ninja Kidz.

For Elijah Browning,
a win would guarantee

him a spot in the next round.

If he loses, it'll come
down to the fastest finish.

So big stakes
for both of them.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Well, both these guys
capable of going very fast.

Wow.

Oh, boy, this is gonna
be a fast one, big man.

- Who will blink?

- And you can see Luke
just linking these moves,

but a little hung up,
couple extra swings.

- Luke is pushing it.

- Here comes the Boss.

Gonna use those long limbs.

- Matt, these guys are
gonna push themselves.

They may come in
at 40 seconds.

This is gonna be a good one.

- Oh, my goodness.

Can they keep this pace?

This is so fast, Akbar.

- Yeah, it's too
fast to pass up.

Uh-oh.

- It's even.

- Here comes the Boss.

- Oh!

- A little smoother.

- That's it right there.

Using his long
6'2" body there.

- And Elijah just pulled ahead.

That is huge.

[cheering]

Elijah is using his long body.

He's got that bigger reach.

- Uh-oh,
but then here comes Luke.

Luke just took a peek.

He just took a peek.

- Luke Beckstrand comes from
behind and steals the win.

[cheers and applause]

And he keeps his season alive.

They're hugging.

Their moms are hugging.

That was spectacular.

What a nail-biter.

- Fellas, what a race that was.

Luke, take us through it.

You were behind
on that final obstacle.

What happened?

- I knew I had to keep going.

Elijah's tough.

And I just kept working
my way through it.

- What happened is
he's a Beckstrand, bro.

That's what happened.
[laughter]

- Well, Luke, with that win,
you're guaranteed to move on.

- Let's go.

- Boss, you're in
very good position,

but you've got to wait
and see what happens

with Jonathan Godbout
in the next race.

Still, a good chance both
you guys are moving on.

Coming up, he's one of
the best, but he's 0 and 2

and needs the run of
his life to stay alive.

RJ Roman's last chance
is up next

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to the
semifinals, where minutes ago,

the fate of group three
came down to the final race.

Jonathan Godbout needed
a win against

Caitlyn Bergstrom-Wright.

And he needed to finish
faster than Elijah Browning's

time of 58 seconds.

Bergstrom-Wright tried
to put the pressure on

but fell behind.

And this became a race
against the clock for Godbout.

- He wants an opportunity.

He's got to push it.
Nice.

He's got to make a big move.

OK, he skipped a rung.

- The heavy metal
drummer went all out,

taking chances on the course.

- He's just got to go for it.

He got nothing to lose.

- He fought to the end
and made it close

but came up five seconds
short.

[buzzer blares]

So three ninjas finished
2 and 1 in this group.

But Godbout had
the slowest finish,

so it's the other two,
Luke Beckstrand

and Elijah Browning,
who move on.

The fastest third-place
finisher on this course

will also move on.

Godbout has a chance
to grab that spot,

but he won't know
until all races

are completed in a few weeks.

Now it's the final races
for group one,

and there's a lot riding
on these matchups

as well, starting
with our first one.

It features the star
of these finals

so far, teen phenom
Taylor Greene.

She's got two wins already,
and she'll

be racing one of the favorites
to win it all,

Nacssa Garemore.

But right now, he's
in a must-win situation.

Nacssa bounced back
from his shocking loss

to Zhanique Lovett
with an impressive win

over his mentor, RJ Roman.

- It was Nacssa
running the smart race.

- But without
a victory over Taylor,

his season could be over.

- This, I consider,
is my last chance.

A piece of me needs
to wake up and realize

this could be it, you know?

- Racing Nacssa
is intimidating.

People think that
he's gonna win it all,

and I wouldn't be
surprised if he does.

[rock music]

- It's vitally important
for Nacssa to get a win.

For Taylor, it's
a chance to continue

her history-making season.

[countdown clock beeping]

Here they are.

They're two of Ninja's best,
and they're still teenagers.

Oh, Nacssa,
you can see that speed.

He's really moving.

- Oh, he cleaned that up.

And no more problems
for Nacssa on Swinging Frames.

You might think
he would play it safe,

go a little slower
to avoid a mistake.

- Nah, that's not
Nacssa's style.

- Both of them part
of the very bright future

of "Ninja Warrior."

And now Nacssa Garemore
pulling away.

- Wow, I think that
first fall for him,

Matt, gave him
just a little nasty

taste that he does not like.

- Well, it took some
of the pressure off, Akbar,

with that perfect streak going.

- That's exactly right.

- That's 91 obstacles.

- He is moving.

- And he goes right into
Piston Plunge, Akbar.

Taylor Greene keeping
some pressure on.

Well, we've seen
it with Nacssa.

One of the greatest semifinals
runs we've ever seen

in that 10-obstacle course.

About as fast as
anyone's ever done it.

- Matt, he's going
for under a minute.

- And Nacssa gets
his second buzzer.

[cheers and applause]

Well, Nacssa Garemore,
who thought his season was over

after that first loss, has now
jumped ahead of Taylor Greene.

So Nacssa Garemore
goes to 2 and 1.

Taylor Greene, at 2 and 1,
doesn't get a win here,

but she still
finishes the course.

