[upbeat music]
- Welcome to Los Angeles and the back lot
at Universal Studios Hollywood.
We're lighting up New York Street for qualifying
on "American Ninja Warrior."
Hello, everyone, and thanks for joining us.
I'm Matt Iseman.
- And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.
Matt, we're only two weeks away from the start of semi-finals.
If these ninjas want to be there,
they need to bring it tonight.
- You know it, big man.
Only the top 12 men and top 4 women will move on.
And we've got a strong field ready to take on
this qualifying course.
For a preview, let's go down to Zuri.
- Yeah, guys, we've got some fan favorites
among our group of ninjas tonight.
"American Ninja Warrior" champion Vance Walker is back.
When we last saw him, he was making history
as our youngest champion and only the third ninja ever
to win the million dollar grand prize.
- Vance Walker has done it!
- Now he's got his sights set on another million.
- I'm coming for stage four again and that title.
- We'll also see the Big Cat, Karsten Williams
back for his 10th season.
Plus, we've got an Olympian on our course.
Chris Mazdzer won a silver medal
in the 2018 Olympics in luge.
Now he'll try to slide past our obstacles.
All right, guys, let's get to it.
- Well, we're going to kick things off
with this season's oldest competitor.
This is Santa Fe, New Mexico's Tom Simek.
He's 70 years old,
and as you can see, he's still flexing.
This Vietnam veteran is a remarkable
all-around athlete.
And he's here because his granddaughter
convinced him to try the course.
[soft dramatic music]
- Let's get warmed up.
- OK, you're going to warm me up?
- Yes. - Come on.
- OK, sprint.
- I'm not your average 70-year-old.
In Masters track and field, I am ranked in the top five
in the country in the 50-meter and the long jump.
- Set. [gunshot]
- Let's go, Papa! - OK!
[cheers and applause] - Come on.
- Let's go, Dad!
Go, Dad! Go, go! - Go, Papa!
[cheers and applause]
- It's fun,
I feel like a kid when I do it,
and it keeps me going.
Come on, hon, you got it. You got it.
* *
I discovered Ninja through my granddaughter.
She was doing gymnastics.
Ready? Come on, hon. You can do it.
I'd go and watch her and I'd see these kids
climbing a rope or playing on the bars,
and it looked like a big playground.
I'm coming. - Come on, Papa.
It's really cool having a grandpa
that you could do so much stuff with.
- All right.
- And it's really inspiring seeing him being able
to do this at such an older age.
* *
- Hey!
I'm going to show her what her papa can do.
* *
[cheers and applause]
- You know Tom's granddaughter Mika wouldn't miss this.
She's on the sideline with her mom, Tom's daughter,
to cheer him on.
He's got his nickname on his shirt,
the Silver Czech to honor his Czechoslovakian heritage.
Can the track star handle the Pole Vault?
[countdown clock beeping]
- All right. Get on there.
Get up. Get up high.
- Oh, no, he slid down. Gotta get up.
- Well, come on. Come on.
- Lock that body in.
Come on, Tom. - Nice!
Nice-- - Oh, my goodness!
- Oh, my goodness.
Did you see that core strength on that 70-year-old?
[cheers and applause]
- Come on!
- This Czech got through one, and look at that.
- Oh, his granddaughter is crying.
- But this is a big ask,
facing Reel to Reel.
He's going to be 18 feet high,
and he'll have to swing over to that second reel.
- 70 years old, he's already a legend in my book.
Big transfer. - Come on.
[crowd exclaims] - Oh!
Tom Simek. - [groans]
[cheers and applause]
- The 70-year-old grandpa almost
pulled off that big move.
But he did get through one obstacle,
and that put a smile on everyone's face.
This crowd is showing their appreciation.
He flexed on this course,
and his granddaughter's got to be so proud.
- Matt, he didn't get a good jump on Pole Vault,
but he scrambled his way up and saved it.
And then on Reel to Reel, look at this.
He had both hands on the second one
but just couldn't hang on.
- Oh, it's OK. I did great.
- I did great.
- Aw.
- It was an awesome ride.
[cheers and applause]
- Well our next ninja knows all about awesome rides.
Chynna Hart is a mechanical engineer
from Texas who knows how to shift into overdrive.
* *
- I'm no stranger to speed.
One of my favorite things to do is to drift cars.
- Kick it. [tires screeching]
- Drifting is controlled chaos.
You're going to see lots of smoke,
tires burning on the pavement, whipping from side to side.
- Yeah, there you go. Dig, dig, dig, dig, dig.
- And just that speed and that little bit of fear,
it's so much fun. - Whoo!
- I think this is the best I've ever done.
