[tones chiming]
- We're lighting up Universal Studios once again.
It's time to go racing on the semifinals
of "American Ninja Warrior."
Hello, everyone, and thanks for joining us.
I'm Matt Iseman. - And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.
Matt, we're just a few weeks away
from the National Finals in Vegas,
when one of our ninjas could win a million dollars.
- But to have a chance, they'll need to survive
their head-to-head races tonight
on our special two-lane course.
For a preview, let's go down to Zuri.
- Yeah, guys, this is gonna be fun.
Let's take a look at who we'll see racing tonight.
We've got the teenager who won the million last season...
[buzzer blares] - Vance Walker has done it!
- The youngest champion in the history
of "Ninja Warrior," Vance Walker.
Plus the ninja who was runner-up,
one of the all-time greats, Daniel Gil.
- That was incredible!
- And coming off a buzzer in qualifying...
- Yes! - She's got it!
- It's tonight's top women's seed,
Texas College student Isabella Wakeham.
- Thanks, Zuri.
At the end of the night, the two fastest
will face off against each other in one final race.
The winner gets a Safety Pass to use in Vegas.
- That gets them a second chance if they fall
and could be worth a million bucks.
- We're gonna start tonight with one of the night's
biggest competitors
and one of the season's biggest surprises.
On one side, it's South Dakota's Josh Miller.
He may look like a mild- mannered high school student,
but in the gym, he is a beast.
He shocked us with a buzzer back in qualifying.
He's facing Utah's 6'5" John Mack,
known as the Reach because of that wingspan.
He's become a top ninja after overcoming a family tragedy.
And he did it with the help of his friend, Karson Voiles.
[sentimental music]
- My dad was always my role model and my hero.
We discovered "Ninja Warrior" together
and started building a backyard course.
He struggled with depression and anxiety his whole life,
and I never knew about it.
And then when I was 13 years old,
my dad committed suicide.
I honestly didn't know what to do.
I was in a really horrible and dark place,
and I was really struggling.
Ninja was an outlet for me.
It was something I could do that allowed me to process
all the grief and trauma I was going through.
- Oh, dude.
- My mom made you some cinnamon rolls, man.
- We all know you made these.
- Oh, absolutely, man, handcrafted myself.
- You bake in your spare time.
Dude, you should be proud of it.
- Coming to Karson's gym and being able
to meet him and work out with him was, like,
the only bright spot in my life.
- He came into the Ninja gym,
just a scrawny 13-year-old kid.
We bonded over Ninja,
and as we progressed further down the Ninja path,
we became really good friends.
Bro, where are you?
Are you even--ah! Get out of here!
You reached it.
You can't use your reach, dude!
- After losing my dad, it was wonderful to have
a positive male influence in my life.
And to be able to compete with Karson this year
is the most exciting thing ever.
And then to have him here on the sideline
and cheering me on is--
I mean, you just can't ask for anything better.
I'm just living the dream with my best friends.
It's pretty special.
[cheers and applause]
- Karson will be running later, and
John Mack's family and friends are also over there.
And Josh Miller's got his parents here
from South Dakota.
- Josh Miller hit a buzzer in qualifying.
He's a 7 seed.
And John Mack's an 18 seed
because he fell early in qualifying.
- Two great stories, one dream--
to get to Vegas.
[countdown clock beeping]
Mack is 8 inches taller, 50 pounds heavier.
And it's dead even at Spring Forward.
- Mack's got the edge and experience.
This is his third season.
Josh Miller's just a rookie.
- The Reach has the lead and heads right into Wingnuts.
- Six tough obstacles on this semis race course.
You gotta pace yourself, or it will catch up to you.
- Well, Josh Miller impressed us so much in qualifying.
The Reach looking strong.
He can just use those long arms to grab
one handle after the other.
Doesn't even have to release.
- What a race.
- And you could see John Mack, the first one off,
heading into Spin Hopper.
- All right, and this is where John Mack is gonna live up
to his name, the Reach.
- But here comes Josh Miller.
- Oh, it's Miller time.
- It's gonna be a race on the climb.
- Oh, my goodness. The Reach finishes in no time.
- Miller up-- a race to the buzzers.
- Use the reach! The Reach!
[buzzer blares]
The Reach!
- 6'5" John Mack was able to use that long reach
and get the win by a fingernail.
- John Mack was out in front most of this race,
but Josh Miller goes flying by him coming off Spin Hopper.