So impressive.

[buzzer blares]

Well, Nacssa,
you've come back, two wins.

And with that time,
you're guaranteed to move on.

And, Taylor, you're
in excellent position.

Congratulations.

Hit that buzzer one more time.

[buzzer blares]

- Whoo!

- Nacssa and Taylor
are both 2 and 1,

but with the faster time,
Nacssa takes the top spot.

Taylor will also move on

unless Zhanique Lovett,
who runs next,

wins her race with
a faster time than Taylor.

RJ Roman, who's 0 and 2,
is in trouble.

He's about to face Zhanique in
the final race for this group.

RJ has only got one
chance to move on,

win the wild card, which goes
to our fastest third-place

finisher on this course.

Right now, that would
be Jonathan Godbout.

RJ will have to beat
Godbout's time of one minute,

three seconds,
and then hope that holds up

as the remaining
groups compete

over the next two weeks.

RJ came in as one
of the favorites.

Oh, oh!

But his falls
in his first two races

have put him
in a dire situation.

So RJ has just got to
throw caution to the wind

and try to finish
in under 1:03.

And Zhanique also
still has a chance,

but she'll need to win
with a very fast time.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Anything can happen.

It's why we run the races.

- It's so unpredictable.

You never know.

Well, you know RJ
is running with a sense

of reckless abandon.

He knows what he must do.

- All right, that one might
have cost him a little time

there, but let's
see if he can make

that up here on Pole Grasper.

RJ Roman.

Matt, he is dialed in.
Look at that.

- Wow.
- Look at his body language.

It says it all.

- Well, it's kind
of freeing, Akbar.

You don't have to
worry about falling.

- He has to go fast.

- He's got to take some risks.

- And RJ Roman, he can move.

Yeah, this one, you want
to hurry but don't rush.

Nice.

- This is what
the best ones do.

They come up big
in critical moments.

- He's coming in
at under a minute.

He knows this.

- He's well ahead
of Godbout's time.

Just needs to finish.

This is where he
fell last time.

- Nice.

- Well, nothing's guaranteed,
but RJ Roman might have

just kept his season alive.

He'll have
to wait and find out.

Zhanique Lovett is eliminated,
but she still wants to finish.

- Oh!

- Still, a tremendous
history-making

season for that mother.

[cheers and applause]

- RJ, we know it was
a frustrating start

with those two losses,
but a Hail Mary run.

You still could be in line

for that fastest
third-place finish.

What was your mindset
going into that race?

- Yeah, man, like, it was
a do-or-die run for me.

Hopefully it's good enough
to keep me moving.

If not, you know, I had
a great time out here.

I just wanted to show
I still got a little bit left.

- Well, you have to wait
a couple weeks

until all the other groups
finish their races,

but you've given yourself
a chance to move on.

Congratulations.

Hit that buzzer one more time.
- Thank you.

I appreciate it. Number 20.
[buzzer blares]

both: Number 20.
[cheers and applause]

When we come back,
a whole new set of athletes

racing on a new course.

- We've got
some different obstacles

to challenge our ninjas.
[air horn blares]

- And we'll see our first-ever

brother-versus-brother
matchup,

YouTube stars Ashton
and Paxton Myler,

part of the Ninja Kidz,

will face off in a run
their millions of followers

won't want to miss
on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to our new
all-racing National Finals.

We've now switched over
to our other race course.

For a look at what's different,
let's check in with Zuri.

- Guys, it has been a blast
watching these races.

And a couple of the obstacles

will be different
on the second course.

Number two is now
The Devil Steps,

a classic that debuted all
the way back in season four.

- No!
[air horn blares]

- That's followed
by The Ring Jump,

which once took out
38 competitors

in a single night.

- Sha-na-na.

- The other obstacles are
the same as our first course.

And just like
in our first hour,

all four members in a group
race each other.

The top two competitors
will move on.

- And we'll kick off our
round one races on this course

with group seven,

which features
a couple of Floridians

and, more notably,
two brothers

who will eventually have
to race each other.

Leading it off
will be Caleb Bergstrom

from the prolific
Bergstrom Ninja family.

He'll be battling Ashton Myler

from the YouTube sensation
the Ninja Kidz.

- Oh. Ashton Myler trying to
take Caleb Bergstrom out

with a roundhouse kick.

- Well, all the Mylers
are martial-arts experts.

And this season,
they've shown they're

pretty good ninjas, too.

Ashton Myler hits that buzzer!

[buzzer blares]

- Man, I couldn't be more
happy making it to Finals.

I also made it
with my little bro.

- OK, Paxton Myler,
I see you.

- Let's go.

- My family has literally been
competitive since day one.

- After round 1,
it's all tied up, 1-1.

And we've always been
challenging each other,

pushing each other past
our limits every single day.

And I'm excited to race
and give it everything I got.

- That was amazing.

- Thank you so much.

[upbeat music]

- All the Mylers will be
watching this run,

including Paxton,
who will race next.

And let's not forget
Caleb Bergstrom.

He's one of the sport's best.

He runs one of the country's
top Ninja gyms in Florida.

His big family will be
watching,

including wife, Ashley,
and baby boy, Jason.

