American Ninja Warrior (2009–…): Season 14, Episode 5 - Qualifiers 5 - full transcript

Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.

- "Ninja Warrior" has become
a global phenomenon...

- With programs in 26 countries

across the world.

Tonight,
athletes from all corners

descend on San Antonio...

- I've flown all the way
from Australia to compete

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- I'm from Israel.
Peace, shalom.

- I am originally from Guam.

- I'm from Savoonga, Alaska.



It's in the middle
of the Bering Sea.

- Because this course
on this stage is the pinnacle,

and hitting a buzzer here
is worth the price

of any journey.

- I'm here in
the biggest show in the world.

I want to see the face
of my family.

I want to see them proud of me.

- I just made it possible
for everyone in my island

to follow their dreams.

- I have flown across the world

to get on
"American Ninja Warrior."

This is my moment.

- Welcome back
inside the Alamodome,

for the final round
of qualifying



on "American Ninja Warrior."

Hello, everyone.
I'm Matt Iseman.

- And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.

Matt, we're just a few blocks
away from the Alamo,

and we've made our own history
here in San Antonio.

- Absolutely, big man.

Last week for the first time,

we had seven women land
in the top 30,

and that's just one
of the records set

during this year's qualifying.

- And we could be
setting more records tonight

because this field
is stacked with star power.

- We'll see plenty
of familiar faces,

but watch out
for a potential new star,

"Ninja Junior" champion
Jackson Erdos.

- And Jackson does it!

- We've also got one
of last year's

breakout teenagers,
the Boss, Elijah Browning.

And Utah's Mady Howard is back.

- And she's got it!

- And this time, she's got
someone new on the sidelines.

- Ah, so fun.

- Last week's course
was challenging.

Only eight athletes
hit the buzzer.

For a look at what
the ninjas will face tonight,

let's go down to Zuri Hall.

- Guys, some
of the tough obstacles

from last week are back,

including the Minions
and their balance obstacle,

the Despicables.

The Minions were rough
on our ninjas last week.

- Oh!

Oh, no!

- But this week
at Split Decision,

there's another option,
Broken Bridge.

Ring Chaser
makes its debut this season

in the number 4 position,

and the difficult Final Frontier

is back at number five.

- Nice.
- Got it!

- The run ends at
the 14 1/2 foot Warped Wall,

or you can go up
the 18-foot Mega Wall

for a chance at 10,000 bucks.

Guys.

- Well, it's about
to get spooky in here

because our first
competitor is...

Out for blood.

This ninja
is originally from Romania,

the homeland of Dracula,

and he's ready to take
a bite out of our course.

- Oh, my goodness.

- Prepare yourselves
for Costin Becheanu.

Just like a vampire,
he works at night as an EMT

on the graveyard shift
in Los Angeles,

and he's embraced his heritage,

dressing up as one of Romania's

most famous residents, Dracula.

- I promise you,

my run will not be blah, blah.

Worse comes to worse,
I'll turn into a bat

and fly over the course.

I am ready to conquer
the night and hit the buzzer.

- Uh-oh, I think he's putting
a curse on the course, Matt.

- Well, everyone's got
their fangs out for this run,

even Zuri.

- All right, Costin, come on!

- And 6,000 miles away
in Romania,

Costin's brother and parents
are watching.

- We love you, we love you!

- For the record,
you are not allowed

to transform into a bat
and fly through the course.

- Okay.

- He does have to do it
in his human form.

Well, just in case, Akbar,

we do have some garlic
and wooden stakes up here.

And the Vampire has slayed
the Shrinking Steps.

And now staring down
tonight's second obstacle,

Shattered Panes.

- Ended the runs
of 22 ninjas last week.

An awkward obstacle, Matt.

- Definitely scary.

- Each of these panes
has a shocking movement

that will kick you off.

- Nice.
- See the drop there?

Let's be honest, there's
no sunlight in the dome,

so we don't know
that he's not a vampire.

- Come on.
Come on, big fella.

Holds on.

- And the Vampire continues to
drain our course of obstacles.

Watch the transfer here.

- Oh, Matt, he's starting
to struggle, Matt.

He's got the wrong form, Matt.

He's got the wrong form.
Oh!

The Shattered Panes drives
a stake through his run.

No!

- Now, that was spooky.

- How many obstacles
did he get through?

One.

- Ah, I thought I had it.

I thought I had it.

- He definitely gets points
for creativity.

It wasn't the longest run,
but he had fun out there,

and the Shattered Panes
can be a killer.

Our next competitor also likes
to have fun out here.

This is Jeramiah Boyd.

- You see that, Matt.
He's doing the Griddy.

- Well, he is a teenager,
after all.

He just graduated
from high school in Minnesota,

and he's really grown up
since we first saw him

on "Ninja Junior."

- I've been training Ninja
for 6 years.

- And Jeramiah Boyd
is making a name for himself.

Look at that big leap!

- I'm super confident
in the skills I have in Ninja,

and I like to show
all of my skills off

when I'm in the spotlight.

- My man be getting buzzers!

- On my TikTok account,

I actually do
Warped Wall videos.

You can't pull up
using only one arm.

Let's go.

People comment under my videos

what the next
Warped Wall challenge is.

Easy.

One could be, like,

do the wall with one leg,

do the wall blindfolded...

Or do the wall backwards.

I have 130 million views
on TikTok.

I know I'm a rookie
in this competition,

but I know I can make a name
for myself,

and that starts tonight.