Then it was a scramble to the top.
And right there, you can see John Mack hit the buzzer first
by 7/100 of a second.
Are you not entertained?
- Josh, you put your head up high
because that was the closest race we've had
since we started head-to-head racing.
You could still move on... - Thank you. Thank you.
- As one of our fastest non-winners.
John, you're going to Vegas, and it's early,
but with that time, you could be racing for the Safety Pass.
What a way to start the night.
- Let's go!
- Up next, two good friends from California.
They've trained together. Now they'll race each other.
We've got teenager Jonah Maningo,
who's on his high school football and track team.
He'll be trying to outrun his buddy,
the Archery Ninja, Anthony Porter.
- Welcome back to Anthony's Joke in the Woods.
In 2023, I uprooted my life,
and I'm living in a cabin in the woods in Lake Tahoe.
Oh, where am I?
I've been posting nature education videos,
and I'm known as Outdoor Anthony.
If you're watching this, it's time to go climb a tree.
When hiking in snow, make sure you
look up occasionally to see if there's any falling snow
that might hit you from above.
For some reason, I'm viral on social media now.
I'm into millions of views,
and I'm recognized around the places
that I travel to, which is very weird.
And holy crap, that is a bear behind me.
Jonah Maningo and I have been training partners.
We've been training twice a week
for the last few years together.
- Anthony's a really strong ninja.
I've been racing Anthony during training.
And sometimes he wins, sometimes I win.
So this race, I think it's gonna be close.
[dramatic music]
[cheers and applause]
- Jonah's family on the sideline, wearing purple,
as are Anthony's parents, who are also here.
- You gotta give the edge to Porter.
He's been to Vegas two times already.
Maningo's just a young pup.
- Jonah Maningo does sprints
for his high school track team.
Not afraid to go fast.
- Anthony Porter's ten years older.
Can he hold off the teenager?
- Ooh, Porter has a crash landing,
but through first.
- Oh, Porter grabbed the wrong side of that first wingnut!
- And that's gonna cost him time.
Maningo's now in the lead.
You can see the second and third handles
have plastic barriers,
so you can only grab them from one side.
And that mistake has allowed Maningo to get out in front.
He's now halfway across Hopscotch.
- And here comes Porter.
- He's flying across these tiles.
And now putting the pressure back on Maningo.
- And he's closing in.
- Oh, too close to call heading into Spin Hopper.
- Oh, boy, Porter came from behind,
Man up, 'cause it's evened up.
Wow!
- Maningo just ahead of Porter on the descent.
- Oh!
- And Porter is out.
Not sure who finished the last obstacle first.
But if Maningo gets through this, it won't matter.
And he does.
16 years old!
He's going to Vegas!
[buzzer blares]
[cheers and applause]
Another close race, and Jonah Maningo was pushed to the end
by his training partner, Anthony Porter.
- Porter made a mistake on Wingnuts,
and that cost him the lead.
Then he got right back into it, but he spun off
as he came down Spin Hopper,
and Jonah Maningo just cruised to the buzzer.
[upbeat music]
- Tonight, it's a packed field of top ninjas,
including our reigning champion, Vance Walker.
Plus, the guy he edged out
for the million dollars, Daniel Gil.
- He was so close.
- And up next, after a devastating injury,
she had to learn to walk again.
- Nice, nice, keep going, nice!
- Now Karen Wiltin will try to earn a spot in Vegas
against impressive teenager Madelyn Madaras
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- Back in 2019, Karson Voiles and Josh Salinas
both made it to Stage 3 at the National Finals.
And minutes ago, these two faced off
to earn a return trip to Vegas after five years away.
- All right, here we go, off to the races.
- Let's go, Josh!
- With their families watching,
Salinas, a 32-year-old dad from Houston,
jumped out to an early lead over Voiles,
a 38-year-old father from Utah.
- These guys were some of the strongest ninjas
we saw five years ago, and now look at them.
- Both looked strong and made it to Spin Hopper.
- Oh!
- But Voiles' fall sealed the win for Salinas.
The veteran finished in under a minute.
[cheers and applause]
Up next, we have two women from the Lone Star State.
It's Mighty Madelyn,
Houston teenager Madelyn Madaras,
up against a competitor almost 30 years older,
45-year-old Karen Wiltin.
And both these women know what it's like
to overcome obstacles.
- Come on, Karen. You got this.
Let her go. Let her go. Let her go!
- I competed on season 11.