- [chuckles]
[drill whirring]
* *
Drifting helps me with Ninja because
it's very good at teaching me to control the fear.
Confidence plays a huge role in drifting.
You've really just got to go for it and trust yourself.
[tires screeching]
I'm going to be burning rubber all the way to the buzzer.
* *
- As Chynna drifts through the course tonight,
she'll have friends and her boyfriend
watching back home. - Good luck.
[cheers]
- Go Chynna!
- And some of her Texas ninja friends on the sideline.
- You got it.
[countdown clock beeping]
- 5'7".
Oh, slammed into the pole.
- Oh, hit it with her face.
- Well, she's a driver.
She won't let a crash stop her down.
- Universal is home to the "Fast and Furious" franchise.
Let's see what kind of moves Chynna's gonna work here
on Reel to Reel.
- She needs to hit the gas
as she goes down the 18-foot track.
- All right, hit it.
OK!
She grabbed that like she was gripping
the steering wheel or something.
Chynna is cruising now, Matt.
- Come on. Chynna! - You got it!
[cheering]
- And she's through.
[cheers and applause]
But in five seasons, Chynna's never
made it past the third obstacle
and has fallen on balance obstacles
her last two times on the course.
The third obstacle tonight is Dangerous Waters.
- Nice.
- And Chynna continues to rise.
[cheers and applause]
A clutch move by the drifter.
- Yeah, nice! - Let's go.
- It's her best run ever, and she now faces
Duck Duck Goose.
Has to swing across and grab the flapping wings
on these three birds. Two ducks, then the goose.
[crowd chanting] Duck Duck Goose.
- You can hear the crowd chanting Duck Duck Goose.
They really want her to get through this one.
- And you can see the drop on those handles
makes it so difficult if you don't really
anticipate and absorb it.
- Nice. - Oh!
She had it.
- [screams] - Well, she's fired up.
Was so close to finishing the fourth obstacle.
- She got balance.
- Balance obstacles have been a problem,
but she sped across Dangerous Waters.
Almost got through four, but spun off the Goose.
We'll wait and see if that's far enough,
fast enough to move on.
- Well, you know she loves speed.
It would be great to see her racing in the semi-finals.
[cheers and applause]
Tonight, Vance Walker is riding high
as the reigning "American Ninja Warrior" Champion.
But what did the teenager do with that million dollars?
We'll show you.
Plus, Karen Potts is a big hit in college softball.
Now she'll try to knock it out of the park
on the qualifying course.
And we've got a WWE legend.
- Let's go.
- Plus a lot more... - Oh!
- On "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to LA where three Ninjas made a statement
at the start line minutes ago.
- Alaska's Isaiah Waghiyi is a member
of the Siberian Yupik tribe
and performed a traditional dance
along with drum beats from his dad.
- [vocalizing]
- Waghiyi is a fisherman who lives on a remote island
in the Bering Sea with fewer than 1,000 people
many of whom who were watching.
[cheers and applause]
He had to take four different planes
just to get to LA to compete,
but his flight on Reel to Reel was a short one.
- Ride it. Ride it. Nice.
Oh!
[air horn blares]
- Utah's Ally Tippetts Wootton
calls herself the Flipper Ninja.
- OK, OK.
- Whoo!
- The former gymnast and current physician assistant
had no problem flying past the first two obstacles.
- Yeah, get excited! Get excited!
[cheers and applause]
- But Dangerous Waters lived up to its name.
- Oh! Wow.
That was a hard impact.
- Despite the fall, she was OK.
Michael Eckert's in the Marine Corps Reserve
and showed off his pull-up skills before his run.
- Live above the bar.
Go, Mike.
- The 32-year-old once held the world record
by doing 58 pull-ups in one minute.
The Staff Sergeant marched through the first half
of the course.
- 1, 2, 3, 4, I love Marine Corps.
- Let's go.
- Eckert then launched an assault on Duck Duck Goose,
but the pull-up king came up short.
- It's going to come down to mechanics.
No!
- And his run led to a challenge from Akbar.
- All right, two pull-ups and I'll give you $100.
One.
Two. Oh!
Three. Oh!
I apologize.
You did five.
You truly are an American Ninja Warrior.
- Never underestimate me, Akbar.
And never underestimate our next ninja.
He can do one-armed pull-ups.
This is South Dakota's Josh Miller.
He may look like a nerdy, mild-mannered teenager,
but get him on a Ninja course and watch out.
[mysterious music]
- I almost feel like I'm two people sometimes.
Off the course, I would definitely
describe myself as a little bit quieter,
a little bit more shy.
I've never been one of the really popular kids at school.