Caleb climbed stage 4 twice,

but he's the lower seed
in this race

because he failed
to finish the semis course.

- I still got to make
Caleb the favorite.

He's very good at racing.

[countdown clock beeping]
all: Ready, set, go!

- Oh, go time.
Whoo!

Look at the Ninja Kid. OK!

- Ashton Myler
putting the pressure on,

giving us our first look
at The Devil Steps.

That's a 4-1/2-foot gap
at the top.

And they are flying!

I love it!

Are you kidding me?

- Oh, Matt, this is a good one.
I like this.

- Now onto our other new
obstacle, The Ring Jump.

You have to hop the ring
to the top

and then slide down
the other side.

- This one could be
a momentum killer.

You got to get in.
It's real technical.

- And it's so hard
making these moves.

- And there's Bergstrom.

- Oh, my gosh!

Did you see Myler do
that continuous move?

- Oh, boy.
Big move there by Bergstrom.

This is what I'm talking about.

- Oh, this is
a tremendous race.

And Bergstrom,
I don't think, expected

this kind of performance
out of Ashton Myler.

He's a little hung up
now on The Monkey Bars.

Caleb is catching his breath.

Bergstrom has an edge,
but for Ashton Myler--

Oh!
- Goodness!

- He's still alive!
- He is!

- The bar hit the water,
but he didn't.

- I thought he tore
his ACL in that fall.

- And he went right into it,
putting the pressure back

on Bergstrom.

Matt, he's catching up.

- Oh, my goodness!
- Oh, boy.

Oh, boy.
This is gonna be the biggest--

Oh, my goodness.
[air horn blares]

- Ashton Myler falls
on the transfer.

Caleb Bergstrom
escapes with the win.

- Wow.
- What a race.

- That's what I call
big-time, primetime, showtime.

[cheers and applause]

These two were stride
for stride at the beginning,

but after falling behind,

Ashton made a long dismount
on The Monkey Bars,

hit his arm,
and barely reached the pad.

But he bounced up and was
neck and neck once again.

Then he slipped off a piston,
and Caleb got the win.

- He's one of the favorites.

Caleb Bergstrom
off to a strong start.

And now the other
Myler brother is up.

16-year-old Paxton
will be facing the top seed

in this group,
Florida's Luke Dillon,

who's been perfect so far
this year with two buzzers.

The 22-year-old recently moved
from Rhode Island to Florida.

His girlfriend,
fellow ninja Avery Glantz,

will be leading the cheers
on his sideline.

- Paxton's a big underdog
in this.

He's the 54th seed.

So he's got his work
cut out for him.

[countdown clock beeping]

All right.

Oh, look at the Ninja Kid.

- Paxton Myler putting
the early heat on Luke Dillon.

Here comes Dillon.
- Wow.

Paxton said,
I'm not backing down.

But this is where it
comes down to experience.

- And Dillon just decimated
The Devil Steps.

That was an exorcism.

- Well, Matt, he's
a three-time national finalist,

four-time veteran.

He knows what's up.

- He's using a little different
technique here on Ring Jump.

Good moves.

- He's got his back
towards Paxton.

He said, I ain't
worried about you.

both: Oh!

- He airballed.

- Paxton Myler sells out on
the Ring Jump, splashes down,

and Luke Dillon has the win.

But he's gonna keep going,
try to get a buzzer,

which could be a tiebreaker
down the line.

- Well, let's look
at what happened to Paxton.

He was starting
to fall behind.

So he went for a big move
on the second ring

and came up short.

Just got his fingertips
on that ring.

Luke Dillon is motoring his way
through Piston Plunge.

He's getting experience
on these obstacles

for future races.

- He wants to get a buzzer to
keep his perfect season going.

- One last move,
and he's got it.

- Wow!
[buzzer blares]

And a backflip.

- So the Mylers lose
their first races,

but one of them is guaranteed
to win the next one

because they'll be racing
each other.

Coming up, from the beginning,

Kaden Lebsack
wanted to be the best.

- Whoo-hoo.

- He's worked hard
to make it happen.

His story's just ahead
on "American Ninja Warrior."

- We had a flurry of races
minutes ago,

starting with group five,

which features veteran
James "The Beast" McGrath

and three teenagers.

The Beast led it off, trying
to keep up with Jackson Erdos,

the former
"Ninja Junior" champ.

- Look at Erdos.
He's a speed demon.

We know he likes speed.

- McGrath's one
of the older competitors,

but he kept it close,

despite having 20 years
over the 17-year-old Erdos.

- It ain't over
until it's over.

- In the end, Erdos hit
the buzzer to get the win.

- Nice.

- McGrath also made it
to the end.

A strong start for both.

Then it was the other two
in this group,

a pair of 16-year-old rookies,

Christian Hart
and Kenzie Hughes.

Hughes, the high-school flag
football player from Illinois,

stayed right on the heels of
Hart, who's from Connecticut.

- Oh, yeah, they're fighting.
They know what's at stake.

- But as they moved
down the course,

Hart began to pull away.

- Look at Christian Hart
showing another gear.

- Hughes put up a good effort,

making it
to The Floating Monkey Bars.