- Yes! - Shoot! Oh, shoot!
- What a moment for Karen Wiltin!
- Yeah! - Okay, mama!
- I was literally at the top of my game.
And then it was, like, three days after that
is when I hurt my neck.
[somber music]
* *
I had basically ruptured all of the ligaments
from the base of my skull down to C4.
- Karen spent three months in a wheelchair
and one year in physical therapy.
- There you go.
- But then she got back into the gym.
all: Karen, Karen, Karen.
- Very nice, Karen. Keep it going.
It's all coming back, just like riding a bicycle.
- And back in qualifying, this mother of two
made a miraculous comeback on our course.
- Just gotta let it go. Trust it.
[uplifting music]
both: Nice!
- Karen Wiltin, we're getting a sequel, Akbar.
- It's been a really long journey
coming back from this injury.
And I'm not done yet. The next stop is Vegas.
- Madelyn Madaras knows all about tough moms.
Her mother Karen has been battling
stage IV breast cancer for nearly three years.
- My mom not only inspires me to be a better ninja,
but she inspires me to be a better person.
- Good job. Let's go.
Lock it in.
That's a big Vegas move right there.
- She shows me that no matter what you're going through,
you can still push through it
and you can still be positive and happy along the way.
- Good job.
Awesome. - Thanks.
I'm definitely running for my mom,
and I just really want to make her proud.
[cheers and applause]
- As always, Maddie's mom, Karen,
is here to cheer her on.
Karen Wiltin's daughters are watching her
from back in Texas.
And some of Karen's friends and training partners
on the sideline.
Mighty Madelyn is the 3 seed.
Karen Wiltin, the 6.
Can the mom keep her comeback season alive?
[countdown clock beeping]
- Yeah, after that injury, how amazing would it be
for Karen Wiltin to make it to Vegas?
She may be the underdog,
but she's still got some fight in her.
- Well, she has great determination.
Always remarkable seeing her on the course,
knowing how hard she worked to get here.
She's got a big challenge in trying to keep up
with Maddie Madaras, who made it to Vegas
last year as a rookie.
- And Maddie only weighs 106 pounds,
our lightest competitor.
- And Mighty Madelyn, pretty efficient here
through Spring Forward.
Now to the Wingnuts.
But Karen Wiltin's not going away.
- You got it. - Go, go!
- So amazing that she can compete at this level at 45,
when she wasn't sure she'd even walk again.
- What I love is, Karen's running her own race.
She's not going so fast that she might make a mistake.
- Madelyn, breathe! Breathe!
- Maddie pauses for a moment
before she jumps up to take on Hopscotch.
- And Matt, don't--
look, Karen Wiltin's still in it.
- She's staying within striking distance,
gonna shake out the arms
before she goes up on Hopscotch.
[cheers and applause]
Madelyn Madaras concluded a semifinals course last year,
so she knows how to pace herself.
She's not rushing through these moves.
She's gonna be precise and avoid a fall.
And she's through four obstacles.
- But Karen Wiltin is still fighting.
Are you kidding me? Look at this mom of two.
- Can she get to the dismount handles?
Got it!
- Hey, she got that mama bear strength right now.
- And you could see, Madelyn Madaras was looking back
and now focused on Spin Hopper...
- Come on, come on, Karen.
- 'Cause here comes Karen Wiltin.
And now Madelyn up on Spin Hopper.
- Wow, and I think Karen right now
is gonna use the strategy to see if, in fact,
Madelyn Madaras makes a mistake.
- Addy Herman's the only woman
who hit a semifinals buzzer this season.
Madelyn Madaras trying to be the second.
- Well, yeah, you don't know Madelyn Madaras
'cause it's Vegas or bust.
And you know, Madelyn, 16 years old,
looking for her second visit to Vegas.
- And look at this. - Wow.
- Madelyn is so strong. - Get it. Get it.
[cheers and applause]
Come on, let's go get that buzzer, baby!
- Getting another buzzer in the semifinals.
She'll be the first woman to hit semifinals buzzers
in season 15 and season 16.
[buzzer blares]
[cheers and applause]
- Come on, Karen. You got this.
- Karen Wiltin can't win the race,
but she's gonna try to finish.
Oh!
A good effort by the 45-year-old mom,
but this race belongs to Madelyn Madaras.
You made your mom proud with that run.
- Yes! I'm so excited.
- You not only make your mom proud, you make us proud.
You make the entire Ninja community proud.
Show me the muscles.