I've always felt a little bit excluded
from that cool kids group.
But other half of me, my secret identity
is I go train some Ninja.
[stirring music]
A little bit of Clark Kent
and that kind of vibe.
My main strength is crazy feats of strength
that I can do, like one-armed pull-ups
and fly through the air.
* *
- Oh! [laughs]
- The glasses are definitely not a disguise.
I can see absolutely nothing with them off.
I definitely feel like an underdog this season,
since it's my first season and everything,
but I'm really happy to try my best
and try to get my name out there.
I'm going to fly through this course.
Actually, wait. I need these still.
* *
[cheers and applause]
- Let's go!
- Many of those ninjas he trains with
are watching back in Sioux Falls.
- Be confident!
Confience, Josh!
- Come on, buddy. Whoo!
- And down on the sidelines are his parents
along with some of his coaches.
- Let's go, Josh! You got it!
- Come on, Josh. Let's go.
[countdown clock beeping]
- All right, here we go.
- Josh goes to Lincoln School in Sioux Falls.
Though he's super strong, says he's also very shy,
but Ninja's giving him a lot of confidence.
[cheering]
- All right, here comes Miller, the thriller.
This one should be a thriller on Reel to Reel.
[cheering]
And this rookie has some real skills, Matt.
- He's not afraid to go fast.
He's on the high school track team.
Well, he loves muscle cars.
Let's see if he has the traction control
to survive Dangerous Waters.
- Ooh, nice, nice.
- No problem.
Look at the athleticism out of Josh Miller.
- Good job. Let's go.
- Let's go!
- This kid an absolute stud.
A level two black belt in taekwondo.
- That means he can kick your butt and this course's butt.
- Yeah, absolutely. - Here we go, Duck Duck Goose.
Nice.
- It's this goose though with the 90-degree
drop on those wings.
- We all know Superman can fly.
- Wow! - Bam!
Just like that.
- No problem for Miller.
This kid continues to impress.
- You're crushing it, Miller!
- He's making the folks in South Dakota proud.
- They're going to have to carve
his face on Mount Rushmore.
He'll be the first tonight to attempt Jawbreakers.
- Take your time! Big swings!
- A little flex.
[cheers and applause]
Clark Kent is doing just fine
with the glasses on, Akbar.
- Well, Matt, he said don't be fooled
by the glasses.
He's got an S on his chest underneath that T-shirt.
- Look at the power.
That's that upper body power,
serving him so well here.
- Nice. Here we go. - But this is a tricky move.
You got to go horizontal and then shoot that bar up.
- Yeah, it's almost like doing a curl in there.
Yes! OK, Josh Miller.
- And even he acknowledges it. Are you kidding me?
[cheers and applause]
I gotta say, all the kids at his school
must think he's a pretty cool dude.
[cheering]
- Let's go, Miller!
- And he's closing in on our first buzzer tonight.
What a rookie debut.
- Miller, the thriller about to do the killer.
- And Superman doesn't need his cape!
[cheers and applause]
[upbeat music]
- Come on, Josh Miller.
- Let's go!
- Yeah!
- Josh, what was it like coming out here,
buddy, in your very first try, hitting a buzzer?
- It was crazy.
I've been waiting for this moment
literally half of my life,
and just to be here just feels insane.
- Does it live up to it?
- Oh, yeah, let's go. - OK, man. Great job.
Now take off those glasses so I can see the real Superman.
There he is. - Oh, there it is.
- That's Superman.
Let me see your muscles. - Forget Clark Kent.
- Let me see the muscles. He's got real muscles.
[cheering]
- Josh Miller, you're an absolute stud.
We'll see you racing in the semis, pal.
- Thank you.
- Akbar, just goes to show you, you should never
judge a book by its cover.
- Superman just left the course.
- Coming up, Olympic Silver Medalist
Chris Mazdzer can go 90 miles per hour
on a luge track.
What can he do on a Ninja course?
we'll find out next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- We've said it for years...
- Oh!
- You can't take any obstacle for granted.
- Oh!
- And that includes our first one, Pole Vault.
Minutes ago, Arizona physician assistant,
Sydney Berger came out with a stethoscope...
[cheers and applause]
But her attempt at Pole Vault flatlined.
- That run is DOA.
- Jayden White's a theater kid
from Austin, Texas.
However, his debut season was over on opening night.
- Start climbing, young fella. Ooh.
- Iowa's Christi Marie climbed quickly
and looked like she would clear the water easily,
but while one foot reached the pad, the other didn't.
- Oh, are you kidding me? That was so dumb.
- After those falls, we added some muscle.
