All language subtitles for A.American.Ninja.Warrior.S14E02

- Last week
on "American Ninja Warrior"...

- Oh, doing the Gritty!

- We had a party
for the ages.

- * It's on *

- We had
70 birthday candles...

And he did it!

Good lung power!

Four Mega Walls...

Oh! Whoa!
- Oh! Yes!

- Will you marry me?

- Two marriage proposals...

- You said yes?

Oh, she said yes!

- And the first teen girl
to ever hit a buzzer.

[buzzer blares]

- Let's go!

- And tonight,
we're gonna run it back.

We've got Olympians.

- Whoo-hoo!
- Hey!

Beauty queens,

world record holders...

- Look at that!

That's me!

- And superheroes.

- * Oh *

- Buckle up...

- * Oh *

- And get
your dancing shoes on

'cause it's gonna be fire.

We're back
inside the massive Alamodome

in San Antonio,

where it's night two
of qualifying

on "American Ninja Warrior."

Hello, everyone.
I'm Matt Iseman.

- And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.

Matt, I've got a feeling

it's gonna be another
hot night in Texas.

- We got some
of our biggest stars,

including stuntwoman
Jessie Graff...

Her fifth buzzer!

Connecticut's lightning-fast
weatherman, Joe Moravsky.

What a run!

Plus, the return

of the Phoenix...
- Aah!

- Philadelphia's
Najee Richardson...

He's done it!

And Super Mom Sandy Zimmerman.

- Yes!

- Soccer Mom!

- Last week
we had 12 finishers,

including four
who made it up the Mega Wall,

but the ninjas tonight
face new challenges.

For more on that,
let's go down to Zuri Hall.

- Thanks, guys.

Some of those crazy obstacles
from last week are back,

and we've even added
another new one tonight.

It's called Piston Plunge.

Ninjas will have to jump
from piston to piston

and then grab
the steering wheel at the end.

- It drops!
- Oh!

- Then, it's
the 14 1/2 foot Warped Wall

to reach the buzzer,

or they can try
for the 18-foot Mega Wall

for a chance
at a cool 10 grand.

Guys.

- Well, we're gonna
start things out strong,

really strong.

This is
38-year-old Ace Goodson.

He works for
the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,

but don't let the smile
fool you.

He is a beast.

- Aah!

- Oh, look! Okay!

- Dude is shredded.

- I hope he doesn't
tear a muscle out here.

- I like that half
red hair, too, Akbar.

- His hair, his abs,
and his chest...

and his back and his triceps.

Dang!

- Aah!

- Well, there are his wife
and two kids

watching back in Maryland.

- Okay!
And the pick in the hair.

He's doing that one
for the culture, man.

I gotta give him props!

- And this crowd is ready
to get tonight going.

[countdown clock beeping]

Well, he is obviously fit

but has not had a lot
of Ninja training.

- Uh-oh, uh-oh--okay.
- Ace does it!

Makes it
through the Shrinking Steps.

And the pick stays in.

[cheers and applause]

Now it's the second obstacle,
Overpass.

That bar above him
will start to roll.

He has to grab it
as it slides by.

And he's got plenty of time.

Will he make it
on the Overpass?

No.
- Oh, boy.

That's a 9-foot lache now,
Matt.

- Didn't even attempt it.

Now he's got to fly.

- Come on.
You got the muscles.

- Gotta go big!

Ooh!
Had to reach for that one!

Well, this guy
is a Renaissance man.

A dancer, a poet.

Runs a non-profit
called M.A.N.U.P.

that helps kids
in the D.C. area,

and he looks good
doing all of it.

- He's trying to muscle
his way through the Overpass.

- And he's through
the first two obstacles.

Now facing Split Decision,

the choice
between balance obstacles:

the new one, Serpent,
on the right,

or Domino Effect on the left.

- Oh, he's dancing through.

He's got the little flavor
going on.

- Where's he going?
He's going with the dominoes?

No, he's going
with the Serpent.

- Oh, he's playing
with us now.

- No, he's going
with the dominoes,

What's he doing? Let's see.

Can he dance his way
through the Domino Effect?

- All I got to say is,
keep that pick in the hair.

- See if those dancing skills
keep him balanced.

- Nice, nice.
Stay on top! Stay on top!

- Oh!
- Oh, my goodness!

He got body-slammed!
all: No!

- Flipped out
on Domino Effect.

- Oh, where's the pick?
Where's the pick?

He better find that pick!

- That was my favorite part
of his run.

The pick stayed in his hair.

It survived that 9-foot leap
on Overpass

and was there until the end

when he tripped
on that last domino.

- Uh-oh,
and there's the pick.

Hey, Matt, get that pick.
I need that pick.

- Fortunately,
that pick floats, Akbar.

- Yes, it does.
- And I think

it would work great for you,
maybe for your goatee.

- [laughs]

- Well, up next is another
competitor from Maryland

who's also a rookie.

This is Ryan Hermstein.

He's a software engineer

with two degrees
from Stanford.

And, yes, he's a nerd.

- Ah, look at that.
The shirt's coming off!

What is it
with these Maryland guys?

- Well, he may be a nerd,
but he is ripped.

This is definitely
not your typical techie.

- Hi.
I'm a software engineer.

I write code all day.

Coding comes
very naturally to me.

I can just see it all
in my head.

I know
what I want to accomplish,

and it just--it's almost
like writing a book.

I would identify myself
as a nerd.

I'm really into video games,
math, engineering.

When I started high school,
I was such a scrawny kid.

I was under 5 feet,
maybe around 100 pounds, but...

[quirky music]

I put on some muscle,

and I'm ready
for "American Ninja Warrior."

* *

I'm here to break stereotypes.

Nerds can be cool,
nerds can be athletic,

and I'm aiming for that buzzer.

It's revenge of the nerds
tonight.

So happy to be here! Ay!

- Ryan's got friends,
including his girlfriend,

watching from D.C.

Some of them are also
self-proclaimed nerds.

- Let's go!

[countdown clock beeping]

- This guy has endurance.

He's completed two marathons

and has been rocking climbing
for a couple years.

[cheers and applause]
- Let's go, Ryan!

- There are his parents
down on the sideline.

Now the software engineer
has to try

to calculate the trajectory
of the bar on Overpass.

- That's a lot
of scientific talk.

You just got to have the mu--

oh, he's going backwards
to get it.

Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Extra movement.

- But the timing was off.

He let the bar go

and now has to make
this big 9-foot swing.

- According
to his calculation,

he couldn't make it,
but he got it.

- And he is pumped!

- Okay, save your energy.

I know you got
a lot of stamina

from running
all them marathons...

Matt, he's doing a lot
of swinging right now.

- He is, and you can see
that handle does have

some play in it
that steals momentum,

but Hermstein's got it.

You can see that 2-inch ledge.

Gotta kip it up and over
and then roll it down.

- Oh!

Oh, bro almost fell backwards.

- And there it is.
His folks are going nuts.

They're so proud of him,
and why wouldn't they be?

Now facing Split Decision,

and he's gonna go over
and ask his mom for advice.

- Which one, Mom?

- Serpent! Serpent!

- Mom knows best.
I'll go with Serpent.

- Well, sometimes, the son
has to make his own choices,

and he's going with Serpent.

Last week, four of the
six ninjas who tried it fell.

- Uh-oh, Matt.
He's already tripping up.

Go. Stay on top.

- No! Oh, what a save!
- Oh! Oh, my goodness!

Now, that's the advantage
of being 135!

He pulled himself up easily.

[cheers and applause]

- Now he'll give us

our first look tonight
at Carnival.

Has to use those rings
to control that ball

and roll into one
of the three chutes.

Ball placement determines what
handle you will be grabbing.

Let's see the approach here
on the tilting tube.

It looks like
he's going for slot one

to get the easiest handle.

Burning up some of
his strength hanging up there.

- But he got it!
- And look at his excitement.

- He on the rings turning up.
He's not done yet.

- Oh, still has
to swing over to the T-bar.

- All right, here we go.
Get that T-bar. Nice!

- Now just needs to dismount,

but those arms
have to be tired.

- Oh! Wow!
- Oh, no!

He got thrown!
- He went a little too high!

- Hit his hand
on the dismount.

That was
a high wire act there.

The big top not big enough
to contain Ryan Hermstein.

- Take a look at this, Matt.

He threw his body
all the way up.

And look at that arm! Boom!

Just hit it.
It almost threw him off!

- Incredible save
there, Akbar!

Overpass and Carnival ate up
a lot of grip strength.

Will he have anything
for this new obstacle,

the Piston Plunge?

He has to fling himself
from piston to piston,

hanging by his fingertips.

It's like the pistons
in an engine,

and he'll have a drop here,
almost a foot,

when he catches that.

- Nice!
Matt, I can't believe

this skinny nerd is tearing up
this course.

- But this obstacle is tough,
and he is struggling.

- Uh-oh, uh-oh. Come on.

Fight through it now.
Fight through it.

This is when it counts,
right here,

when you're tired,
when you're fatigued.

- Oh!
- Oh, he had nothing left.

- Well, you always say it.
It catches up to you.

- Yep,
when it catches up to you...

- And it just caught up
with Ryan Hermstein.

- This nerd was not
about to get bullied

by this course.

Ryan had some close calls,
but looked like

he was having the time
of his life out there

until he ran out of gas
on Piston Plunge.

- Ryan, that was quite
the rookie run, man.

I got to know,
what message do you have

for the nerds out there,
because you rep it proud?

You want to know
that athleticism

and nerds can coexist.

I'm all about it.
I love a nerd.

I was one growing up.

Talk to us.
- Yeah, me too.

Honestly, I think nowadays,
nerds are cool.