Let me see the muscles 'cause you are strong.
You go, girl.
- Congrats to Maddie.
And how about Karen Wiltin?
An incredible comeback season for her,
and she's down with Zuri.
- Karen, after everything that you've been through,
what does it mean for you to even be out here tonight
having made it this far?
- It's just an opportunity
and such a blessing to be out here.
Madelyn is such an awesome athlete.
Just to go against head to head with her was so much fun.
I really wanted a buzzer,
but so blessed that I was able to make it as far as I did.
Just kind of gassed out at the end.
- Okay. - But it's been a journey.
- It's been so much fun for us to watch.
You're such an inspiration,
and I can't wait for us to see you out in this course again.
- Thank you so much. I appreciate it.
- Absolutely. Matt, Akbar, back to you.
- We've got some marquee matchups just ahead.
Alaska's Nick Hanson will take on
the Big Cat, Karsten Williams
while the Big Dog, Jody Avila's
facing rising young star Sam Folsom.
And later, the women's top seed, Isabella Wakeham,
tries to outrun newcomer Ixchel Valentino.
Coming up on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Minutes ago, we had a showdown
between a slugger and a flipper...
Whoa!
As the Flipper Ninja, Utah's Ally Tippetts-Wootton,
faced off against college softball star Karen Potts,
known as KJP.
- KJP using her softball skills on Home Run.
- Potts is the number 2 seed and is just 18,
while Tippetts-Wootton is a 32-year-old mom
and physician assistant.
Yet these two stayed close.
- Ally is right behind her,
and now she's all tied up.
- With her husband and baby boy cheering her on,
Tippetts-Wootton was trying to become
the second mom to earn a trip
to the National Finals this season.
- Oh, no!
- But her run ended on Hopscotch,
and Karen Potts got the win.
She's going back to Vegas for the second time
in her young career.
Then, it was another impressive young ninja,
the Flyboy, Isaiah Thomas.
The teenager came in as a 3 seed,
facing off against number 22,
California gym owner Arnold Hernandez.
- Arnold Hernandez is gonna have his hands full
with the Flyboy.
- Hernandez, despite being 13 years older
and 7 inches shorter, kept it close
over the first few obstacles.
- We know Flyboy Ninja's capable of going fast,
but he doesn't wanna make a mistake.
- When Hernandez splashed down on Hopscotch...
- Oh!
- That's when the Flyboy
really turned on the afterburners.
And he finished with the second fastest time so far.
[buzzer blares]
And he's now in line to run for the Safety Pass.
- Guys, they are two of the oldest ninjas
left in the competition.
And now, the Big Cat, 43-year-old Karsten Williams,
is facing off against Alaska's 36-year-old Nick Hanson.
These Ninja legends will be racing each other
for a spot in Vegas.
- They've got about 19 seasons
of Ninja experience between them.
Karsten's a little older and a little taller.
- Karsten made it to Vegas last year.
It's been five years for Nick Hanson.
- Have fun out there, bro.
- As always, Karsten's mom, Linda,
will be cheering for him.
- And Nick's wife, Joanne, and their new baby,
Christopher, on his sideline.
- Keep it up, Nick.
- Karsten beat 39-year-old Abel Gonzalez
in his semis race last year,
while Nick lost to 15-year-old Joseph Rouse.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Matt, both these Ninjas have been doing it for a long time.
They're about the same in size.
Let's see who can pull forward.
And there's Karsten. He's on it.
- Karsten linking it.
- And Matt, he on it like he want it.
- Wow, Karsten really moving, gave himself
a good edge there with that efficiency.
- Yeah, and now he's slowing down a little bit.
But you can't slow down because the Eskimo Ninja
is plenty capable of getting back into this race.
- And both at around 100--
oh, my goodness! - Oh!
- Karsten Williams looked all out of sorts.
- Get it, Nick. Get it, Nick.
- Nick Hanson just has to complete the Wingnuts.
Punches his ticket to Vegas.
- It's been five years since we've seen
Nick Hanson in Vegas.
How crazy is this?
But let's go back and look at Karsten Williams.
He had a comfortable lead.
But on that last wingnut,
he just didn't get a good grip with that right hand,
and that was that for the Big Cat.
- Well, it's been a long time
since Nick Hanson hit a buzzer too.
He's gonna keep going and try to finish the semis course.
That means he'll have to conquer Spin Hopper.