[air horn blares]

But she wasn't
gonna catch Hart,

who got the win and a buzzer
in his National Finals debut.

[buzzer blares]

Then it was group nine,

which includes top competitor
Kaden Lebsack,

"Ninja" veteran
Nick Coolridge,

and two teenagers.

One of them,
18-year-old Austin Baron,

faced Coolridge
in the first race.

Coolridge was one of "Ninja's"
best when he competed back

in seasons 7 through 10,
and he put the pressure

on the teenager early.

- 36 years old.
This is just muscle memory.

- But on Ring Jump,
the five-time "Ninja" veteran

gambled and lost.

- Oh, he mistimed it!
[air horn blares]

- Coolridge tried to make
a long dismount

and came up short.

That meant Baron
just had to complete

the obstacle to get the win.

The freshman at Notre Dame
went on to finish the course

and get a buzzer.

- Great win for Austin Baron.

- Now it's time for
the other duo in group nine.

From the small town
of Churchill, Tennessee,

it's 17-year-old Hunter Ogden.

And he'll be racing one of
the Ninja elite, Kaden Lebsack,

the two-time
Last Ninja Standing

from Castle Rock, Colorado.

Kaden makes Ninja look easy,

but he's worked hard
to get where he is today.

- I started doing Ninja
when I was ten years old.

- Whoo-hoo.

- We saw how good and naturally
talented he was at it.

- Lebsack flawless again.
[buzzer blares]

- And we wanted him
to fulfill his dream.

We were like,
OK, can we pull this off?

Can we open up a gym
in Castle Rock?

- All right, guys,
today we have some rings.

We're gonna work
on going quick through them.

We thought it'd be great
for our community,

a great place for kids to come
and learn and get stronger.

Yeah, good job, Roscoe.

Good work.

- Now it's been nine years.

- My mom and dad
have definitely put

a lot of sacrifices
into this gym.

I really try to do
as much as I can,

especially to take the weight
off of my parents.

We have a lot of people
coming into Ninja Intensity--

a lot of kids,
a lot of adults.

All right, guys, we're gonna
start with 100 jumping jacks.

Just seeing all of those
different types of age ranges

learning and becoming stronger
is so cool to watch.

Great job,
great job, great job.

* *

- And Kaden will have
a group from the gym

watching his races tonight.

His parents on the sideline,

along with good friend
Katie Bone.

Hunter Ogden is definitely
the underdog in this race.

The high schooler is facing
the pressure of the Finals

for the first time.

His family has come out
to Vegas to watch him.

- Yeah, Kaden Lebsack had
a fast finish in the semis.

He's the number-9 seed.

Hunter's 52.

So he's got to put in
that work.

[countdown clock beeping]

- For 2 years in a row,
seasons 13 and 14,

Kaden went farther in the
competition than anyone else.

He's definitely
one of the favorites

to win it all this year.

But Hunter Ogden,
look at him climb!

Wow!

- Hunter Ogden is
not gonna back down.

This kid has proved
that he is a true warrior.

- Oh, my! And that's got
to be disconcerting.

I don't think Lebsack
was expecting this.

Look at those moves!

- That's a big move
by Kaden, though.

- Wow.
- Nice. Great control.

- And look at that, Ogden--

- Ogden's not backing down.
- My goodness!

And Ogden off first.

He is really putting
the pressure on Kaden.

- No time to rest now.

- Keep in mind, Kaden
had falls in his last 2 races

in seasons 15 and 16.

- These ninjas have told us

these final obstacles
are pumpy.

We know what that means.

Your forearms
are gonna be worn out.

So who's got the strength,
endurance?

- Oh, my God,
they are dead even.

And Hunter first off,
and that's huge.

As Kaden goes
right into Piston Plunge.

But Hunter is waiting.

His arms are pumped out.

He's gonna see if Kaden falls.

Kaden must finish
this obstacle.

- He said he's put in that
extra work, and he has.

You can tell
he's put in that extra work.

- And Kaden takes a peek.

- Make this grab
to the steering wheel.

He's got to get in the middle,
grab on the middle.

Nice.
- Got it.

Oh, my, Lebsack gets the win.

- Let's go, Hunter.
Come on.

- Hunter Ogden gave him
all he could handle.

- He did.

- He's gonna finish the course.

Doesn't get a win
but earns a ton of respect.

- Nice.

- That was unbelievable.

What a race.

Even the moms appreciated that.

Kaden's mom giving
Hunter's mom a hug.

They were on the edge
of their seats for that one.

- Kaden, were you surprised
by how much Hunter Ogden

pushed you, buddy?
- Dude, he was pushing me.

I kept looking over.
I'm like, wow.

Like, I got to step
it up a little bit.

- Why don't you guys hit that
buzzer one more time together?

[buzzer blares]

Kaden gets the win,
but Hunter represented

for his hometown
of Churchill, Tennessee.

[cheers and applause]

Our Memorable Moments
countdown features

another ninja from Tennessee.

Travis Rosen was
a fan favorite.

He started in season two

and quickly became
one of the sport's best.

Known as "The Ageless Wonder,"

he was still conquering
courses at 43.