Not gonna lie.
- I love it. I love it.

Well, your peers have been here
cheering you on the entire way.

Mom, Dad, get in here.

Let's hug Ryan,
show him some love.

Congratulations.
That was quite a run, Ryan.

- We're off to a flying start.

- Whoa!
- Hey, Quinn!

And tonight, we'll see
some of our best young stars

and a few
of our old friends.

- Mom!

Soccer Mom!

- Plus,
a world champion boxer

ready to go the distance,

and a pageant queen
looking for a new crown.

- Trying to be
Miss Ninja tonight.

- You never know
what might happen...

- Cannonball! Boom!

- Oh!
- Ooh!

- Clean up on aisle one.

On "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back
to the Alamodome.

While we were away...

- What's up,
ladies and gentlemen?

Are you ready for some Ninja?

[cheers and applause]

- Mary Leighton's
a budding broadcaster,

and she calls the action
at local Ninja competitions.

- What an exciting run!

- And this is how she'd
call her run tonight.

- All right, looking
pretty confident

through the Shrinking Steps,
grabbing onto that rope.

Now this next obstacle,
is gonna be some big laches.

[air horn blares]
Ooh!

Ow, and that was definitely

not the end to the run
that Mary Leighton wanted.

Matt and Akbar, back to you.

- Thanks, Mary.
I'll take it from here.

Up next, it was
Bryan "Muscle" Mendez,

celebrating
his college graduation

and his Salvadoran heritage.

- Let's get it!
- Let's go!

- At Split Decision,
the future accountant

weighed the odds
and went with the Serpent...

- Ooh!

- But it didn't go as planned.

- Wow, knocked his glasses
right off his nose!

- Well, our next athlete
will get this crowd jumping.

This is Robert Moffitt.
- Oh, look at that.

He's got them
MC Hammer pants on.

He about to put on a show.

- He and his wife run
an Italian restaurant

in Vermont, and he brought us
some of his best.

- Yeah, I got a--
- That's a cheesesteak.

Cheesesteak. What you got?
You got an eggplant parm?

- I've got
the eggplant parmesan

with some--
with some pasta here.

- Oh.

Well, this is delicious,

and Moffit takes great pride
in his food.

- What's up,
hungry people?

it's the lovely, wonderful,
beautiful Mama Tamara.

My wife, Tamara,
is from Italy.

I'm originally from
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,

and we make the best food
anywhere in America.

If you want
authentic Italian food

or if you want
that taste of Philadelphia,

you can come and see us.

We do have
the cheesesteaks today.

We should have that
going forward.

The secret to my cheesesteaks:

black pepper, fried onions,
and Amoroso rolls.

That's one of my workouts
to get my forearms strong,

just chopping up
those cheesesteaks.

[meat sizzling]

Bring your appetite,
and we'll see you soon.

I like to give people
quality food.

It gives me satisfaction
similar to being on "Ninja."

[upbeat music]

Ninja saved my life.

I've lost 70 pounds
since doing Ninja.

When I hit that buzzer,
it's gonna be very meaningful

for my family,
for myself.

I know it is.

- And there are the family
and coworkers

watching from the restaurant.

And he's getting emotional
just seeing them.

You can tell how much
family means a lot to him.

[cheers and applause]

- Time to wipe away the tears
and get ready for this run.

[countdown clock beeping]

- His family's tight.

He and his wife
have three kids

and live in a cabin
in the Vermont woods,

and he's got a big bunch
of Northeast ninjas

showing him love
down on the sideline.

- Yeah, he says he gets a lot
of his workouts

by chopping wood
for the cabin.

- And again,
ninjas continue to pass

on that quick transition
on Overpass.

9-foot lache.
- Oh, Matt.

You see an early grimace
right there

in them MC Hammer pants.

- The parachute pants,

he doesn't want to have
to use them, Akbar.

- No, he doesn't, man.

Nice. Nice control.

- Gets through it.

- Let's go!
- Yes!

- And again,
showing love to the family

back at the restaurant.

- But he's got no love
for the Serpent.

He says, "I don't want
none of that."

He's taking dominoes.

Look at that.
- Oh, right there.

- There we go!
- There you go.

- Oh, boy, Matt,
I'ma tell you this right now.

With them Hammer pants,
he is too legit to quit!

- And he's stopping
to catch his breath

before Carnival.

Went out on the fourth
obstacle two years ago.

Just wants to make sure
he's ready for this.

5'10", 165.

Hoping he doesn't
have a cheesesteak

in his belly on this one.
- I'm not gonna lie,

Moffit looks like
he belongs at a carnival.

Let's see if he can play
like he's at the carnival.

All right. Gotta control
this tube, the tilting tube.

Matt, he's tilting
back and forth.

- Well, I think it's because
they were too wide.

Couldn't control it.
Can he flip it up?

- Uh-uh. Oh! Aah!
- Well, Akbar--

- He's trying to squeeze it
in, and it falls on three!

- And even worse,
he hung there for a long time.

Those forearms are
gonna be gassed

as he goes for that spike.

- Oh, boy.
He's gotta go for it.

Can he touch it?

Oh, he can't touch it.
- Oh.

- He can't touch it.

- Definitely entertaining,

but Robert Moffit,
our first casualty tonight

on Carnival.

On Carnival, he actually
got both hands on the spike,

but his left hand
just slides off,

and Hammer Pants ends up wet.

Well, our next competitor

is the only one
wearing a crown tonight.

In her sash and tiara,

this is the former
Miss Massachusetts,

Lyndsey Littlefield.

The pageant queen is
now a science teacher,

and her Ninja skills
help her in both.

- When I first began competing

in the Miss America
organization,

I truly did not know

that I would become
Miss Massachusetts.

- Miss Massachusetts!

[cheers and applause]

- The Miss America competition
was a experience.

You're waking up at 4:00 a.m.
You have fake eyelashes on.

I'm running on zero sleep.
There is glitter everywhere.

It's exciting, it's fun,

but it's also
extremely chaotic.

There was a swimsuit portion
of the competition,

and I was so uncomfortable
being in a swimsuit on stage.

So while I was looking
to get physically fit

and gain that confidence,
I stumbled upon a Ninja gym,

and my Ninja skills
are what helped me

win the
Miss Massachusetts title.

From here, you can actually
see your small intestine

and your large intestine.

Now I'm a high school teacher,

and I teach biology
and zoology.

So right now,
we're at Warped Wall.

Pick an animal and tell me why

that would be a good animal
for this obstacle.

- A tree frog because
they can stick to it.

- Right, it has those nice,
sticky pads on their fingers.

The kids at my school
are amazing.

I don't know how sturdy
that Warped Wall would be

with a rhino.

And I'm so excited
they get to witness this

because I think it just shows
that you don't need

to be defined
by just one career.

You can do it all.

- And there are her students
watching

from back in Massachusetts,

plus some
very special guests--

three former
Miss America contestants

who competed with Lyndsey:

Miss Maine, Miss New Jersey,
and Miss Rhode Island.

- Aw, she out there
flexing for 'em.

[countdown clock beeping]

- She held
the Miss Massachusetts title

from 2019 to 2021.

And she's
through the first obstacle.

The scholarship money she won
paid for her college tuition.

- She's still got
that pageant wave.

I love Lyndsey Littlefield.

- Those students have to think

they've got
the coolest teacher.

Her talent in the Miss America
contest was dance,

and she's gonna need some
moves to get across Overpass.

- Aah!
- Lets the bar go by.

Not a ton of Ninja training.

She's leaving herself
a very long lache, Akbar.

9 feet.

- She's 5'5"!

She's gonna have
to generate enough power!

- Oh!

Well, she was a ton of fun.

You gotta love her energy,
but we're unfortunately

gonna have to wave goodbye
to Lyndsey Littlefield.

- Let me see your pageant wave.

You're a little--you're
a little stiff in the wrist.

A little stiff in the wrist.
Just...

- Coming up,
gymnast MyKayla Skinner's

got an Olympic medal.

Now her husband gets
his chance for glory

on our course.

Plus, she's one of the
greatest ninjas of all time.

- She's done it!

- After
some devastating injuries,

tonight, Jessie Graff
makes her return.

Coming up
on "American Ninja Warrior."

- The party's just getting
started here in San Antonio.

Local bartender Josh Giles

served up the drinks
before his run.

- Got the margarita
machine out, Matt!

- The 33-year-old rookie
works right up the street

from the Alamodome.

- Turn up on the turnup
with these.

- And while his margaritas
were strong,

his moves on Overpass
were not.

Ooh, last call came early.

Fire-twirling carpenter
Zac Palazzo

really got the crowd lit up.

- Look at that
grand entrance.

- The two-time "Ninja" veteran
from Connecticut

was especially impressive

to his seven-year-old
daughter, Skylyn.

And though he took
a disappointing fall

on Domino Effect...

- No!

- His daughter was there
to comfort him.

- Aw, don't get
your little girl wet.

- Massachusetts teenager
Sophia Lavallee

made it to the semifinals
last season,

and she came out
gunning for a buzzer tonight.

- Matt, she's going
straight for it.

- The blue-haired 17-year-old

blew through
the early obstacles

and made a great save
on Carnival...

- Oh, almost slipped, Matt,
but she got up high!

That was a great grab.

- Though her run finally ended
on Piston Plunge...

- Ooh!
Okay, I see you.

- That run puts her atop
of the women's leaderboard.

- That was so cool!

- Up next, our youngest
competitor of the night,

15-year-old Jacob Arnstein.

- Let's go!

- Oh, he rolling up.
He's ready!

- Well, you can see
his shirt says "Guat Ninja"

because he was adopted from
an orphanage in Guatemala,

and he's never forgotten
where he came from.