- Fun fact, Matt, in the Alaskan Native Games,
Nick Hanson is a champion of the knuckle hop,
so you know if he can handle that,
he should be able to handle Spin Hopper.
- Unalakleet has gotta be on their feet.
Nick Hanson, closer to a buzzer.
- Go, Nick, finish it.
You're almost there.
[cheers and applause]
- Nick Hanson gonna do something
he hasn't done since season 12--
and that is hit a buzzer.
- This'll be his first as a dad.
This is gonna be special.
[buzzer blares]
- And there it is.
[cheers and applause]
- My son, my son, man.
That was all that was on my mind.
I'm here! I'm here.
- Yes, you are. And we'll see you in Vegas.
- Let's go!
Let's go! Yes!
- Coming up, college student Ixchel Valentino
can make robots do big things.
[upbeat music]
But can she engineer an upset against the number 1 seed?
We'll find out next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Chynna Hart loves to put the pedal to the metal
when she's drifting her car back in Texas.
And she was looking to go fast tonight as she was matched up
against fellow Texan, Captain Megan Johnson,
who's an emergency room doctor for the U.S. Army.
Both women were trying to earn their first trip
to the National Finals.
- Yeah, Megan!
- And with her fiancé, Kyle Soderman, cheering her on,
Megan was first off Spring Forward,
which paid off seconds later
when both women fell on Wingnuts.
- Oh, wow.
- So Megan got the win.
She's going to Vegas for the first time.
- There you go!
- Then, her fiancé, stuntman Kyle Soderman,
tried to earn his ticket to the National Finals.
He was facing professional wrestler Francisco Barajas,
who's competing despite being sick.
- I love these ninjas, not letting
a little illness stop them.
- From the start, Barajas was clearly not 100%.
And Soderman, the number 5 seed,
jumped out to a big lead.
- Kyle Soderman's still pushing forward.
- The five-time Ninja veteran looked like
he'd easily locked up a fourth straight trip to Vegas.
- Ooh!
Oh, my goodness!
- Soderman's surprising fall opened the door
for the ailing Barajas, who slowly battled
his way to Spin Hopper.
- He's just really sick.
He's really digging deep.
- Barajas had to finish the obstacle for the win
and just couldn't do it.
So Soderman survived.
He's going back to the National Finals.
Now we've got another Texan.
It's the Big Dog, 6'6" Jody Avila,
the 38-year-old heating and air conditioning technician.
He's facing 21-year-old Sam Folsom,
a top ninja known for his obstacle designs
in his training barn, the Danger Zone.
- Some big size differences.
Jody's 9 inches taller
and more than 50 pounds heavier than Sam.
- Sam's got a big group on the sideline,
including his girlfriend, Isabella Wakeham,
who runs next.
Jody's got his family on the sideline as well,
his wife Pauline and his two sons.
- Jody's the higher seed, he's an 8.
Sam's a 17.
But both these guys can go fast.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Well, that height should help Jody here.
But now he's got 210 pounds over the next four obstacles
that are upper body gauntlets.
Wow!
- But don't sleep on the Big Dog.
The Big Dog has got a lot of bite in him.
- And look at this!
They're matching each other move for move.
And Jody Avila was the first one off there.
Both skipped the first handle on Hopscotch.
And Jody Avila just reaching from one to another.
John Mack did this earlier,
but Jody's taking it to another level.
And again, he was the first one off.
- And Matt, he's almost 60 pounds heavier than Sam.
- What a race!
Oh, Folsom getting a little edge here.
- Oh, boy. And look at that.
Jody Avila's still in it. He's still in it!
Oh, my goodness!
- Sam Folsom gets the fastest time of the night.
And Jody Avila's right behind him.
[cheers and applause]
[upbeat music]
Holy cow! What a race.
Both of you get buzzers,
and, Sam, you had the fastest time all night.
- Let's go, baby! Let's go.
- And Jody, you're still alive
for one of those top two nonwinner spots.
Well done. All right, boys. Go celebrate.
- Let's go.
- Sam Folsom's a winner.
And viewers at home can be winners, too,
in our "American Ninja Warrior" sweepstakes,
presented by the Wells Fargo Active Cash Credit Card.
Go to nbc.com/anwsweeps to learn more.
And now it's our number 1 women's seed,
Texas A&M college student Isabella Wakeham.
She just watched her boyfriend, Sam,
punch his ticket to Vegas.
Now she'll be trying to join him.
On the other side is New Mexico's
Ixchel Valentino, who will be an underdog in this race.