Celebrity personal trainer Eric Small
who's known as Mr. Core because of his abs
got a shout out from one of his clients,
Actress Niecy Nash.
- Eric, I am rooting for you this season.
I know you got this.
- Small works with top TV and movie stars,
so he should have been right at home on Reel to Reel.
- Oh! - But he wasn't.
- Got to use more core strength.
[rock music]
- Clarisa Morris AKA the Bicep Babe
was also ready to flex on the course.
- Bicep, chest, traps, she got it all.
- With her daughters watching back in Spokane,
the mother of two muscled her way through
the first two obstacles with ease.
- She is fit.
- Morris reached the National Finals last season.
- Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go.
Oh, she's too cautious. What! What!
- But her fall on Dangerous Waters
means she'll have to wait and see
if she advances tonight.
- Well, we are excited for our next athlete.
It's Utah's Chris Mazdzer.
He's the only American man to have ever won
an Olympic medal in the sport of luge.
And though he's a "Ninja" rookie,
he definitely knows how to go fast.
[dramatic music]
- With luge, there's always an element of danger.
I lay down on my back,
and I go 90 miles an hour
down some ice tracks.
* *
Our suit is paper thin.
We get bruises, some ice burn.
I definitely have some scars on my arm from hitting walls.
* *
But it's an awesome ride.
* *
I've been to four Olympics,
and I'm incredibly proud to be a four-time Olympian
representing the United States.
And after tonight, I'll be able to say,
I am really proud to also be an American Ninja Warrior.
[cheers and applause]
Wow, what's up, guys?
- He'll have a lot of family watching tonight,
including his wife and his son Nico.
- Wave to Daddy. Say hi.
- Nico, what's up, dude? [cheering]
All right, I got to go run the course, Nico.
Come on. Come on with me.
Let's go.
- And some of the Utah ninjas he's been training with
are on the sideline. - All you, Chris.
All you. [countdown clock beeping]
- The aerodynamic suit should help him get some altitude
here on the Pole Vault. - Nice. Get up there.
I hope his fit is not too slippery. Nice.
- He started training for luge when he was eight years old
and he plans to compete in the next Winter Olympics in 2026.
- Luge. - Luge.
- He's used to going 90 miles per hour
on that tiny sled for luge.
Can he handle this track?
- This is a different technique.
Oh, no!
[air horn blares]
- Can't make the grab on Reel to Reel,
but you got to give him credit for trying Ninja
after just a few months of training.
- Chris held on tight but released too late
and got iced on the transfer.
But his buddies are going to bring him his sled
so he can go out in style.
- We still salute Chris for coming out
and giving it his all.
- And don't forget, the Paris Olympics
start July 26th, right here on NBC and Peacock.
We might someday see our next ninja
in the Olympics for Softball.
[cheers and applause]
- Whoo, that's a strike right there, Matt.
- This is college athlete Karen Potts.
She is capable of doing big things on the course
and on the diamond.
[upbeat music]
- I started playing baseball when I was probably three
or four, until I was eight.
And then I made the switch to softball,
and I've been playing that ever since.
- Yeah, Karen.
[cheering]
- I'm now a first-year student
at Case Western Reserve University,
and a proud member
of the Spartans softball team here.
- Karen Potts at shortstop. [cheering]
- We practice four times a week
and lift three times a week.
* *
And it's awesome to see the results
of that on the field, see the camaraderie
that we have.
[together] BISC, BISC, kick, kick, kick.
[clapping] - 1, 2, 3.
- This is Sparta!
* *
- I don't have as much access to a Ninja gym while I'm here
but I've still been going once in a while.
So training looks a little different,
but I still think it's going to pay off.
* *
I'm hoping to knock it out of the park on this run.
[cheering]
- Her friends call her KJP.
And she's got lots of them watching
back on the East Coast.
Her parents are on the sidelines,
along with a big group of ninjas
led by the always energetic Lilah Nathison.
- Karen, Karen, Karen, Karen, Karen, Karen.
- Well, she is a tremendous all-around athlete.
In addition to softball,
she played basketball and soccer in high school
and was recruited by dozens of colleges.
- And probably could have done track too
the way she handled Pole Vault.
- Well, she's also pretty good at Ninja.
Made it to Vegas her rookie season
two years ago. - Nice.
[cheering]
I see you. She can do it all.
[cheering]
- Now we're going to see her footwork.
Can she steal the bases,
stay alive in Dangerous Waters?
- Ooh, get it there.
She's safe on that one.
[cheering]
- Karen plays shortstop,
so we know she's going to have good hands.
Let's see what she does here on Duck Duck Goose.
- She's our tallest woman tonight.