[gentle music]

- I was born in Guatemala,

and I was adopted
at 15 months old.

- We went down to meet him
when he was four months old,

and he was just so happy
and so peaceful,

and it was just so easy
with the transition.

And then,
when we hit the airport,

he just, like, almost
came out of his shell.

- When I was ten years old,

I actually went back
to Guatemala.

We went to the orphanage
where I was originally from.

[indistinct chatter]

It was really cool
just seeing where I was from,

but I could also tell
that they were struggling.

They were in desperate need
of clothes, toys, and books,

and even just money
in general.

Now that I'm grown up
a little bit,

I really want to be the one

that can help
take care of them.

We're raising money for
the Luz de María orphanage.

It's the same orphanage
that I came from.

And they're really
struggling right now,

so let's go do some Ninja
and help them out.

Great speed. You got it!

Let's go!

I started a fundraiser.

It's a Ninja course,

and we sold tickets to run.

Come on.
Really fast, really fast.

Oh, what a dismount!

Nice, 1:58.
Fastest time so far.

And ninjas from all over
come and run the course.

One, two three.
all: Guat Ninja!

- Yeah!
[cheers and applause]

- The director
of the orphanage, Dinora,

was the person that was there
when I was adopted.

- He's always just
thinking of other people,

and he has such
a connection to her,

and she's, like,
part of our family.

- Thank you.

all: Go Guat Ninja!

- It meant so much to me
that it meant so much to them.

- I'm gonna do everything
in my power to help the kids,

and if it means hitting
buzzers, I'm all for it.

- And look at this, the kids
from that same orphanage

have gathered
to watch Jacob run tonight.

[cheers and applause]

- Let's go, Jacob!
Come on, buddy! You got this!

- His parents on the sideline,

along with his little brother,
Sam,

who is also adopted.

[countdown clock beeping]

And we got to know him well

on "American Ninja
Warrior Junior"

this last season, Akbar.

- Yeah, that's right,

and he hit
quite a few buzzers.

He's a little bigger now,

but he's still only 5'3",
113 pounds!

- Let the bar go by.
Now he needs a big swing.

But he's got the power.
Look at him!

- Look at that, Matt.
- Launching himself!

- I gave him the nickname
"Strong Arm" Arnstein,

and he is showing out.

- He is
looking powerful here,

running with a good pace...

- Breathe! Breathe!

- But now has to make
the choice at Split Decision.

- I don't like snakes!

- Ah, he says
he doesn't like snakes,

so he's walking away
from the Serpent.

- Right through, Jacob.
Right through.

- He's just hoping
for a little higher power

there, Akbar.
- All you, Jacob!

- All right,
this obstacle's pretty tricky.

- Akbar, what?
- And he solved it!

- And he is pumped, because
he knows with his power,

he's confident in these next
two upper body obstacles,

starting with Carnival.

- Look at this. This is
just like recess to him.

Look at Arnstein.

15 years old.
Uh-oh!

- Oh, he was going
for slot one or two,

but the ball ended up
in three.

- He still goes
to the carnival, too,

so he's about
to have a good time.

It didn't matter if the ball
fell in one, two, or three.

Look at that, Matt!

I think Jacob
wants his stuffed animal!

[cheers and applause]

- 15 years old,

and you can see
the motor on him is revving.

Let's see how he does
on Piston Plunge.

- All right. Here we go.

This is where you gotta live up

to that nickname...

"Strong Arm" Arnstein.
- "Strong Arm."

No one's gotten
through this yet.

- Uh-oh. Uh-oh.

- Well, he's really
slowing down here.

Gotta get up
to that next piston.

Again, only 113 pounds.

It's gotta be a big advantage
on this obstacle.

Now, this one, you can
only go front and back.

He's gonna have to rotate
90 degrees in midair.

- Here we go. Switch up.

Nice.
- Nice transfer.

- Nice transfer and
nice orientation in midair.

That's hard to do!
- Well, you can see,

this is a challenge 'cause
you are now facing to the side

but gotta move forward.
He got it!

- Man, this ain't nothin'
for him, Matt!

- Watch the drop here
on the steering wheel.

It's on a bungee cord.

Gotta get a sure grip.

- And Arnstein does it!
- Nice.

- Arnstein is not
playing around!

- Yes!

[all shouting]

- And now he's got a chance

to be our first finisher.

all: [chanting]
Beat that wall!

- Get that wall!
Let's go!

- Think about
how far he's come

from that orphanage
in Guatemala.

[clapping
and banging instruments]

- 5'3".

Can he get his first buzzer?

Yes!
- Oh, my goodness!

Oh!
[buzzer blares]

- And he is
loving that buzzer!

- * Keep going and going *

- Oh, my God!
- Yes!

- What an emotional run
for Jacob Arnstein.

Oh, and he is just
broken up, Akbar.

What a beautiful moment
for this 15-year-old.

all: [chanting]
Jacob! Jacob! Jacob!

- Jacob!
- Jacob!

Get over here, man.
You're gonna make me cry, man.

You're gonna make me cry.

The tears,
where are they coming from?

- I just worked so hard
for this,

and, like, I just
can't believe I did this.

- Guat Ninja!
Guat Ninja!

- Jacob,
we are all impressed.

What do you want to say
to those kids watching?

- This was all for you guys.

- Hey, now stand up, man,

'cause I gave you
that nickname,

"Strong Arm" Arnstein.

Show me them muscles!
Show me them muscles!

- Jacob Arnstein,
the Guat Ninja!

Hey, buddy,
we'll see you in Los Angeles.

- Wow, that was
an emotional run, Matt.

- He was so excited.

You could see what this meant
to Jacob Arnstein.

And that last obstacle may
have been 14 1/2 feet tall,

but this kid's come
a lot further than that

for this moment.

- Jacob! Good job!

- We are so proud of you, dude.
So proud of you.

- Coming up,
she's made history before.

- The first mother ever
to hit a buzzer!

- Can Super Mom
Sandy Zimmermann do it again?

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

- Welcome back
to San Antonio.

Moments ago, college student

and drone pilot Quinn Nguyen
did some aerial recon.

[upbeat music]

- This is how you visualize
a course, right here.

Oh, go for the Mega Wall!

- And even got a closer look
at the host tower.

- I come in peace.

Whoa! Whoa!
- Hey, Quinn!

But despite
the bird's-eye view,

when he reached
Split Decision,

he couldn't decide
which way to go...

- Come on.
- Before finally settling

on Domino Effect
and crash landing.

- Oh, guess he didn't
see that one coming.

- Louisiana's Wes Meador

has his own history
with Split Decision.

Last year,
he passed up the dominoes

and chose Spinning Log...

- Oh!
- And it didn't work out.

- Ah, I should've went
with dominoes, I guess.

- Tonight, the father of two
got another chance

to choose the dominoes,

but he passed on them again,
going with the Serpent.

- Boom! Oh!

- And history
repeated itself.

- Should've went
with the dominoes.

- Man, he had those
in his pocket,

and he still didn't choose
the dominoes!

- Jenny Remack has a unique
training partner

back in Colorado:
her pet goat, Fonzo.

- Look at Fonzo, Matt!

- Fonzo had no problem

getting through
a couple obstacles

back on his home course,

but Jenny didn't fare as well
here in San Antonio.

- [imitates bleating]
- Well, she is not the GOAT.

But Fonzo is.
[Fonzo bleats]

Up next, a ninja
who makes house calls.

This is Dr. Stewart Mahler.
- Yeah!

- And don't let
the medical degree fool you,

this guy likes to have fun.

- Look, now he's gonna check
his heart rate,

make sure he's ready for this.

[upbeat music]

- Well,
he's a primary care physician

at the University
of Rochester Medical Center,

treating patients
and teaching residents,

so he doesn't get
a lot of time to train.

- Paging Dr. Mahler.

- Plus, he's got
three kids at home.

They're watching back
in New York with other family.

- Let's go!
- Yeah!

- His wife, Jamie,
down on the sideline.

- You got this!

[countdown clock beeping]

- Back when he was
in medical school,

he actually lost his eyesight
for six months

because of a corneal disease.

- Let's do this!
- Whoo!

- He regained his sight
after a procedure

but still has
vision challenges.

- So he's probably
not gonna try

to catch this moving bar.

- And he doesn't.

Now has to make
that 9-foot leap.

- Nice grab!

Doc has been putting in work!

- Well, he built a mini gym

in the basement
where he and his kids

could train,
and it's paying off.

- Come on down!
- Gets through Overpass.

And sending some love
to his wife,

but now, gotta choose
between balance obstacles

here at Split Decision.

Last year,
he chose Log Runner,

and that did not go well.

- Ooh!

After that gut shot, he's
gonna need some probiotics.

- No Log Runner this year.
He's going with the dominoes.

- Go, go, go!
Go, go, go, go!

- Go!
- Oh, Matt--oh, oh, oh, oh!

- Oh, my!
- Oh, what a save!

Are you kidding me?
Are you kidding me?

- The doctor passes
that examination.

- Matt, that was so close!

He started to fall
on the third domino,

but he got to the pad
and barely kept his feet

out of the water, wow!

- Mahler's still alive!

I thought he flatlined there.

Now on Carnival.

5'10", 160.

- All right, he's trying
to get it to that second--oh!

- Got it!
- Nice!

His wife is impressed.

She's like, "That's my baby!"

- Well, this doctor,
he is looking sharp, Akbar.

- Yes, he is, Matt.
He's being surgical with this.

- Let's go, baby!

- I see it, Doc!
- I see you, Doc!

- This is gonna test
his grip strength, Akbar.

Piston Plunge.

This is relentless.

Good control.
- Oh, boy.