[cheers and applause]

But that all changed
on stage 1 in season 10.

- Whoa!

He hit that pad hard.

- I knew immediately
something was wrong.

- His ankle was shattered,
requiring multiple surgeries

and a lengthy rehab.

- I couldn't walk.
I couldn't play with the kids.

- A return to Ninja seemed
like an impossibility.

But one year later,
Travis was back,

with his family and devoted
fans cheering him on.

He's through!
- Nice.

- This is unreal!

- He conquered the course,

collecting his 10th-straight
qualifying buzzer.

[buzzer blares]

Travis Rosen's
miraculous return

is number 18 on our countdown.

Coming up, for the first
time in "Ninja" history,

we'll see brother
racing brother.

YouTube stars Ashton and
Paxton Myler go head-to-head.

- Oh!

- Minutes ago,
we started the second round

of races for group seven.

First up were Florida friends,
Luke Dillon from Orlando

going against Caleb Bergstrom
from Largo.

Both are top competitors
who won their first race,

and they were neck and neck

through the first three
obstacles.

- This is good.
This is what it comes down to.

This is what you want
in a race.

- But on The Salmon Ladder,
Dillon tried to skip rungs.

Oh, no!
- Oh!

- Bergstrom got the win.

He already had the fastest
time on this course,

and he went even faster.

He's now 2-0 and
in a good position to move on.

Dillon is now 1-1

and will face
a critical third race.

Wow. This crowd's hyped
for what's next.

We've been talking
about it all night,

and Zuri's
gonna get it started.

- You can be sure
this next race will go viral.

It's brother against brother.

From the YouTube sensation,
the Ninja Kidz,

it's Paxton Myler versus
his big brother Ashton.

These two frequently go at it
in their YouTube videos,

and they're super competitive.

- 2, 1, go.

We're the first siblings to
ever race against each other

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Oh.
- Oh, shoot.

- Oh! Let's go!
- Ain't no way.

- I'm glad that I get
to go against him.

I'm so glad he made it
to Finals.

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

- Solid.

- Go!

- At our gym, we race.

- Come on, Paxton!

- We see who has
the fastest time.

- Yes! Let's go!
- Whoo!

- I think I'll have a pretty
good shot at beating him.

I shared a room
with Paxton for years,

and I'm not sharing
this title.

- What the?
I didn't know he could do that.

- So I'm gonna take him down.

- I might be
the little brother,

but I'm gonna come up big.

- I can promise you this,
one of the Ninja Kidz

is gonna win this race.

[cheers and applause]

- Millions of their fans
are no doubt watching.

And, of course,
so are their parents

and the rest of the family
down on the sideline.

Well, both these guys
lost their first races,

so they almost have
to get a win here

if they want to move on
to the next round.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Here we go.
Let's see.

Wow.

- Strong start for Ashton.

- OK, and Paxton's
right behind him, though.

He's not messing around.

- Little brothers are used to
chasing their big brothers.

Can he catch him?
- Wow.

You know big brother is not
gonna let little brother get

into the race.

- Well, both these guys
high-level gymnasts,

black belts in martial arts...

viral sensations.

Ashton Myler,
steady progress here.

- Some of their videos
have 700 million views.

They're social-media stars.

They're trying to be
"Ninja" stars.

- And you can see,
this Ring Jump

has been eating up
these ninjas.

Even though there haven't
been a ton of falls,

it's been responsible for
a lot of falls, sapping energy.

And Ashton's gonna
catch his breath.

- It's such
a technical obstacle.

Paxton's really struggling
on Ring Jump.

He's letting this get away.

- And Ashton is skipping rungs.

And again.

Paxton's got to get going.

- Come on, little bro.

Matt, I don't about you,
but I'm Team Little Bro.

I'm going for Paxton.

- Well, this is
a couple of little brothers

up in the host tower talking.

Well, he's got
his work cut out.

Ashton almost two obstacles
ahead, and Paxton's forearms

have to be burning.

- Big bro's been beating up
on him

with pillow fights
since they were young.

- He's got a lot of ground to
make up, but here comes Paxton.

Ashton's resting his arms.

And Ashton steals a glimpse
at his brother.

- No, he said,
come on, little bro.

You heard him.
He says, come on, little bro.

- Ashton's going to try and
close it out on Piston Plunge.

Well, he's already been
through five obstacles,

but he fell
on this one earlier,

and it all adds up, Akbar.

- Matt, I'm looking at Ashton.

Looks like his grip strength
is starting to wear on him.

Oh, boy.
Can he make this transition?

Oh!

- Paxton's down.

Ashton gets the buzzer.
[buzzer blares]

Big brothers
everywhere win again.

[cheers and applause]

- Come on, Paxton.

- Oh, he fell.
- Oh, he's in the water.

- Hey, Ashton, why you got to
do little bro like that, man?

Why you got to big bro him?

- Well, when we're training,

me beating him is gonna make
him better in the long run.

So I can't go easy
on the little guy.

- OK, all right. Well, hit
that buzzer one more time.

[buzzer blares]

So Ashton goes to 1-1.

He's got a crucial race
coming up against Luke Dillon.