She's 5'11",
and she can use her wingspan on this one.
- Can she turn two here on Duck Duck Goose?
- Get it, get it. Nice.
Did you see how she came in compact, tight,
and it was kind of gliding in the air.
- But these handles have a big drop.
You can see it.
- Glide, glide. Find it, hold it, nice.
Oh! - Oh, my!
- Oh! Oh!
[cheering]
- Well, so far, she's hitting a home run.
Rounding third.
- Just really owning this course.
I see you, KJP.
- Staring down this fifth obstacle.
Swings the bat, good grip strength.
Going to be tested here on Jawbreakers.
Got to be precise with the bar.
- Come on, get a swing, power from the hips.
Nice, nice.
Yeah, now, that right there comes from softball, Matt.
Nice.
- That good bat control.
Got to go opposite field here.
You can see the handle start angling down.
- Get it.
- Oh! - Oh!
- Just couldn't get the left side down.
KJP strikes out on Jawbreakers,
but not before a very solid run.
She has now assured herself of moving on.
We'll see her racing in the semi-finals.
[upbeat music]
- Coming up, Karson Voiles was once a top ninja,
but he's been sidelined by serious health issues.
Now after five seasons, he's making a comeback
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- Last year, Kyle Soderman and Megan Johnson
won our very first couples championship.
And love was in the air minutes ago
as they both hit the course.
Megan, the Army captain and doctor in Texas
led it off. - OK, Captain.
- Whoo-hoo!
- Matt, that was dope.
- The six-time veteran had struggled
with balance obstacles in the past.
[cheering]
But not tonight.
She looked like she might get through Duck Duck Goose.
- Oh!
- Despite the fall, that run was good enough
to send her to the semi-finals.
- It was so good. - [chuckles]
- Then it was Kyle's turn.
And the stuntman lived up to his reputation
as one of the fastest ninjas.
- He's got a great pace.
If he can keep this up, he might
have a shot at that Mega Wall. - Yes!
[cheering]
- With Megan and Kyle's enthusiastic mom
cheering him on, the five-time "Ninja" veteran
kept up the quick pace all the way to the buzzer.
- Let's go, baby!
- But he missed the Mega Wall by just a few seconds.
- No. - Let him do it!
Let him do it!
- We let him take a shot for fun anyway.
- This one's a freebie here.
Oh, no. Wow.
[buzzer blares]
- He doesn't get the 20 grand, but he and Megan
are both moving on to the semis.
- That felt so good.
- We've got another ninja already on the course.
It's the Big Cat, Karsten Williams,
the 10-time "Ninja" veteran now 43 years old.
He's quickly made his way through the first part
of the course and is onto Duck Duck Goose.
- Get that second one, nice.
- Well, you can just see he's generating so much power.
Giving his upper body plenty of time
to absorb those handles.
- Matt, he barely got that second duck.
This goose could be a little challenging.
He's got it.
- You thought his goose was cooked...
- Ooh. - But the Big Cat rolls on.
[cheers and applause]
- And if it's Karsten on the course,
you know his mom Linda will be on the sideline.
- Karsten's also a popular Ninja coach
back in the Dallas area.
Some of his students are watching this run.
If he can get a buzzer, he'd be the oldest
this season to do it.
And at 43, he'd be the oldest to hit a qualifying buzzer
in two years, but has to survive Jawbreakers.
- Good power.
Jawbreakers' so difficult.
- Especially at 175 pounds.
- But if he can use that weight
to push it up in there, that gives him
the opportunity to lock it.
- And just when it's coming back down,
hard for the hands not to peel off.
But Karsten got those cat claws in there.
- You can see him really-- nice.
OK, Karsten! - Come on, Big Cat.
This dude's in his 40s, Akbar.
And he'll be the oldest so far this season to hit a buzzer.
[buzzer blares]
[cheers and applause]
[upbeat music]
* *
- I'm back. - Yes, you are back, baby.
- Let's go, baby.
- Hey, Karsten, we talk a lot about teenagers,
but you're hitting buzzers at 43.
- Go celebrate with mama Linda, man.
- Oh, you go do it. - Congrats.
- Thank you. [cheers and applause]
- The Big Cat's going to be racing in the semi-finals
which get started in two weeks.
[cheering]
- Up next is another "Ninja" veteran
who's gone far in Vegas,
but we haven't seen much of Utah's Karson Voiles lately.
That's because he's been battling health issues
and is lucky to be alive.
- [screams]
- That's his Karsonic boom, showing he's still fighting
despite some rough years.
[soft dramatic music]
- I'm super excited for season 16,
but at the same time, my health
hasn't been the best.