That was a little aggressive,
though, Matt.

I'm not sure if he has enough
left for this third jump here.

- And you can see it's--oh!
- Oh!

- Just didn't have the height!

A fun run by the doctor,

but he can't survive
Piston Plunge.

We'll have to wait to see
if that's enough to move on.

Our next athlete has her
banner hanging in the rafters

along with other Ninja greats,

and Zuri's gonna
get her started.

- She is an inspiration
to women everywhere.

Three years ago,
Sandy Zimmerman

became the first mom ever
to hit a buzzer,

and at age 45,
she is ready to do it again.

- And this woman is beloved
in the Ninja community.

When a storm knocked down

her legendary backyard course,
The Fortress...

all: Surprise!

- I got to go up to Spokane

and help the Ninja community
surprise her by rebuilding it.

You could really feel
the love for her that day.

Group hug, group hug.
- Ah, group hug!

- And there's some
of those folks watching

from back in Washington,

and, of course,
her husband and three kids,

all ninjas themselves,
watching from home.

[countdown clock beeping]

- And being up
at her home in Spokane,

I see where the magic is made,

and she puts in a lot of work
in that backyard course.

- And she's really
become an icon.

You can see her banner hanging
up behind this obstacle.

Let's see if she'll try
to grab the bar here.

And didn't even
attempt it there.

I'm surprised
at Sandy Zimmerman,

but she trusts her laches.

- Oh, yeah.
Look. Watch this.

Watch the power she generates.
Look at this.

Nice power!
- Great job.

- Whoo!

- And look
at that reaction.

Man, I get so excited

watching Sandy Zimmermann run,
Matt.

Every single year
we've seen her compete,

she just puts on a show.

- A lot of extra swings,
though, here, Akbar.

- Yeah, Matt,
and I love the body control

as she made
that shorter lache.

- Went to Gonzaga
on a scholarship

as a point guard.

Her nickname, "The Bulldog."

- Yeah!
- Atta girl!

- Now, Split Decision,

and not a lot of hesitation.

Going with Domino Effect.

- She's got
incredible athleticism.

- She's got quick feet.

- Yeah,
as a former point guard,

she had a mean crossover,

and she ain't about
to get crossed up

by Domino Effect.

Safe!

- Absolutely.
Get a little baseball in.

Now the test begins.

Let's see what she can do
on Carnival, Akbar.

- Sandy Zimmermann,
she's gotta make

that decision quickly, gotta
get off of this tilting tube

as quickly as possible.

Manage it. There you go.

Counterbalance. There you go.

Get it right there
in that second one.

Ni--oh, oh! Oh, no!
- Oh, no!

The ball misses
all three slots,

which means she gets
the hardest possible handhold,

the tiny cliffhanger grip.

- And you don't even
get a stuffed animal

with that one.

- This just got
a lot more challenging.

- Sha-na-na, I have no idea
how she's gonna do this.

- She's building up momentum.

You can see it,
and that is the longest move.

It's gonna be a big lache.

- Keep your eyes
in the middle.

- Oh!

Just couldn't hold on!

A tough break for Sandy.

Now she'll have to wait
to see if that's good enough

to move on to the semifinals.

- She had the passion
and looked strong early,

but at Carnival--
watch that ball.

It bounces around
and comes all the way out,

so it was a long leap.

Got both hands on it,
but it wasn't enough.

- [sighs]

God, it feels good
to be back on the course.

A live crowd.

Would have felt even better
to get that obstacle, though.

Whoo!

- Oh!

- It's night two
of qualifying...

Oh, no!

And this course
is getting a little wet.

Luckily for us,
New York janitor Nick Roalef

was around
to mop up the mess.

- Clean up on aisle one.

all: [chanting]
Nick! Nick! Nick! Nick!

- Then,
the 24-year-old custodian

went to work on the course.
- Wow!

- After flipping
through the first obstacle,

the janitor wiped out
on the second.

- Oh!

Got bonked off!

Oh, his beanie is done.

- Preschool teacher
McKinley Pierce is only 5'1",

but she was able to make
the long leap on Overpass.

- You got it! Yeah!

- The four-time veteran
from Vermont

stared down the Serpent,

then changed her mind
and went with the dominoes.

- Oh, boom!

And gets hit
on the top of the head!

- It was harder
than I thought.

- Darion Bennet showed off
some of his best moves

at the start line.

- I like the pants.

- Then, the New Jersey dad
took flight.

His parachute pants
didn't slow him down.

They actually seemed
to give him a lift.

- The pants are
actually giving him

a little extra hang time.

- And he looked like he might
be our second finisher...

- Ooh!

- Before coming up short.

Hey, big man, this next athlete

deserves a big introduction,
so let's do it.

[bell dings]

- In this corner,

out of Albany, New York,

140 pounds

of pure power,

it's
the featherweight champion.

Ladies and gentlemen,
shield your eyes

for Abraham "Super" Nova!

[bell rings]
- Man, that was good!

- Thank you.
- That was good.

Abraham Nova is the current

World Boxing Association
champion in his weight class.

This guy has 15 knockouts
and is undefeated.

Well, he's got
his hype crew in there, Akbar.

They're getting him pumped up.

And his friends and family
back home in New York,

they're all ready
for the main event.

- No fear, no doubt!

- All right, Abraham.

Obstacle one. Here we go.

- Let's get ready to Ninja!

[countdown clock beeping]

- Let's go, Abraham!
You got it!

- And here we go.

First round.
- Here we go.

Oh, boy,
float like a butterfly

right through Shrinking Steps.
- Oh, no!

- Oh!
- An extra swing.

Stays calm.
- Ooh.

A little rope-a-dope here.

A little rope-a-dope!
- Oh, no!

He's on the verge of getting

knocked out early, Akbar.

- Come on, man.

Keep bobbing and weaving,
bobbing and weaving.

- Hoping that the bell
will save him,

but that's not
how it works in "Ninja."

- Go ahead!
Take a chance!

[bell rings]
- Oh, his foot goes down.

TKO!
- That's all right!

- The Super Nova exploded
on his debut!

- Well, the Super Nova turned
out to be more of a fizzle.

- [laughs]

- So we go
from a featherweight

to a heavyweight.

This is
"Big Daddy" Steve Donnelly.

He's 6'5" and 225 pounds,

the night's
heaviest competitor.

- Akbar, this one's for you!

- Oh, wow, stripping down
to jorts!

He's fully embracing
the dad bod.

- Well, he's got three kids
at home and a full-time job,

so being a ninja is not easy.

- The one disadvantage
I do have is that

I'm twice the size
of some of these other ninjas,

and I am not in the gym 24/7
like some of these guys are.

- [giggles]
- You are going crazy! Dylan!

I work as a engineer
8:00 to 5:00 every day,

and going home and keeping
three kids happy is not simple.

- Three, two, one, go.

- And trying to train
with what little time I have,

but I'm still gonna
rock this course.

Let's go!
- Let's go, Big Daddy!

- And that family is
gonna be screaming for Daddy

on this run.

He's got a big group
of Massachusetts ninjas

down on the sideline as well.

[countdown clock beeping]

- He's got the dad shoes,
the dad's shorts, the dad bod.

"Big Daddy" Donnelly
is doing it big

for the dads out there.

- Let's go!

- Let's go! Come on!

- He's got
this crowd excited,

but now he's got to get
his big body across Overpass.

Let's see
if he can time this lache.

Nope, he's going
for the big 9-foot transfer.

- He's 6'5".

That reach
should help him here.

A little more power.

Whoa! Nice catch!

- Well,
he was a baseball

and basketball player
in high school.

He's got
good hand-eye coordination.

- And no cap, Matt, for a guy
without much Ninja training,

he looking pretty good!

- And he is through.

- Oh, nice!

- Yeah! Let's go!

Yeah! Yeah!

- Yes!
- Let's go!

- Oh, Big Daddy
got this crowd turnt up!

- But now,
it's Split Decision.

Last season,
he chose Log Runner,

and it didn't end well.

This year, he said he's
gonna let the kids decide.

- No, no, no!
No, no, no, no, no!

- His son Jordan
says no to dominoes,

so he's heading over
to the Serpent.

Does he get a thumbs-up
on that one?

- Yes! Yes!
- That's a yes!

- Yeah,
Steve Donnelly doing it

in dad shoes, too, Matt.

That's the coolest part
about this run.

Do it in dad shoes, then!
Do it in dad shoes!

- Can he hold on?
Big Daddy coming up big!

- Matt,
it's gotta be the shoes!

[cheers and applause]

[giggles]
He kissed the dad shoes!

- Well, he owes his son
a kiss too.

He picked the Serpent,
and it worked.

Now stepping up
to take on Carnival.

This requires
a lot of precision.

And remember,
he's 100 pounds heavier

than some of these teenagers.

6'5", 225.

This is the big boy, Akbar,
and this is

where that weight's
gonna really tax him.

- Nice!
- Wow!

Gets the number one chute,
so he gets that T-bar.

That makes it a lot easier
to get through this.

- Let's go, Steven!

- Well, keep in mind,
this guy

is not just a big dude,
he is smart.

Had a bachelor's
in electrical engineering.

Ended up going
to business school.

Has his MBA.

Works as a sales engineer.

And Akbar,
he's through four obstacles!

- That was for you, buddy!
- Hey, man!

- And brought the jorts
just for you!

- Hey, no,
I don't do dad shorts!

I'm too cool for dad shorts!

- You gotta do
the dad shoes like me.

- I don't do
the dad shoes, though.

- Come on! Come on!
- I don't do the dad shoes.

- Let's see if those
dad shoes can stay dry

as he takes on Piston Plunge.

- Boy, he's closing in
on a buzzer, Matt!