But she's no stranger to competition.
[electronic whirring and chirping]
- Nice.
I've been doing robotics since I was five.
Competitive robotics is where everybody
gets to build their own robot.
Do you want one of these on your side?
You get challenges where the robot
has to shoot basketballs into a hoop
or do these monkey bars.
You get to take it and compete
head to head against other teams.
- 7540, another cube.
- I've won on national
and international levels in robotics.
Robotics has definitely taught me to think outside of the box
and be able to use those critical thinking skills.
- Yeah! - Yay. There we go.
You can solve any obstacle out there.
Same with Ninja, you can look at any obstacle, analyze it.
You can figure out how to do it.
- There you go. - Oh, I did it!
So no matter what problem is presented to me on the course,
I'm going to find a way to solve it.
[upbeat music]
- Ixchel's parents are on the sideline,
and Isabella's got her family
and boyfriend Sam cheering for her.
- Ixchel had to win a runoff
in qualifying just to get here.
But Isabella can't be too overconfident.
She was the number 1 seed last year
and shockingly fell on the second obstacle.
[countdown clock beeping]
A little delayed reaction out of Valentino.
She may have some jitters taking on Isabella Wakeham.
And Isabella may be nervous about facing obstacle two.
This is where she fell last year
in one of the biggest upsets of the season.
Her fall allowed Sandy Zimmerman to go to Vegas.
- And you know that's gotta be in her head
just a little bit.
She'll be happy to get past this one.
- And she gets through.
Ixchel Valentino not far behind.
Both women being very careful, very deliberate
on these early obstacles.
- We know Isabella's résumé. We know she can go.
- That's a great thing, Akbar.
There's always someone knocking on the door,
and Ixchel is coming.
She's really pushing Wakeham.
[cheers and applause]
Oh, one-handed save by Ixchel to stay alive.
Wakeham heading into Hopscotch.
- Oh! - Oh, no!
- Oh, my goodness.
- Another shocking fall for Isabella Wakeham.
And history on the cusp of repeating itself.
If Ixchel can survive Hopscotch,
she will go to Vegas.
These ninjas, always so supportive,
but not easy being in Isabella Wakeham's situation, watching.
- Nice--nice catch.
- Your season is in someone else's hands.
Valentino looking strong.
This, I think, the most challenging move right here.
Get those hands locked out, blind grab, got it.
- Look at that.
She's looking forward to breaking the stereotype
that you can be either smart or athletic.
You can be both.
- What an upset this will be.
And she's done it!
Ixchel Valentino delivers!
- Look at that! She's in shock.
She's in complete shock.
I love this.
- She's knocked off the number 1 seed.
And right now, she's gonna push on
and try to get her first buzzer.
- Oh!
- And she splashes down early on Spin Hopper,
but it doesn't matter.
She's pulled off the upset,
and this rookie's going to Vegas.
- Well, Isabella Wakeham had a comfortable lead
but just missed on the two-handed grab.
That opened the door for the underdog, Ixchel Valentino,
and she came through when it counted.
- But gotta be heartbreaking for Isabella
to miss out on Vegas once again.
But she's still congratulating Ixchel.
Just a class act.
Coming up, the Deaf Ninja, Kyle Schulze,
is one of our most inspirational athletes,
coming off the biggest moment of his career.
- Yeah!
- Now he'll try to earn a ticket to the National Finals
when "American Ninja Warrior" returns.
- Newcomer Jonah Brown shocked everyone
when he put up the fastest time
in his night of qualifying.
- Where in the heck did you come from, man?
- Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
- Tonight, the Tennessee teenager came in
as the number 1 seed, facing the 24,
6'7" Jonas Harmer,
the husband of Olympic medalist MyKayla Skinner.
Brown was linking his moves on Spring Forward
and jumped ahead
while at 220 pounds, Harmer had to lumber through.
- I don't think the Spring Forward
is rated for his weight.
- Brown was on his way to the fifth obstacle
as Harmer tried to make his way through the third.
- Oh!
- After that fall, Brown could coast the rest of the way
and earn his second straight buzzer
and his first trip to Vegas.
- Let's go!
- Then it was a couple of young ninjas
with some cool talents.
21-year-old Grant Kiningham is an ice sculptor from Houston
while Missouri's Dillon Ruble set a world record
for flying paper airplanes.
Even though Ruble's an aerospace engineer,
it was Kiningham who was absolutely flying,
as he jumped out to a big, early lead.