[device beeping]
I've struggled with this super rare
stomach condition where the exit of my stomach
seals off, and I can't get any food through.
So I have to go in almost daily
and get nutrition via IVs.
I mean, I went from 175 pounds all the way down to 119.
My body literally eating the muscle to survive.
* *
Kensley's going to the moon.
But overall, like, I'm the luckiest guy
in the world.
I mean, I have a beautiful wife,
my two beautiful daughters.
[grunts] The cross back straddle.
The fact that I can even do any of this is just amazing.
I'm very blessed, and it's easy to keep going
when you feel that way.
[cheers and applause]
- Just so great to see Karson back out here.
His family will be watching from back in Utah.
[countdown clock beeping]
Well, the last time we saw Karson,
he made it all the way to stage three.
When he is healthy, he is an absolute beast.
We'll see what kind of condition he's in.
- Yeah, Matt, and we already know this course is
hard enough when you're at full strength.
Karson right now, 5'10" and weighs less 130 pounds.
- Karson's father recently passed away,
and his wife, Kami, is facing
the same health issue as his dad,
a pituitary brain tumor.
I just love seeing Karson out here doing something
that makes him so happy.
[cheering]
- We weren't sure how far he could go,
but look at him taking on the third obstacle.
Go, go, go!
- He gets through.
And he is savoring every moment out here.
[cheers and applause]
- Go. Go, go, go.
- This is so impressive.
He hasn't competed in five seasons,
battling all of his health conditions
and now look at him, at the fourth obstacle.
- Well, he was a top ninja when he was healthy,
made it to the National Finals five times.
- Nice.
- All things considered, this may be one
of his best performances ever.
- Let's go, get that goose, baby.
- This goose is anything but a silly goose.
It fights back. - Nice!
- Karson Voiles. - OK, Matt, all he's done--
you talked about in his personal life,
fighting here on the course. He's fighting.
[cheering]
- I absolutely love seeing this run.
- I see you, baby. - Karson Voiles!
- I see you, Karson.
- Just a huge victory to be here on the fifth obstacle
given everything he's been going through.
- Still a few more runners to go but he's put himself
in good position to move on.
- I'm gonna tell you right now,
he gets through Jawbreakers,
this crowd's going nuts.
- Locked it in on the first one,
but the next two are more difficult angles.
Launching it up here.
These jaws rotate down.
Oh! - Oh!
- No!
- Peels off, just couldn't maintain the grip.
But he went far enough that he's still in good position
to move on.
- I loved seeing his expression
after every obstacle he got through.
He's just happy to be out here and competing again.
And he delivered a great run.
- Karson, great to see you out on the course again.
- So much fun.
- We could tell you were having a great time.
Look, it's been quite a while since
we saw you at that starting line.
What did it feel like for you to be back after so long?
- It feels so good to be back on the course.
It just-- there's just nothing like it.
There's no feeling like--
I don't know, it gets your heart going,
and you just got to dig deep and fight as best you can.
- Yeah. Great work out here.
Can you give us Karsonic boom? - Oh, are you ready for this?
- I'm so ready. - All right.
[shouts]
[cheers and applause]
- That was very impressive. OK, give it up for him.
[upbeat music]
- Coming up...
Last year, he climbed stage four
and won the million dollars.
- Can you even express what you're feeling?
- Not really.
- What's Vance Walker going to do for an encore?
He starts a new season
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- A big night of qualifying was even bigger minutes ago
when our tallest competitor,
6'5" John Mack hit the course.
[cheers and applause]
- Watch your head, big fella.
- The long-armed college student is known as the Reach.
[crowd chanting] Reach, Reach, Reach--
- With his mentor Karson Voiles
leading the Reach chants,
Mack barreled through the early obstacles.
- Ooh!
- But Mack's extra wingspan
didn't help him on Duck Duck Goose.
- Ooh, peeled right off.
[dramatic music]
- Francisco Barajas is a budding professional wrestler,
and he got a shout out from WWE Champion Drew McIntyre.
- This message from the Scottish Warrior
to an American Ninja Warrior.
Go out there, fella, and claymore that buzzer.
Let's go. - Let's go.
[bell rings]
- That seemed to inspire Barajas,
who was able to wrestle
the first three obstacles into submission.
- All right, nice.
He ain't tapping out on this one.
- But on the fourth obstacle, he went down for the count.
- Body slammed by the Goose.
[upbeat music]
- Houston's Josh Salinas, AKA Iron Josh,
got a superhero's welcome for his return
to the course.
- Last time we saw him, five years ago.
- Salinas was once an elite Ninja,
but took time off after the birth of his daughter
who was watching back in Texas.