How great would this be?

- Only one finisher so far
tonight, but this is

where his weight is gonna
be a real disadvantage.

- Come on, big fella!
He's 6'5".

Get them big legs up there.
- He's looking strong!

- Yes, he is, Matt,
but he is grimacing.

Oh!
- Oh!

- Aw, that's okay.

- Doesn't get the buzzer,
but still, an incredible run

by "Big Daddy" Steve Donnelly.

[cheers and applause]

- Let's go!

- He may dress
like a typical dad,

but he didn't look like one
on the course.

Steve Donnelly made
big saves, big moves,

and we may see him
in the semifinals.

- Daddy did his thing, y'all!
Good work out there, Steve.

We'll see if you were
far enough, fast enough.

Matt, Akbar.

- Coming up, she's battled

through three major injuries
in the past year.

Now, "Ninja" great
Jessie Graff

is finally ready
for her return.

Plus, he's fast on two legs.

- Go, go, go, go, go, go!

- Wait till you see what
teen sensation Josiah Pippel

can do with four wheels

when "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

- Welcome back
to San Antonio

and the second night
of qualifying

on "American Ninja Warrior."

If you're just joining us,

it has been
an action-packed night

here in the Alamodome.

Moments ago, one of
the night's top competitors,

Connecticut's Conor Galvin,

made quick work
of the first two obstacles.

- Good for Galvin.
This is setting up nicely.

- At Split Decision,
the three-time veteran

was one of the few
to choose the Serpent.

- No!
- What?

The Serpent just beat him.

- And just like that,
his season was over.

Another top veteran,
Lucas Reale,

did make it
past Split Decision.

- Lucas Reale
putting on a show right now.

- The 23-year-old
from Massachusetts

has completed the last three
qualifying courses he's faced

and looked like he was
heading for another buzzer...

- No!
- No!

- But came up short
on Piston Plunge.

Then it was one of last
year's top teenagers,

Jay Lewis, AKA Jay Lache.

- Great laches out of Jay.
- You go, young fella!

- The 17-year-old was able

to solve the puzzle
of Piston Plunge.

At 5'4", he tried
to become the shortest ninja

to conquer the Mega Wall,

but instead,
the high school senior

became our second finisher
of the night.

- We're gonna see you in LA.

You're going on
to the semifinals.

Congrats, buddy.
- Thank you so much, man.

- Well, up next
is another one

of last year's
breakout teenagers.

It's 16-year-old
Josiah Pippel.

This kid got three buzzers and
almost made it to stage three

as a 15-year-old.

And he likes to go fast
on the course and off.

[drill whirring]

- From a very young age,
I've been into woodworking,

taking things apart,
rebuilding them.

And now, I'm putting my effort
and my skills

into another hobby:

building a race car.

Well, not a real race car.

It's a simulator.

[upbeat music]

I've always had a love
for cars--

just looking at race cars,
seeing how they work,

how they were put together.

So this has inboard brakes.

All the weight
is gonna be at the center.

It would be fun to be
a Formula 1 driver one day,

but until I get
my driver's license,

I guess we'll have
to settle for go-karts.

- * I'm gonna go fast,
ready, set, go *

- Let's do this.

- * 'Cause I'm cookin' on gas,
ain't stoppin' me, no *

* I'm going my way *

* Just like a jet plane *

* They're gonna swoon
when I shine like the moon *

- Racing's all
about pushing the speed,

pushing the limits...

And Ninja is the same way.

Your goal is to get
through that course

with as quick a time
as possible.

- Go, go, go!
Go, go, go!

[buzzer blares]

- I may not be able
to go 230 miles an hour,

but I can hit a buzzer
in a blink of an eye.

- This kid is
so fluid, Akbar!

[buzzer blares]

- If I get that Mega Wall,
I'll have enough money

to start building
my own race car.

- Whoa! Ha ha! How?

[buzzer blares]

You better not blink at home

'cause you'll miss
his entire run.

Has a big group
of supporters watching

back in New Jersey, including
his mom and siblings.

Has his dad and his coach,
Najee Richardson,

down on the sideline.

[countdown clock beeping]

- All right,
buckle up your seatbelt

because this kid
doesn't mess around.

- Well, last year,
even as a rookie,

he went full throttle.

He was second fastest
in semifinals.

- Yeah, he likes the speed.

He's addicted to speed, Matt,

and he's gotta use
that speed here tonight.

- But on the Overpass,
elects to take the long way.

- Yep, easy.
There you go!

- No problem, though.

Pippel pushing the pace,

and he's sprinting
straight over to the dominoes.

- Go, go, go!

- Those dominoes
barely moved.

Just outstanding body control
there out of Josiah Pippel.

6 feet tall,
150 pounds,

and no problem
moving through Carnival.

- He just let it roll
into the number three chute.

- Trusting that long lache,

we're seeing these ninjas
confident in their lache

and their grip strength.

And he has flown through
these first four obstacles.

- Let's go!

- He's reached this point
in under a minute.

He's once again got a shot
at the fastest time.

Oh, he's a car guy, but he
may not like these pistons.

And he has
been efficient, Akbar.

Doesn't even look like
he's breathing hard.

- Matt, he's long, so you can
see he can use those long legs

to stop the pistons
from moving.

Nice, little touch.

- He's got to do
a 90 degree rotation

with his hands,
get that left hand over--

- That is so hard!

Do you know how hard that is
to get the hand placement?

- Impressed he held on.
One more transfer.

- He's got
enough strength, Matt.

He's about to do it!
- But this is the drop.

Can he hold on for the drop?
He did it!

- Yeah, he'll propel himself
to number one.

- He may be going
for $10,000.

And he is looking at it.
- Get that money.

- Yes!
- Get that money, homey!

- You look confident.
Go for it!

- Remember your training!
- Just like you practiced!

- Come on!
- 16 years old.

Got to get up 18 feet
to get $10,000.

Four people did it last week.

So far tonight,
no one has done it.

- You got this!

- He'd still be
the fastest too,

but gotta go.

Fingertips!

Yes, he's done it!
[buzzer blares]

$10,000!

- Oh, my goodness!

- Are you kidding me?

- Whoo!

- That's 10 Gs, bruh!

Najee's running up
to celebrate.

Get up there and celebrate
with the young fella!

Get up there!

[cheering and applause]

- Let's look at this again.

He gets one hand
over the edge

and was able
to pull himself up.

That grab is worth 10 grand.

Our first Mega Wall
of the night,

and he still got
the fastest finish so far.

Well, we're only halfway
through the night,

but check out our finishers
so far.

All of them are teenagers.

Will they be able to hold on
to the top spots?

Coming up, MyKayla Skinner
had an Olympic dream.

Her husband's got
a Ninja dream.

He's on the course, and
she's in the booth with us,

when "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

- Welcome back to Texas,
where we just had

a showstopping performance
by the Jersey Girls,

three ninja friends
from the Garden State.

You might catch these three
on the Jersey Shore boardwalk,

so they all got a kick
out of Carnival.

First, Cara Mack rolled the
ball into chute number one,

which rewarded her
with the stuffed lion

and a T-Bar

and the easiest exit.
- Yes!

- Rachel Degutz bounced her
ball into chute number two,

so she got a stuffed fish
and a Y-bar.

A little tougher, but she
made it through as well.

- Nice! Ooh!

- Then Abby Clark
rolled the ball

into chute number three,
so she got a duck

and only a single nunchuck
to grab...

- Look at that!

- But she also survived.
- Okay, Abby!

- All three made it
to the fifth obstacle,

where Cara...

- Oh!

- Rachel...
- No!

- And Abby...
- Oh! Oh!

- All fell.

But all three still have
a good chance of moving on.

Well, we got something special
for this next runner.

Joining us
in the host tower right now,

our friend from Tokyo 2020,

Olympic silver medalist
in the vault, MyKayla Skinner!

- Whoo-hoo!
- Hey!

There's the hardware.

I love it.
- I brought it. I brought it.

- Well, we bought you up here,
not just because

of your athletic prowess,
but because you have

a pretty good connection
to this next runner:

he happens to be your husband,

Jonas Harmer, all 6'7" of him.

- Okay, that's
what I like to see, no shirt.

- Oh, you like
to see that, huh?

Oh, my God!
- And the handstand.

- Oh, showing off
all the strength.

- I'd rate that,
like, a five.

You know, not a ten, but...
[laughter]

- Well, you two met
at the University of Utah,

got married three years ago.

And there's his mom, Elayne,
on the sideline

along with other
family members.

- How do you think
Jonas is gonna do?

- You know,
it's kind of hard to say.

I mean,
I feel like he'll do good,

but after watching it tonight,
I'm kind of worried.

I'm like, man,
it's really easy to fall,

like, so you better bring it.

- He's been a fan
of "American Ninja Warrior"

since he was 14 years old.

This has been a dream.
Come on, big guy.

Come on, big fella!
- Okay, okay, okay.

We got one down.

Okay.
- And wiping it off.

Stepping up to Overpass.

This is like
the high bar here.

You're the gymnast
in the family.

Any tips?
- I can't.

I'm feeling sick right now.
- Are you?

I mean, you're pretty good
on the bars.

- Well, he's gonna have
a long lache here, 9 feet.

- He is 6'7".

He can just almost
reach out and grab it.

Wow!
- Yeah!

That's what I'm talking about.

- That was easy.

- I mean, he is tall,
so it's not like

he has to go very far.

[laughter]

- Oh, almost caught that
with his chin

but hangs on.

Gotta kip it up and over.

And he's through.
- Okay.

- All right, this is where
it gets real: Split Decision.

Which way do you think
he should go, MyKayla?

- I think the--

what is that, a dragon?
- The Serpent?