For Paxton, his season
is likely over.

And now we move on
to the second round

of races for group five,

and we're bringing out
the young guns--

16-year-old Christian Hart and
17-year-old Jackson Erdos.

Both got wins
in their first races.

And Erdos is reminding folks
just how good he is.

[cheers and applause]

Erdos blowing
the course away.

And Jackson does it!

- I was the
"American Ninja Warrior Junior"

season three champion.

I just want the world to know

that I'm coming
for Mt. Midoriyama.

- Whoa!

- Well, the forecast for
Jackson Erdos is very bright.

[buzzer blares]
- Let's go!

My rookie season
on "Ninja Warrior,"

I pinky-promised Akbar
that I would go all the way.

- You won "American Ninja
Warrior Junior."

Are you winning
"American Ninja Warrior"?

- I can pinky-promise you.

- [laughing]

[buzzer blares]

- And this season, I'm gonna
deliver on that promise.

[dramatic music]

- Jackson Erdos
has missed a few seasons.

And people kind of forgot
about him,

but he's got the skills
to go all the way.

- And look at this, their
mothers on the sidelines.

They've swapped shirts.

That's the nature
of "Ninja Warrior."

- These two train together.

These guys have competed
against each other

in some
of the local competitions

[countdown clock beeping]

- Jackson has
a perfect season working.

He had the second-fastest time

in his night of qualifying
and semifinals,

but he can be reckless.

Got the nickname "Jaccident"

because he got hurt so often
doing risky moves.

Erdos a 5-inch reach advantage

but also about 30 extra pounds,
a slight edge.

We'll see if that extra weight
catches up to him

on the back half.

Good progress.
Wow.

- Yeah, this is interesting.

Now let's see if he's got that
dog in him to come from behind.

- We know this kid has
a lot of heart--big throw.

Erdos about
a half obstacle ahead.

But this is where
Hart's lighter weight

should give him an edge.

- And, Matt, he's stuck
on Ring Jump.

- Finally gets off it.

And that will gas
those forearms.

Erdos almost off
of Floating Monkey Bars,

while Hart fights his way
up The Salmon Ladder.

- Erdos has a chance
to regroup,

but he's going right
into Piston Plunge, Akbar.

- He does not want to give
Christian Hart an opportunity

to get right back into it.

He's got the strength,
endurance.

He's got the speed.

- And he's on pace
for the fastest time

on this course.

[buzzer blares]

And he does it.

Jackson Erdos is assured
of moving on.

And he could do some damage
in the next round.

And Christian Hart fighting
on The Floating Monkey Bars.

Akbar, you've got to think
of those extra moves

on Ring Jump.

- Big move.
Ooh...

Ooh!

- Christian Hart splashes down.

Now he's gonna need a win
over his hero, James McGrath,

in the next race to move on.

And now our
Memorable Moments countdown

takes us back to season four.

That's when 53-year-old
Kelvin Antoine

took on the course
in Venice qualifying.

Antoine was
a super-fit father of two

and a grandfather of six.

His nickname
was Grandpa Ninja,

and his run that day in Venice
was one for the ages,

as he improbably powered
his way

through
the first five obstacles.

Wow!

- That is some
impressive strength.

- In those days,
before Ninja gyms,

The Warped Wall was
a formidable obstacle.

More than 50 athletes failed
to reach the top that season.

And Antoine came up short
on his first attempt.

But on the second...

Oh, my goodness!
Yeah!

At 53, he set the record

as the oldest competitor
to conquer The Warped Wall.

[cheers and applause]

Grandpa Ninja Kelvin Antoine

is number 17 on our countdown.

Coming up, when we first
met Nicholas Coolridge,

he was a dumpster-diving
surfer dude.

Now, a decade later,
he's a social-media star.

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

- Minutes ago,
one of our oldest finalists,

James "The Beast" McGrath,
took on one of our youngest--

Illinois high schooler
Kenzie Hughes, who's just 16.

- Nice.

Kenzie Hughes off
to a great start.

- The teenager kept it close
through the early obstacles,

trying to keep pace
with the 37-year-old McGrath,

who's a 13-time
"Ninja" veteran.

- She's in it.

- Hughes remained
in striking distance,

as both took on
Floating Monkey Bars.

But that's where
she lost her grip.

- Oh!

- So "The Beast" got the win,

and he was able to coast
to the buzzer.

[buzzer blares]

- Yeah!

- That makes McGrath 1-1,

tied with his former student
Christian Hart.

These two will face each
other in their final race,

with the winner taking
second place in this group

behind Jackson Erdos.

We also just saw another
race from group nine.

College student Austin Baron
led it off

against teenager Hunter Ogden

from tiny Churchill,
Tennessee.

- Ready, set, go!

- The race started fast
and ended even faster.

- Oh, no.
[air horn blares]

- Ogden never got
a good grip on the rope,

and he hit the water
on the very first obstacle.

- I didn't see that coming.

- So it was an easy win
for Austin Baron,

and the student at Notre Dame

could breeze his way
to a buzzer.

He's now 2-0.

Now it's the other two
from group nine.