- Kiningham running this with a smile.
He's had a smile on his face the entire time.
- Then the paper airplane pilot crashed on Hopscotch.
- Oh, shoot, he almost fell off the course!
- But he wasn't gonna catch up to Kiningham,
who locked up his second trip to the National Finals.
- Let's go!
- I love this next match-up, two unique individuals.
On one side, it's the Who Dat Ninja,
Louisiana tree-trimmer Jesus Capote,
trying to make it to Vegas in his rookie season.
He's facing a beloved competitor,
the Deaf Ninja, Kyle Schulze,
who's coming off the greatest moment in his career.
[pensive music]
Kyle has been cursed by the fifth obstacle,
has fallen there six times.
- Everybody knows what this would mean to him
if he gets past this.
- [yells]
- Yes! - Nice. Look at that!
- And we are gonna see his first ever buzzer!
- I finally was able to beat that wall.
- The crowd on their feet! - Wow. Wow!
[dramatic music]
- Eight seasons in the making!
- I got a buzzer.
Like, I got a buzzer.
Yeah!
- Take this one in right here.
[upbeat music]
I've only been to Las Vegas one time.
And I fell at the first obstacle.
- Kyle Schulze quickly becoming--
whoa, oh, no, no, no, no!
[air horn blares]
* *
[cheers and applause]
- Jesus just signed "God bless you" to Kyle.
So many Ninjas have learned some sign language
so they can communicate with Kyle.
That includes Jessie Graff, who's on the sidelines
with Kyle's girlfriend Raquel.
Jesus has his wife on the sidelines,
and his kids and other family
watching back in Louisiana.
- Kyle's got more Ninja experience,
and he's a 10 seed.
Jesus Capote is a 15.
[countdown clock beeping]
- Quick start.
Schulze in his eighth season,
Capote in his first.
Kyle is 6'1", 7 inches taller than Capote.
- Whoa, look at Jesus.
He's bringing it.
And now they're tied up.
- Oh, it is synced.
- Who Dat Ninja?
- Kyle Schulze looked to be the first off
in now to the Wingnuts.
Jesus Capote is a tree trimmer.
He's used to being up in the air.
- Come on, babe.
- Well, another good match-up.
Jesus Capote not shying away from the moment.
- Whoo! And Kyle is putting it to him.
Well done by Schulze.
Oh!
And Capote is down.
- Real talk, the tree trimmer gave it a good run.
- And Kyle Schulze, going back to Vegas
for the first time since season 10.
- Wow, what a magical run for Kyle Schulze.
- Well, talk about getting better with age.
And Akbar, don't look now,
he's close to getting his second buzzer.
[cheers and applause]
- This is so great.
He's put in the work for this.
He earned this moment.
- Kyle just said this is a fun obstacle.
But Spin Hopper is not an easy one.
Well, how great would it be for Kyle Schulze,
here in his eighth season, to go back-to-back buzzers?
Gonna have to survive Spin Hopper.
Good ascent.
- It took him eight years to get his first buzzer.
Could get his second after just a few weeks.
- Well, we have seen the grit and determination.
Kyle Schulze will leave it all on the course.
Well done. Good control here.
- I see you, Kyle Schulze, 'bout to get another buzzer.
- Oh, my. Come on.
Get to that bar! - Right there.
Nice. - Yes!
Come on, Kyle! - He can taste it.
He can feel it.
- Yes!
Kyle Schulze,
his eighth season,
going back to back on the buzzers.
[buzzer blares]
[cheers and applause]
- Yeah, you did!
- Whoo!
- Kyle, you just got back-to-back buzzers.
How good does it feel?
Whoo!
- All right, see you, man. - See you in Vegas, Kyle.
- Whoo!
- Coming up, he's the reigning king of Ninja.
Vance Walker tries to get back to Vegas.
We'll see him next on "American Ninja Warrior."
- Oh, my goodness.
- Daniel Gil is one of the all-time greats
and has qualified for the National Finals
every season he's competed.
So Gil, the number 2 seed, was feeling pretty loose
minutes ago when he stepped out to take on the 23 seed,
Georgia accountant Ricky Vu.
- When that hair starts flying like that,
there's no catching Daniel Gil.
- Gil just missed out on the million dollars last season,
and he showed why he's one of the all-time greats.
- He's going supersonic speed.
- Ricky Vu is a five-time Ninja veteran,
but he couldn't keep up with Gil.
both: Oh!