Yeah, the Serpent?
- Yeah, yeah.

- He's going for it.
He's going for the Serpent.

He heard MyKayla.
He took her advice.

Gotta use those long legs.

- All right. Nice!

Oh, no!
- Oh!

- And he was betrayed
by his height.

His feet touched the water.

He's disappointed,
but you know what,

he got to live out
his childhood dream,

and he did all right.

Almost made it
through three obstacles.

MyKayla, what was it like
watching him on the course?

- He went out there
and did his best,

so just proud of him
living his dream

like I got to live mine, so...

- Aw.
- That is beautiful.

MyKayla Skinner, you are always
welcome in our host tower.

- Thank you. Appreciate it.
- You're an absolute gem.

We'll let MyKayla go down

and give her husband
a big hug,

but we're gonna
keep it rolling

and head to the start line

for the Hip-Hop Ninja,
Jeremy Warters.

- That's
the Hip-Hop Ninja?

- Well,
let's see what he's got.

- * Hey, yo,
every day you wake up *

* You got a Split Decision,
you gotta take action *

* If you're gonna get
to winnin' *

* The Hip-Hop Ninja
about to help you *

* Get in the rhythm
in Eyeglass Alley *

* As you start
to see the vision *

* And, Mom, who I adore *

* Yo, I'm comin' for you *

- Okay!

That white boy can rap!

- Well,
he's got a big posse.

He's got family watching
back in Syracuse, New York...

- Hi, guys!

- As well as
on the sidelines,

wearing those shirts
with the glasses.

That's his trademark look.
Kind of nerdy.

Not what you might expect
as a rapper.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Hip-Hop Ninja,
let's go!

- All right.
Here goes the Hip-Hop Ninja.

Hip-hop-hop-hop.

Hip-hop hooray. Nice!

- Warters has been
writing his own lyrics

and creating his own beats
since high school.

Only 21, but looks like

he could still be
in high school.

The crowd's got
the "Hip-Hop" chant going

as Warters hops over
to the bar.

- He didn't do a lot of sports
in high school

but did cheerleading,

and it looks like
it's working for him.

- And he is through.

Well, he rapped
about Split Decision,

and his choice
is gonna be the Serpent.

This is a gutsy choice.

Remember, big Jonas Harmer
just fell on this minutes ago.

- Come on, boy.
- You got this.

- Oh, oh, oh!
Oh, hold on!

Hold on!
- And he's through three.

Let's see what he does here
on Carnival, Akbar.

5'10", 150.

- All right,
but no time for a remix.

Just go for it. Nice.

All right,
now the chute drops down,

the little nunchuck.

Now that's a bar for you
right there.

That's a bar for the rapper.

And he got it!

- No problem there.

Warters finding his rhythm.

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

- On now to Piston Plunge.

Just started Ninja
a couple of years ago.

Now, here he is
on this fifth obstacle, Akbar,

looking pretty solid.

- All right, first track
is called "ANW Freestyle."

He's freestylin' on this one.

Nice!
- He's got it.

As Eminem would say,
"You only get one shot.

Do not miss your chance
to blow."

- I hope his palms
aren't sweaty.

- Yeah, he's lookin'
real strong, Akbar,

but this is where the arms
start to wear out.

Got a couple more moves here.
- Let's get it!

- On to the steering wheel.
Holds on!

- The steering wheel
knocked his glasses off.

I hope he can see the landing.

- Powered by Mom's spaghetti,
he gets through!

- Okay.

- You don't need your glasses!
Let's go!

- Dad says
he doesn't need glasses.

Well, let's take a look
at what happened.

He grabbed the steering wheel,

and the edge came down and
knocked his glasses right off.

Well, he only needs
to see 14 1/2 feet

to the top of the Warped Wall.

- All you!
- Let's go!

- Can the Hip-Hop Ninja
bring home his first buzzer?

Yes, hit that buzzer!
[buzzer blares]

[cheers and applause]

- Let's go!

- Let me see you flex one
real quick.

- Oh!
- Yeah!

Come on.
Drop a bar real quick.

I know
you got something for me.

- I can't even breathe, bro.

I mean--
[laughter]

- Hey, remix.

Hit that buzzer
one more time, bud.

[buzzer blares]

- Up next is the return
of Najee Richardson...

- The Phoenix is rising!

- And he's now
a world record holder.

He's coming up
on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Sparks are flying here
in the Alamodome.

That's because minutes ago,

New York welder
Anthony Eardley

electrified the start line.

- He's about
to light this thing up.

- The four-time veteran
survived

a close call on the Serpent.

- Oh, my goodness!

Oh, he is so close.

Oh-ho-ho!

Puttin' on a show!

[cheers and applause]
- Yeah!

- And powered his way
to the fifth obstacle,

where he was closing in
on his very first buzzer...

- Oh, my goodness!

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

20-year-old Luke Dillon
hit a buzzer last year

in his rookie season.

- He knew he was going
for Domino Effect

because he just dominated!

- And the Rhode Island College
student

came out roaring
in his second season.

- Hey, this kid can go.

- With his girlfriend, Aly,
cheering him on,

Dylan put up the fastest
finish of the night so far.

[buzzer blares]
- Let's go!

That's one.

We got five more to go.

- Then his girlfriend,
Aly Merto, got her chance.

- Here we go!

- The 19-year-old
Springfield College student

is a die-hard "Ninja" fan
and was thrilled to make it

to the third obstacle
in her "Ninja" debut.

- No!

- That was the most fun
I've had in my entire life.

- He missed last year
with an injury,

but the Phoenix is ready
to rise again.

We are talking about
the pride of Philadelphia,

Najee Richardson.

An ankle injury kept him out
of "Ninja" competition

last year,
but it did not stop him

from reaching
record-breaking heights.

[upbeat music]

- Najee Richardson.
He loves to fly, Akbar.

- Nice!
- Wow!

- Last time you guys saw me
was season 12.

[buzzer blares]

- Your first buzzer
of the night!

Najee Richardson!

- And I was training
to be a part of season 13,

but unfortunately got injured.

As far
as ankle dislocations go,

do not recommend, hard pass.

I had to just sit down
for about four months total

before I was even able to run.

I remember sitting at home,

and I was watching
some old clips

of "ANW" skills.

all: [chanting]
Najee! Najee!

- Oh, he got it!
- Oh!

- He got it!
- At the last minute!

- Oh, look at that!
- Yes!

- The launching
of a human satellite.

- It was such
a huge inspiration to me,

so the second that
my ankle was able to handle

what I wanted to do,
I was just like,

how cool would it be
to just break a world record?

And somehow,
I managed to break three.

I have the farthest lache
from a bar to another bar.

I have the farthest lache
to a wall

doing a cat grab.

And I have the highest lache
from one bar to another.

Aah! Oh!
- Oh!

- I really can't put into
words how proud I am of myself

being in the "Guinness Book
of World Records"

and having
three Guinness World Records.

Look at that! That's me!

Aah, that's so cool!

But I'm still looking
forward to the moment

of just getting back
on the course.

Being a
Guinness World Record holder

and then coming back
from injury,

Ninja just means
even more to me now.

- Well,
besides breaking records,

Najee's also gotten engaged.

There's his fiancée, McKenzie,

watching along
with his parents.

And on the sidelines,
Ninja friends,

including Jessie Graff,
Josiah Pippel,

and Joe Moravsky.
Three's company.

[countdown clock beeping]

- Here we go!

The return to the course
for Najee Richardson!

- And survives
the first test of his ankle.

His world record laches
will definitely come in handy

here on Overpass.

But is he gonna make it easy?

Oh, no!
- No, but that's all right.

He's got
the Guinness World Record.

- He could've caught that
with his teeth!

- He had so much power,

he almost hit
his Adam's apple.

- Looking very comfortable
in his return

but has never had to make
the choice at Split Decision.

What will be the best
for that rehabbed ankle?

Getting some advice
from the sidelines here.

Took a look at Serpent,
but he's going

with Domino Effect.

- Get the speed!
Get the speed going!

- Naj, you got it!
- Get the speed!

- And you see,
he just stomped that ankle.

He's testing it.
- All right.

Come on. You got this.

Overcome it.
Don't let that fear stop you.

There you go!
- Can the Phoenix fly? Yes!

- That's
what I'm talking about!

Whoo!

- And what a relief
that's gotta be.

Dominoes delivers
for Najee Richardson.

- Yes!
- Come on!

- Survives the Domino Effect.
Now on Carnival.

Najee's such a powerful ninja,

I'll bet he's gonna have
excellent body awareness.

Should be able
to control the tilting tube.

He's just going for it.
- Yeah, he's going for it.

He knows he can do it, Matt,
and there's nothing

like an injury to really
change your perspective.

- Easy. Nice grab!

- He's got a better
appreciation for this sport.

He just crushed Carnival.

- Yeah!
- Whoo!

- Now facing Piston Plunge.

We've seen a lot
of good ninjas

fall here already tonight.

Doesn't have to worry
about the ankle here

but does need good hands
to grab the pistons.

And Najee's put on some muscle
on in the past year

with strength training.

Now weighs 165 pounds.

And Najee, we know he can fly,
he can launch up.

That gives him time
to make sure

his hand placement's correct.

- East-west grab here.
Okay.

Let's do
a north-south grab here.

- Now,
this is a real challenge.

Gotta rotate 90 degrees
in midair.

- That's the hard part.
You got to get up.

You got to--nice!
- Got it.

- You saw how he got
a little bit more elevation

just to be able
to make that transition.

- Now he's gotta rotate back.
- Nice.

- Now the big drop,
about a foot drop here

on this bungee chord
on the steering wheel.