It's one of Ninja's
current stars, Kaden Lebsack,

against a fan favorite from
the past, Nicholas Coolridge.

When we first met him
a decade ago,

he made quite an impression.

- All right, so we're on
our way to the dump store...

[laughs]

Where all the food is free-99.

People definitely
still remember me

for being
the Dumpster Diving Ninja.

That's still a part of my life.

There might actually be
something in here.

Just put it in my fridge
and save it for later.

- Look who the ninja wind
blew in.

- I haven't competed
in seven seasons.

- Tarzan still doing it.

[buzzer blares]
Nicholas Coolridge is back.

- I get pretty anxious thinking
about what's gonna happen,

but I feel like I might have
a bit of an advantage,

since they're bringing back

some of
the traditional obstacles

from back in the day.

- There you go.
That's it.

Almost like riding a bicycle.

- I mean, here I am,
National Finals.

I guess I still got it.

[uplifting music]

- This season we invited
back several ninjas

from the past who we
hadn't seen in a few years.

Nick is the last one
still in the competition,

but he needs a win
in this race.

Both these guys have plenty
of fans to cheer them on.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Pretty similar in size,
about a 20-year age difference.

- Nicholas Coolridge putting
that pressure early

on Kaden Lebsack.
- These guys can both move.

- Yeah, you can
only hope that Kaden Lebsack

makes a mistake because
he sees Nicholas Coolridge.

- Wow!

- Oh, Nicholas already out
in front on The Devil Steps.

- Well, Coolridge got tripped
up here on The Ring Jump.

He made a bold,
aggressive move.

What will he do this time?
- Well, he's learned from it.

And now look at Kaden,
trying to make big moves.

- Lebsack a little more
conservative going click-clack,

but it's working,
and Coolridge launching.

- Aw!
- And then hung up.

Oh, The Ring Jump giving
Coolridge trouble again.

And Lebsack now has the lead.

And he's already
on The Floating Monkey Bars.

Coolridge--
see if he can close the gap

or at least keep some pressure
on him.

- Matt, I don't know that
he's all the way recovered.

- No!
Coolridge is out!

And now Kaden can coast
to another win.

- Coolridge was pumped out
from The Ring Jump,

didn't give his
arms time to rest,

and he just lost his grip.

- Just a couple more moves,

and Kaden will be able
to capture another buzzer.

- Yeah, I think for the heavier
and older ninjas,

training strength
endurance is key.

[buzzer blares]

- Well, Kaden finishes
even faster than round one.

Unfortunately,
that all but seals

the fate of Nick Coolridge.

Kaden and Austin Baron
are both 2-0,

and they'll be moving on
to race in the next round.

Want to know what it
feels like to be racing

side by side on our course?

Here's a ninja's point of view

presented by the Wells Fargo
Active Cash credit card,

giving you unlimited access

with this
behind-the-scenes look.

And you can see
just how difficult it is

to pop up and over
on Ring Jump.

- Then you got to jump up the
rungs of The Salmon Ladder,

and it takes precision
to place the bar in the cradle

on Floating Monkey Bars.

- On Piston Plunge,
you may try to take

a peek over
at your competition,

but you have to keep going.

You need one more move.

- Oh, no.

- It's not easy
to get a buzzer.

Well, now it's time to move on
to our round three races.

And who moves on
from group seven

is gonna be decided
by this next matchup.

Both these guys are 1-1
and need a win--

Ashton Myler
versus Luke Dillon.

- All right, brother.

- We know Caleb Bergstrom
is moving on.

Which one of these ninjas
will be joining him?

All those fans
of the Ninja Kidz

probably rooting for Ashton.

[countdown clock beeping]

Good start for Ashton.
Wow.

- Oh, wow.
Ashton is not playing around.

- Well, he's putting
the pressure on Luke Dillon.

- You can only like
and subscribe

if you can stick around.

- Wow, look at that descent.

- Nice.

- Ashton is flying
onto The Ring Jump.

Here comes Luke, though.
- Whoo.

- Oh, good move.

- Man, Ashton is moving
around on this course--

- Oh, no!
- Oh!

- Ashton Myler's out.

And with that,
Luke Dillon gets the win.

- Wow. Wow.
- He's moving on.

That's the end
of the Ninja Kidz.

But, boy, what a season,
especially Ashton Myler.

- He's still in shock.
You can see.

Ashton was leading
the first part of the race,

but as he slid down
on Ring Jump,

got caught up
on the lower pegs,

his fingers peeled off, and he
just flipped into the water.

- And though he already
has the win,

Luke Dillon
has not slowed down.

He's about to finish.

He'll be 2-1,
and he and Caleb Bergstrom

will be the two moving on
from group nine.

[cheers and applause]

- Coming up, it's down
to the wire for The Beast.

To keep his season alive,
he'll have to beat

a teenager who idolizes him.

That's next
on "ANW's" National Finals.

- We're counting down
"Ninja's" memorable moments,

and our next one comes
from The Cowboy Ninja,

Lance Pekus.

From his earliest runs,

the Idaho rancher
has been a fan favorite.

And his wife, Heather,
was always cheering him on.

But in season nine, Heather
was absent from the sideline.