* *
- Doesn't look like he lost a step.
- The 32-year-old made it to Vegas
every season he's competed.
And he looked strong in his return,
making it to the fifth obstacle.
- Ooh, he missed it.
- Despite the fall, Zuri got to give him some good news.
- You went far enough, fast enough,
so we will see you in the semi-finals.
Congratulations.
Your daughter's got more to watch.
- Thank you. Thank you.
[cheers and applause]
- This crowd knows who's up next.
It's the reigning King of Ninja,
and Zuri is going to get him started.
- Guys, Vance Walker is a two-time Champion
of "American Ninja Warrior Junior."
And last year, he won it all on the big show
taking home the million dollar grand prize,
but he hasn't let success go to his head.
- The clock is ticking! - Oh, my goodness.
- He is slowing down. - Oh, my goodness.
He's right there.
- Vance Walker has done it!
- It really hasn't sunk in
that I've won a million dollars.
- Born with cerebral palsy and now,
Vance Walker reigns supreme.
- I was literally told I wouldn't be able
to walk when I was a kid.
If you keep working on your dreams,
there's nothing holding you back.
I've been watching "American Ninja Warrior"
for almost 10 years now.
To finally climb Mount Midoriyama,
to say it's a dream come true would be an understatement.
Winning the million dollars was huge for me,
but my life is pretty much the same.
I've always been a big saver and investor.
So I haven't had any really big purchases just yet.
I'm still living in my studio apartment in Tampa,
and so I'm living a pretty humble life right now.
I don't want to be a one and done
"American Ninja Warrior" Champion.
I won two seasons of "American Ninja Warrior" Junior
and then won it all last year.
I'm trying to get that double victory back.
I am very excited to get another shot
at that tower in season 16.
I'm here to have fun, but I know I can win it too.
[upbeat music]
[cheers and applause]
- Oh, it was so great watching his journey last year.
Overcoming so much to win it all.
- Let's go!
- And always there to support him
are his parents, along with a big group of other ninjas.
- Calls himself Walker Texas Ninja.
That's where he was born, even though
he now lives in Florida.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Vance is feeling a lot of pressure
this season as the returning champ.
- Well, we almost expect him to hit a buzzer.
Knowing him, he's probably got his eyes on the Mega Wall.
Didn't get a shot at the Mega Wall last year,
but got it back in season 13.
He did it when he was 5'5",
the shortest ever to conquer it.
That was 18 feet.
- Nice big throw there on Reel to Reel.
- You got it. - Let's go. Let's go.
- Now let's see how he handles Dangerous Waters.
- Ooh, wow.
- A little stumble but pops right back up.
[cheers and applause]
Dangerous Waters almost got him.
- Just amazing.
Born with cerebral palsy.
Primarily impacted the leg muscles,
and look at that agility.
- Nice, OK.
- And look at this strength.
- Now watch the drop off this one.
Got to come in really tight.
- Launch up. - Come in compact.
Nice. - Got it.
- He has a chance to get the fastest time of the night
and earn a shot at the Mega Wall.
But Jawbreakers can eat up time.
- Yes, it can, Matt.
And you want to be careful not to get
too many back swings if you're going for speed.
- The good news is he's already in the semis.
He's got a spot.
- He wants that money bag. Go get that bag then.
[cheers and applause]
- Down to 10 seconds, Akbar.
- Nice. - Got it.
- Got five seconds.
- Four, three... - Come on, Vance!
Oh, it's going to be close.
- It's going to be super close. - Oh!
- Misses for the Mega Wall, but still gets
the fastest time of the night.
[cheers and applause]
- Vance Walker, another buzzer.
Vance, man, you continue to impress.
But I do have some news.
By less than two seconds, you just missed
your chance at the Mega Wall. - Dang it.
- Hey, but the brighter side of this
is you made it back to the semis, baby.
You're going racing.
[cheers and applause]
- And Vance, you didn't get the Mega Wall,
but you did have the fastest time of the night, buddy.
- Let's go. Sweet.
- Vance Walker, he's our reigning champion.
Off to a great start for this season.
He had one small stumble on Dangerous Waters,
but otherwise, an impressive start
to the season for our defending champ
as he starts his quest for another million.
[cheers and applause]
- When we come back, we're going racing
in the Runoffs.
It's side by side across four tough obstacles
for the finals spots in the semi-finals.
- Oh. - My gosh!
- Oh! - Oh!
- You'll see it next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Welcome back to LA where our final runners
gave us a thrill minutes ago.
First it was North Carolina teenager Isaiah Lee,
known as The One-eyed Warrior
because he's blind in his right eye.