- Matt, he's got plenty left
in the reserve.

He's got plenty left
in the reserve.

He's just seeing it,
going for it.

Nice!
- Got it!

Najee Richardson!

- You talk about coming off
of an injury...

- And there it is.
The question is,

will he go for the Mega Wall?

- He's back!
- Phoenix is gonna fly, baby!

- Now, I don't think you go
for the Mega Wall, Matt,

after that major dislocation.

- Get those shoes ready.
Let's go.

- Why not?
- He's not going Mega.

No way he's going Mega!

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

- Well, he tried
to do the Mega Wall

in seasons 11 and 12
and failed both times.

Now trying to do it
on a rebuilt ankle.

- Oh!
- Come on, up, up, up!

- Oh, and the grip.

You could just see the grip
on the shoes gave out.

Najee, though,
he's gonna easily get this one

and get that buzzer.

The Phoenix
is flying once again!

- Good to be back.
[buzzer blares]

- It's great
to have you back.

[cheers and applause]

- I missed you guys.

- I missed you, too, man.

You weren't afraid
of that Mega Wall.

- Nah. You know what?

I'm here.
I missed a whole season.

It feels like I've been away
for an eternity.

I love just playing
on obstacles,

so if I get the chance
to fail one

and then come here and
still hit a buzzer, why not?

- Najee,
we'll see you in LA, buddy.

Let the Phoenix
continue to fly.

What a comeback
for Najee Richardson.

Still to come,
we've got top stars

and top guns.

We're gonna rock out
on "American Ninja Warrior."

- It's been an emotional night
here in San Antonio.

Moments ago,
20-year-old Tyler Behrle

saw his dream come true.

This kid started submitting
to be on the show

six years ago.

- Hi. My name is Tyler Behrle.
I'm 14 years old.

- He kept submitting

and was finally selected
this season.

Tonight, the college student
got his chance

and took full advantage,

surviving a hard hit
on Serpent...

- Ooh!
Matt, I love this kid.

- And made it all the way
to the fifth obstacle.

- Ooh!

- Despite the fall,
his speed

almost guarantees
he'll be moving on.

- If I knew I was gonna be
doing this six years ago,

I'd just be so proud of myself,
and I am.

- Well, another ninja
who was all smiles

was the Cystic Ninja,
Branden McWilliams.

This dad from Pennsylvania
has cystic fibrosis,

which makes it difficult
to breathe,

but you'd never know from
the way he attacks the course.

- He is doing big things.

- After waving
to his wife and two sons,

the mill worker managed
to get through the Serpent...

- Ooh-hoo-hoo-hoo!

- Carnival...
- Ooh!

- And battled to the very end
of Piston Plunge.

- This is the hard one, Matt,

He's throwing into it--oh!

- And that may well be enough

to get him
into the semifinals.

Ohio's Ryan Sanders
was making his "Ninja" debut.

- Go, go, go, go!
Hit it!

Nice!

Ryan is showing
that he is ready.

- As the long-haired
22-year-old raced

through the course,
his fiancée,

fellow ninja Jennifer Stefano,
could barely watch.

- He's got enough strength,
Matt. He's about to do it!

- The physical therapy
assistant made it

to the buzzer
his first time on the course.

- Yeah! Whoo!

- Oh, my goodness.
- Oh, my God!

- And now he's moving on
to LA and the semifinals.

- Let's go!

- And so now,
his fiancée gets her chance.

Jennifer Stefano runs
a thrift store business,

and though you'd never know it
from her boundless energy,

this three-time Ninja veteran
struggles

with crippling anxiety.

- [exhales slowly]

Last year,
I had a panic attack

the night before I competed.

I fell on the second obstacle,
jumping up to the bar.

- Oh!
- Oh, she just missed it.

Oh...

- After Tacoma,
my mental health

was at a all-time low.

Every time I went in the gym,
my anxiety got so bad

'cause it was my outlet
for getting rid of my anxiety,

but then it was
causing me anxiety.

[somber music]

What finally got me through
it all was my fiancé, Ryan.

- Hey.
- Hey.

- Got you a coffee.
- Thank you.

- You're welcome.

- He would pick me up

every single time I fell,

and, like, he's like,
"You're fine.

Just keep going."

It's all right.
You'll get it next time.

- I want to go out there
and crush it for him.

He's put so much time
and effort into me.

I just want to show him
that it was all worth it.

[lively music]

- And she'll have Ryan there
to support her once again,

along with her dad
and other family friends.

[countdown clock beeping]

Her motto is,
"You've got it in you,"

to remind herself
how strong she is

and that anxiety
doesn't control her.

- Yeah, she got the first one.

That'll help with the nerves.

- Come on, Jen!
Keep going!

- But the second obstacle
is where she fell last year.

You know she'll feel better

if she gets through
this one tonight.

She's only 5'3", Akbar.

If she doesn't make
the quick transfer,

that 9-foot lache
could pose a problem.

- Do it right now.
Go ahead and get it!

Get it, girl!

- Does not go
for the moving bar,

so now,
needs that big swing over.

- Whoo, look at her smile,
though, Matt.

She made that 9-foot lache
look easy!

Her fiancé just crushed it,
and now she's looking

to have that same type
of performance.

- And she surpassed her run
from last season,

and she is pumped.

- Let's go!

- Ryan went dominoes.

Will she do the same?

- It's up to you.

- Looks like
she's going for the dominoes.

- You can do it.

Dominoes, Jen. Fast feet.

Fast feet.

- Stay on the top.
Keep your feet hot.

Nice!
Just like that!

- Wow! Perfect!

[cheers and applause]

She is feeling it!

That has got to give her
so much confidence!

- Keep it going!

- Well, turns out
she does have it in her.

- She has never seen
the fourth obstacle

on "Ninja Warrior."

Here she goes.

- Let's see what she can do
on Carnival, though.

- All right, let's see.
Here we go.

Nice. Control it.

- Looks like she's trying
for that number one chute.

- All right.
That's ni--oh!

- So close.
Instead, it's three!

And that means just
the single nunchuck handle.

- All right.
Get that nunchuck.

- It's gonna be a big lache,
and you gotta lock on

and then absorb it
as you drop down.

- Keep your eyes focused
and get up high

on that red part
of the nunchuck.

Yes! Okay!
- Yeah! Got it!

- She's a beast!

- That is a 9-foot transfer.

She made it. She's through.

- Hey!
- Hey!

- I've never been here before!

- Hey, Ryan did it,
and so can you!

- Hey, you know
what we realized?

You got it in you!

- Thank you!
- That's right.

Take your time!
- Yeah, she does.

She's got it in her.
It's a mindset.

- Carnival was tough
on that spike.

Good grip strength.

Will she have enough
to survive this?

Four women
have made it to this point,

but none has made it
past Piston Plunge.

- You can tell
she's put in the work

during the offseason, Matt.

- You saw the high lache.

Allows her to have time
to get her hands on there

and then prepare
to absorb the fall.

- All right.
You gotta control that.

Stop that from swinging.
- Look at that.

At 5'3", that's a long reach.

She was on her tippy-toes
gettin' that one.

- She ain't playin' around.

Come--oh!
- Oh!

[cheers and applause]

And that great run
pushes Sandy Zimmermann

out of the women's top five.

So now Jennifer Stefano's
got a chance

to join her fiancé
in the semifinals.

- Whoa!

- She's produced some
of the most iconic moments

in "Ninja" history.

- The superhero delivers!

- Now, Jessie Graff is back.

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

- While we were away,
it was the debut

of the ninja known as Pop Pop,

50-year-old grandfather
Josh Squire.

- He ain't playin'!
- With his family,

including his granddaughter
watching,

this P.E. teacher from Boston
was impressive,

even going backwards
for the grab on Overpass.

- Josh Squire's
making 50 look good.

- But the grandpa's great run

finally ended
on Domino Effect.

- Oh! Ooh!

- Then it was a competitor
34 years younger:

16-year-old rookie
James Sannella.

- Look at that great hair!

- The New Jersey high schooler
is well-known

for the viral videos
of his Ninja tricks,

and his mind-blowing skills
translated to the course

as he crushed every obstacle
in his way.

- He's 16 years old.

He doesn't even have
his driving permit!

- Earning his spot
in the semifinals

with the first buzzer
of his career.

[buzzers blares]
- Let's go!

- She's another icon whose
banner hangs in the arena,

and you can probably hear
the excitement in this crowd,

because one of the most
popular ninjas of all time

is about to hit the start line.

It's the great Jessie Graff.

The Hollywood stuntwoman
is a superhero

in the sport of Ninja.

Some serious injuries
sidelined her last season,

but she's ready
for her return.

- Oh, yes!
- Oh, yes!

Jessi Graff continues
to deliver!

- It's about to go down
in history!

- The first woman ever
to complete stage one.

Jessie Graff, back to battle
the Warped Wall.

- Nice.
- And Jessie Graff has done it!

- Since the last time
I competed,

I've had three major
orthopedic surgeries.

My right ACL was torn,

and I tore out both shoulders
at the same time.

I've definitely put my body
through a lot.

[chuckles]
Wow!

I think
I was at a point in my life

where I needed to explore
who I was outside of athletics.

My legs are working!
My legs are working!

So I got a certification
in nutrition.

I started studying
sign language.

Hi, and welcome
to Signing Sunday.

I also started free diving.

[uplifting music]

And I learned to hang glide.

That was pretty much
my best flight ever.

These three injuries opened
so many new doors for me.

My right arm is cleared
for unlimited weights.

But then,
as I got healthy...

[metal clanking]

I realized how much I loved
what I've always been doing.

You know, I'm a stuntwoman
and a ninja warrior.