And at the National Finals,
Lance and Heather shared

the heartbreaking reason why.

- Heather got diagnosed with
multiple sclerosis, or MS.

- I went from trying to run

to a walker in ten months.

[crying] We tried a whole bunch
of medicine

and treatments.

- Lance and Heather
hoped sharing their story

would help others.

- She said, how can I be
an inspiration?

[voice breaking] I'm sick.
How--Sorry, sorry.

She's, by far,
the toughest person I know.

- Despite a heavy heart,
that night in Vegas,

Lance had the run of his life.

- And everybody here is going
crazy for the Cowboy.

- He put up the fastest time
that night on stage 1.

In the years since, Lance and
Heather have used his platform

on "Ninja Warrior"
to raise awareness about MS.

And their story is number 16
on our countdown.

We're wrapping up
our first night of Finals

with group five.

Minutes ago, teenagers
Jackson Erdos

and Kenzie Hughes had fun
before their final race.

- Yeah, a little
Rock Paper Scissors.

- Oh.

- And it was like a pep rally
when they hit the course,

with cheers from Erdos's
classmates in Philadelphia

and Hughes's football team
in Illinois.

Hughes, who's having
an impressive rookie season,

was trying to keep up

with the former
"Ninja Junior" champ

but got hung up on Ring Jump.

- Oh!

- From there, Erdos
could coast to the buzzer.

It's his third win.

- Nice.

- He'll be one to watch
in the next round.

- Yes!

- But who will be joining
Jackson from group five?

That'll be determined
by our next race

that features one
of the all-time greats,

James "The Beast" McGrath,

running for his life against
one of his biggest fans,

16-year-old Christian Hart,

who's been on the sideline
cheering for The Beast.

Now he might be sending
him home.

- James is a legend
of "Ninja Warrior."

- Look at the power
out of The Beast.

Come on, Beast.
Get that buzzer.

- I've known Christian
for a long time.

I remember Christian
always being, like,

one of the smallest kids
in the gym

but always giving
his whole heart into it

and doing his best.

Good job, brother.

- He might be able to get it.

Oh, my goodness.
- Oh-ho!

- I was on the sidelines
cheering for James McGrath,

and now he's gonna be
right beside me.

- To see him get to the point
where he's at now...

- Nice.

He went
from Hartcore to hardcore.

- It's just
really cool to see.

- I've admired James McGrath
for the entire duration

of my Ninja career.

all: [chanting]
Beast, Beast, Beast.

- But tonight I got
to slay The Beast.

- "The Beast"
has the experience,

but at 37, he's one
of the oldest competitors

in the Finals.

Can he keep pace
with the teenager?

[countdown clock beeping]

- The Beast
is 8 inches taller.

Let's see if that'll help him.

- And The Beast wants to put
the pressure on.

Can he use that wingspan?

Look at Hart.
- Look at that.

He is not afraid,

and he's facing
towards The Beast.

- Oh, nice, and McGrath keeping
a slight edge.

No, Hart first off.

- Yeah, Christian Hart looked
like he was on the playground

with that one.

- And you see McGrath,
a misfire there.

[indistinct shouting]

McGrath just uncomfortable.

- Christian going
with the big move.

Nice! And he went
with the switch grip.

- Oh, my goodness.

McGrath using the frame,
but he is behind.

- Christian Hart is like,
you know what?

I got to put the fandom
to the side.

[cheers and applause]

- Well, this is when 37 years
of age catches up to you.

- But he's got the experience.

He's been doing this
for so long.

- When The Beast
first competed,

Christian Hart
was only two years old.

James is old enough
to be his dad.

And you can just see it, Akbar.

Christian Hart,
at just 116 pounds,

soaring through
The Floating Monkey Bars.

But here comes The Beast.

- Beast is still in it.
Nice.

- Christian Hart just
keeping that steady pace.

- This kid has got
a lot of heart.

He's also starting to grimace.

He's saying, hold on,
everybody, just give me that.

He's taking a look back to see
how much time he's got to rest.

- Now they're even,
but Hart was off first,

so now McGrath either needs to
beat him across Piston Plunge

or hope for a fall.

But he's running out of time.
The Beast has got to go.

- Don't you blink at McGrath.
Don't you blink.

Run your own race, young fella.

- This is the big move.

Got it.
- Nice. He can see it.

He can feel it.

- Christian Hart
takes out one of the best

to ever do it in James McGrath.

[cheers and applause]

- Oh!

- And McGrath
just can't keep up.

- James...

- Hey, everybody,
Beast, Beast...

- Oh, look at that.
Oh, come on.

That's the guy
that he grew up watching.

- So Christian Hart
joins Jackson Erdos

as the two ninjas advancing
from group five.

And McGrath does have a chance
of moving on.

Like RJ Roman on
the first course,

he could be a wild card.

He's got the best time

among those
in third place right now,

but he'll have to wait and see

if that holds up,

as others race on this course
in the next two weeks.

And there are still many
talented ninjas yet to come--

Joe Moravsky, Jessie Graff,
Daniel Gil, Kai Beckstrand,

and more will be
in action next week,

as we race to crown
a new champion.

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

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

[dramatic music]

* *