- And when he fell on Hopscotch,
Gil could cruise to another buzzer.
Not quite fast enough for the Safety Pass...
[buzzer blares]
But he's on his way to Vegas for the eighth time.
- Whoo!
- Up next is the guy who edged out Daniel Gil
for the million dollars last year.
It's our reigning champion, Vance Walker,
who's trying to return to Vegas to defend his title.
And the guy with the unenviable task
of trying to outrun the champ
is Idaho's Brigham Youngstrom, a two-time Ninja veteran
with a pretty cool job.
- I'm known as the Ice Ninja
because I build ice palaces with my family.
We usually cover about 2 acres of ice,
where people can go and explore hundreds of feet
of ice tunnels, slides.
And moving these ice logs around really does help
keep me in shape for Ninja.
Vance Walker is a strong ninja, a fast ninja.
But I've got ice in my veins.
I'm ready to conquer.
- Brigham's got his family on the sideline,
as does Vance Walker.
Brigham Youngstrom is gonna need the run of his life.
He's a 21 seed.
Vance Walker is a 4.
[countdown clock beeping]
Here we go.
Vance Walker was a legendary racer
in "Ninja Junior," two years undefeated.
- Ooh, but look at this.
Look at-- - Linking!
- Vance Walker says, all right, enough play time.
It's go time.
- And look at him launch himself into that wingnut.
- Vance Walker is big time, prime time,
showtime, all time, good time.
- And he jumps right past the first handle on Hopscotch.
He may be thinking about the Safety Pass.
He'll need to beat the time of John Mack,
who's currently second fastest.
He is moving.
Spin Hopper can eat up a lot of time.
And Vance, no hesitation, right into it.
- You know what I love about Vance Walker?
He's not resting on his laurels.
He's competing this year like he wants another milly.
- Brigham Youngstrom's still on the move.
May not win the race
but could be a top non-winner if he can hit a buzzer.
Vance Walker's cruising to the finish.
Won't be fast enough to beat Mack's time
and get a shot at the Safety Pass,
but he's going back to Vegas to try and win
back-to-back titles.
Well, look at this, Brigham Youngstrom
continuing to fight.
Not gonna be fast enough
to be one of our top two non-winners
but could get his very first buzzer.
Oh!
Brigham Youngstrom makes it to the fifth obstacle,
but it's Vance Walker getting that buzzer.
And as good as that run was,
it was just the fifth fastest finish tonight.
The two fastest, Sam Folsom and John Mack,
will race for the Safety Pass in just a moment.
Last year's runner up, Daniel Gil,
had only the sixth best time in this loaded field tonight.
And a trio of veterans round out our list of winners
who are heading to Vegas.
Our top two non-winners moving on
are rookie Josh Miller and the Big Dog Jody Avila.
Teenager Madelyn Madaras, who got a buzzer,
leads our list of winners for the women.
And we've got one final race,
an all-out sprint for the Safety Pass,
which gives you a second chance
if you fall on Stage 1 in Vegas.
The two fastest squaring off.
We've got the talented obstacle designer
from the St. Louis area, Sam Folsom,
taking on the Reach, 6'5" Utah college student John Mack.
- John Mack is a big guy.
I'm gonna have to link everything possible
that I'm able to link if I wanna keep up with his reach.
- I got a height advantage,
so hopefully I can get an early start
and then just keep that mojo rolling.
- The Safety Pass is so valuable in Vegas.
It gives you an insurance policy on Stage 1.
These guys are gonna go all out.
- John Mack used those long arms
to edge out Josh Miller in his race earlier.
Can he do it again?
Here we go.
Just neck and neck right here, these two synced.
- That big fella can move now. That big fella can move.
- Well, Sam a little more efficient.
Oh, my goodness.
- Don't underestimate that reach, Matt.
- Oh!
These two--
and they both skip the first handle on Hopscotch.
John Mack using his reach on this one.
Look at this! - Oh, here we go.
This is gonna be the difference maker right--
both: Oh!
- The Reach loses his grip!
Sam Folsom delivered.
John Mack just exceeded his reach, splashes down.
Folsom's got Safety.
10 seconds faster than his earlier race.
Heck of a race.
[cheers and applause]
- Hey, good job, brother.
Great job.
- For Akbar Gbajabiamila and Zuri Hall, I'm Matt Iseman.
We'll see you next time on "American Ninja Warrior."
[dramatic music]
* *