And so as much as I love
the new things I've learned,

I am just overwhelmingly
grateful every day

that I still get
to do what I love.

- And Jessie always has
a new superhero outfit.

I like this one!

- Well, it's inspired
by some of the big TV shows

and movies she's been
working on as a stuntwoman,

some of which
we can't even name!

Waving over to her mom
and stepdad.

- Jessie, you got this!
- "Be your own hero."

They're wearing
that shirt, Matt,

and she's been a hero
to so many.

- And other Ninja stars
come out to watch Jessie.

[countdown clock beeping]

- She was a track star
at the University of Nebraska,

and just sprints
across the steps.

- She's the real-life
Wonder Woman.

I mean, just being back
on this course

after a year away,

having multiple surgeries
at the same time,

Matt, she is just
an absolute beast.

- Can she make
that early transfer?

No, she's gonna have
a long lache.

She's going to test those
surgically repaired shoulders.

- She talked about
her shoulder mobility.

They are improved, but they're
not where they should be.

- During her downtime,

because Jessie
can never stay immobile,

she ended up
studying kinesiology,

getting a master's,
and actually feels

her shoulders are stronger,
her movements are better.

- I can do these obstacles!

- You can tell
she is thrilled to be back.

Now Split Decision.

And this debuted last year
when she was out,

so this will be her first time
making a choice on the course.

- Trust yourself, Jessie.
- You know what to do!

- Balance obstacles always
been a strength for her.

In seven seasons,
she's never fallen on one.

- She's gonna go
with the Serpent.

- Tremendous agility
for Jessie Graff.

- Come on!

Boom, boom, boom, boom.

- Oh, no!

- Oh, my gosh.
- Oh, no.

- Jessie Graff
bitten by the Serpent.

- Oh, no.

- We love you, Jessie!
- Love you, Jessie!

- A balance obstacle
takes out

our real-life Wonder Woman.

- It's okay. It's okay. Mwah!

- We love you!

- [laughs]

That's so silly,

but, I mean,
it happens to everyone.

That's my first balance fail,

on the year
you least expect it.

- She looked very strong
in her return.

On Serpent,
the first two steps

were solid with long strides,

but the third one made
the cylinder slide,

which threw her steps off

and sent her hurtling
into the water.

- Jessie!

You're healthy,
which is so great to see.

How were you feeling before
you got to this obstacle?

- Oh, terrified of everything.
- Really?

- Of course.
- Wait.

You are like Wonder Woman,
so "terrified"

is just so hard to believe,
but you just do it scared.

- Yeah, I think I'm just used
to being in situations

that are terrifying,
and I do them anyway,

so it's just another day.

- Oh, well,
you are so strong,

and we love to see you out
on this course,

so thank you so much
for hitting it again for us.

- Thank you.
- Guys, back to you.

- Every run is a can't miss
moment with Joe Moravsky...

- Whoa!

- And he's next

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Well, it has been a dramatic
last few minutes,

especially for ninja
Ryan Hermstein,

who's trying to stay
in the top 30

and move on to the semifinals.

Minutes ago, 21-year-old
Matt D'Amico hit the course,

trying to earn his spot
in the semifinals.

- This kid, Matt D'Amico's
got some ninja swag!

- The rookie
from Massachusetts got through

the first five
obstacles so fast

he had time to attempt
the Mega Wall, miss,

and still get the fastest
time of the night.

- Hey, rookie,
welcome to Ninja!

- But that pushed
Hermstein to 28th place

with three runners left.

Then another top competitor,
Matt Bradley, got his shot.

- This kid knows
nothing but speed.

- Bradley made it
to stage two in Vegas

last year as a rookie,
and the Penn State student

showed he hasn't lost a step.

- Oh, he's
going for speed!

Oh, what?

- Well, he did lose
a step at the Warped Wall,

but that was his only mistake,
and he beat D'Amico's time

by more than 15 seconds.

- That was blinding fast,
the fastest time so far.

- Let's go, yes!

- But that knocked Hermstein
to the 29th spot

with two runners to go.

So up next was New York
filmmaker Daniel Novarro,

whose run
was a cinematic thriller.

- Whoa, nice catch!

He almost
peeled off on that one.

- With Hermstein's fate
hanging in the balance,

Novarro just had to make it
through the fourth obstacle,

Carnival,
fast enough to advance.

- Do it--that's it.

- Novarro had the speed,

and when he swung over
to catch the spike,

he was just
a few feet from qualifying.

- Oh, boy,
he's got to calm down.

His hands are slipping.

Fight for your life,
everything you got.

Oh, he's going down--oh!

- But Novarro's fall
meant Ryan Hermstein

was guaranteed
a spot in the semis,

in the 29th spot
with one runner remaining.

And that final runner
is one of the best ever,

and Zuri's
gonna get him going.

- Guys, every season, he is one
of the favorites to win it all.

Tonight,
Joe Moravsky is stepping up

to start his tenth season
on "American Ninja Warrior."

And Joe is flipping out!

He wants to show he's
still got it,

even at 32, and nobody's

been more consistent
than Joe over the years.

He's made it
to the National Finals

every season he's competed,
and twice

was the Last Ninja Standing,

going further than anyone
in the competition.

- Joe's got all kinds
of family and friends

watching back in Connecticut,
including his wife, Stephanie.

She just put their
three kids to sleep.

- You got it, Joe!

- Straight line.

- He's telling
her he's gonna go straight,

and he's laughing about it.

What he's talking about
is last year on stage two

in Vegas,
he veered to the right

and shockingly fell
on the Striding Steps.

Now, he wants to erase
that memory tonight.

[cheering and applause]

[countdown clock beeping]

- And these steps are just
like the ones in Vegas.

He's ain't falling this time.

- And he's through.

Joe says he's going for
the fastest time

and the Mega Wall.

- Here we go, I think
he's going to go for it--nice!

He took a nice ride,
and that was it.

Now this is just a 6'4" lache.

- And you saw him
going sideways there, Akbar,

that's something
we hadn't seen.

And Moravsky's quickly
through two

and heads straight
for the Serpent.

- And this is surprising
after watching

Jessie Graff
fall here earlier.

Go, go, go, go!

- Oh, a little stumble,
but he's okay.

Joe's dad
and a big group of friends

over on the sideline.

Stepping up
to take on Carnival.

Only about a minute left
if he wants to beat

Matt Bradley's time.

- All right, here he goes.

You can see he's got
a nice plan.

He's just gonna go
straight for three.

I'll tell you,
he's going for speed.

- Perfect power,
excellent control.

And he's through!

And there's some of the kids
he coaches.

They're going nuts

as Joe Moravsky heads up
to Piston Plunge.

Well, give him a lot
of credit, Akbar,

he's already punched his
ticket

with his time to this point,

he's in the semifinals.

Now it's house money.

Let's see
what the weatherman can do.

- He's already thinking
about the Mega Wall.

He's got a lot
of energy, Matt.

He's got a lot of juice left.

This dude is running
on AA battery, Matt.

- Well, Joe Moravsky
believes total victory

is within his grasp
and believes this is his year.

- And AA, allergic to average.
He's always been great.

- Here we go, Akbar.

I don't think he's gonna get
the fastest time,

but he is gonna go
for the Mega Wall!

[cheering and applause]

- Well, he's taken down
the Mega Wall

each of the last two seasons,

and if he does it now,
he'll be the first ninja ever

to get it three times.

- Yeah, he's getting pumped up.

- Three young kids at home,
so you know he can use $10,000.

- Beat that wall!
Beat that wall!

- Here we go.

- Let's go!

- The weatherman...

- Yes!
- Oh!

[buzzer blares]

- Moravsky continues his
dominance on the Mega Wall!

- Whoa!

- Joe Moravsky, more Mega Walls
than anyone in history.

[cheering and applause]

- Get that money!
- Oh, my goodness!

- The shirt's coming off!
- Oh!

He just did John Cena!

Well, Joe, you have been
as consistent as anyone.

You came on here
a fresh-faced bachelor.

Now you're married
with three kids,

you're twice as old
as some of the competitors.

- Let's go!

- Is this your year
for total victory?

- I'm going all the way.
- There it is!

- You got $10,000
in your pocket now,

$1 million waiting
for you in Las Vegas.

Good job, man.

- We'll see you in LA!
- We'll see you in LA, bud.

- Love you guys.

- Joe Moravsky
delivers again.

- Let's go!

- So Matt Bradley ended up

with the night's fastest time

while Moravsky
and Josiah Pippel

got the 10K for finishing
on the Mega Wall.

Plenty of young bloods
among our finishers,

including 15-year-old
Jacob Arnstein.

And the Phoenix,
Najee Richardson,

rounds out our finishers.

We had five women make it
to the fifth obstacle.

They're all in the top 30.

And check out others moving on

during Akbar's
Gbajabia-Moments.

- All right, here we go.

- Number three,

rock and roll pastor
Robbie Jimenez

absolutely shredding
his guitar at the start line,

but his bass playing lasted
longer than his actual run.

No!

- Well, he gets baptized,
Akbar.

- James Burns
isn't just a ninja;

he's a Lego fanatic
with more than 300,000 pieces,

and he made us
something special.

- It's us!
And we are in our host tower.

- Burns
wasn't just playing;

he made it
to the fifth obstacle,

but the Lego toy master
let go on Piston Plunge.

- Oh!

- And number one

is retired air force pilot
Dave Kozak.

- Let's go!

- At 75, he's the oldest
competitor all season.

He flew 188 combat missions
in Vietnam,

and though he didn't
get far tonight...

- No!

- We salute him
for his service in showing

you can be a ninja at any age.

I wish I was 74 again.

- That's it for night two
of qualifying.

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

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

[dramatic music]

* *