The high schooler had his sights set
on his second straight trip to the semi-finals.
- Yeah! Get excited. Get excited!
- He needed to reach Duck Duck Goose
to get into the top 12. - No!
- And his fall on Dangerous Waters
left him on the bubble in 13th place.
Then Georgia's Ricky Vu danced to the start line
for the first time in six years.
The 30-year-old works as an accountant
for Marvel in Atlanta,
and he flew like a superhero on Reel to Reel.
- Oh, nice!
- And powered his way across Dangerous Waters.
- Oh, hey. He's happy. He's excited.
- His fall on Duck Duck Goose vaulted him into 13th place
knocking out Isaiah Lee.
So Vu moved on to the Runoff Race
for the final spot in semi-finals.
He faced 12th place Michael Eckert,
the Marine Corps Reservist and pull-up champ
we saw earlier tonight. Winner moves on.
For the loser, the season's over.
Vu danced his way across Home Run first
and kept his lead on Spring Forward.
But Eckert, the Marine, kept fighting
and was first up on the third obstacle, Wingnuts.
But it didn't last. - Oh!
And Eckert is down.
- His fall opened the door for Ricky Vu
who just had to complete the obstacle to win.
- OK. - And he did.
So here are all the men advancing.
Vance Walker leads the way as the fastest of the four
who hit a buzzer.
Among the non-finishers moving on,
Utah's Karson Voiles.
Ricky Vu got the final spot with that win.
All 12 men will be racing in the semi-finals.
On the women's side, softball slugger Karen Potts
leads the way.
Followed by hard driving Chynna Hart
and Army doctor Megan Johnson.
The fourth and final spot will come down
to a runoff between 21-year-old
Tennessee security guard Rachel Brown
and Utah physician assistant
Ally Tippetts Wootton who calls herself
the Flipper Ninja.
- Hey, now, they're both flipping out.
[upbeat music]
- Ally had to win a Runoff race last season,
hitting the buzzer
and doing her signature flip before losing
a close race to fellow Utah mom Mady Howard in semis.
* *
Her opponent tonight, Rachel "No brakes" Brown
was once the top female teen ninja in the country.
Now, she's a motorcycle riding security guard.
Brown advanced to the semi-finals
last season where she lost a close race
to her ninja idol, Barclay Stockett.
- Oh! - Oh!
- Oh! Brown is down.
- Last season, I barely missed out on Vegas
and I'm not going to let that happen again.
I'm going to treat it just like the racetrack
and pedal to the metal all the way to the buzzer.
* *
- Rachel's family is watching back in Tennessee.
And Ally's got her husband and young son
leading the cheers on her sideline.
- These two are similar in size,
but Ally is more than ten years older than Rachel.
[countdown clock beeping]
[cheers and applause]
- There are a lot of nerves when it comes to a Runoff.
- Bounding out, pretty evenly matched.
- Nice, and this one, Spring Forward, Matt,
you just got to literally spring forward.
You can't take the extra swing if you want to get ahead.
This is a great opportunity.
- And Wooton. - Just like that!
- Ally Tippetts Wootton, that was a good leap there.
Gave her an edge. - All right.
She's got some power now. - Here comes Rachel.
[cheers and applause]
- Wingnuts is so--
so difficult.
Of course you can get-- and peel off on that edge.
- And you have to be so directed with your flight.
Not pull away from the wing nut.
- Ideally, you want to grab it
just like Ally did right there.
You want to get two hands on it.
- Rachel Brown, though, keeping it so close, oh!
- Boy, I love the technique
out of both of them there on Wingnuts.
- Well, the only way Rachel Brown can win
is get a buzzer and get there before Ally does.
- And Hopscotch is so taxing on the upper body,
on the grip strength.
- Well, we know Rachel Brown is strong.
I'm impressed with Ally.
She is looking locked-in, Akbar.
- Oh, you can see it.
Ally is already feeling the victory.
She's shocked--
- She's doing such a good job kicking,
making those grabs easy. - Keep on--hold it.
Hold on.
- Oh, wow! - Ally does it.
- A close race, but Ally gets the win,
and she's flipping out about it.
Rachel Brown's also going to finish.
- [laughs] - Oh, boy.
- Well, a good run by both, but Ally
is moving on to the semis.
- It started with a flip,
and then these two gave us a very close race.
Ally got to the buzzer first,
and she celebrated with another flip.
But a great run for both these women.
- That wraps up another night of qualifying.
For Akbar Gbajabiamila and Zuri Hall,
I'm Matt Iseman.
We'll see you next time on "American Ninja Warrior."
[dramatic music]
* *