- Jeramiah is gonna have family

watching back in Minnesota,

and his mom's
down on the sideline.

- Look at that,
he's hyping up the crowd.

This kid doesn't look nervous
at all.

- Always been an athlete.

Captain
of his high school track team,

was a pole vaulter,
and you can see just vaults

right on to Shattered Panes.

- I mean, he went right
into it, wasting no time.

Ooh.

- Big drop every time
you hear it.

- There's a little jolt today.
- There's another jolt here.

This is the spot
where our Vampire

was vanquished minutes ago.

- Come on, Jer, come on.

- But Boyd hangs on.
- Nice.

- Got it.
- Okay, now, Matt, here we go.

Split Decision.
- Look at him dancing.

- And he'll go with the Minions.

- Those Despicables will rotate.

You can see it.
- Oh, oh, oh, nice!

- It's like it's easy for him.

And right on to Ring Chaser.

He wants to grab
that rolling ring.

- Oh, nice!
- Got it!

- On target.

- Now has to jump
over to the hook.

- Good transfer.
- Ooh!

Great work.

- Well, he has his foot
firmly on the accelerator,

Akbar, top speed.

Let's see if he can
handle Final Frontier.

This was the tough one
last week.

Knocked out 20 competitors.

In this one, you're gonna
have to use the handle

to transport yourself
through our planets,

trying to make your way home.

This is a long journey.
- Yes, it is.

These ninjas have never seen
an obstacle like this.

It's a balancing act.

You have to shift your weight
and shift your hands

on the bar as you work
around these planets.

He just graduated
from high school.

Plans to go
into real estate like his mom.

He's eating up the real estate
on this course,

getting closer
to his first buzzer.

- He's being very careful here,

inching that bar along.

- This is where many fell
last week,

making this big jump.

- Nice!
- Oh, okay.

- Like Halley's Comet.

He's looking
at us smiling, Akbar.

And look at this,
Jeramiah Boyd...

Is he going for the Mega Wall?

- Oh, he wants the Mega Wall.

- 5'7", but he's going
for the 18-foot wall.

- This kid's been confident
from the start.

Why stop now?

- He made all of these videos
about running up walls.

They've got 130 million views
on TikTok.

- Matt, let me tell you,
he scales this wall,

it's going viral for sure.

- For $10,000!

- He ain't clowning around now...

- Oh, my!
- Not clowning around now!

- Explosive!

Wow!

- The teenager gets $10,000.

- Wow!

Soak it in, Jera Boyd.

- Okay, first off,
Jeramiah, I'm in shock.

- Thank you.

Second...

- So we saw you
on "Ninja Junior" season one.

- Right, right.

- You seem to have gotten
a little better since then.

- Maybe a tad, maybe a tad.

- Where did you get
that Mega Wall skill, Boyd?

- You know,
I was practicing at the gym,

track and field background,
you already know.

- Yeah, you already know, right?

Got a little speed,
you know what I'm saying?

- Well, let's see,

you got big plans
for the $10,000?

- Saving up for a car, you know?

- Okay, I hear you.

- It is about that time, right?
- Right.

- You're gonna need
to take another flight

because you're
coming to LA, buddy!

- Let's go!

- Jeramiah Boyd, hit that buzzer

one more time, pal.

What a way to start the night.

- That was impressive.

- Tonight, "Ninja Warrior"
is taking you to places

you've never seen before.

- I am from Savoonga, Alaska.

It's in the middle
of the Bering Sea.

- And we've got athletes
with inspirational stories...

- I'm gonna do everything
I can to get up that wall

and hit a buzzer for him.

- Ready to go to the Ninja gym?

- Yeah.

- She lives the dream through me

of "American Ninja Warrior."

It's like her dream come true.

- My son had open-heart
surgery at two months old.

He's my inspiration.

- On the final night
of qualifying

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- The final night of qualifying

is just getting started
here in San Antonio.

Kadeem Aarons traveled
all the way

from Australia to compete

and did his best
Crocodile Dundee impression.

- Get it!
- Get it, get it!

- Don't fall in that water,
mate.

- The realtor from Melbourne
is only 5'2",

but he is solid muscle.

- I don't think he has an ounce

of body fat on him, Matt.

But at Split Decision,

his choice
to go with Despicables

didn't lead to a g'day.

- No!

- He jumped over the first ball!

He skipped Otto!

- Crikey.

- Arizona's Ryan Slack made
every obstacle exciting.

- Oh, my goodness, look
at him fighting for it, Matt.

- The cancer survivor stayed
alive on Shattered Panes.

- He is a survivor.

- And then again
on Broken Bridge.

- Oh, my goodness,
got hit in the pelvis

and rocked and rolled
just like Elvis.

- At Ring Chaser,
the 39-year-old rookie

grabbed the big ring
temporarily.

- I thought he had it, Matt.

- Forced to use
the smaller ring,

his dramatic run finally ended.

Utah's Kyndal McKenzie is
a photographer in Hyrum, Utah.

She provided
some great reaction shots

when she survived
the Broken Bridge.

- Oh, she can't believe it.

- Then the wedding photographer

showed great focus
on Ring Chaser...

- She beat the ring there.
Nice.

- And was thrilled when she
made it to the fifth obstacle.

I see you.

- But that's where
her impressive rookie run

came to an end.

- Ooh!

- That went way better
than I expected.

- Up next is another ninja
from Utah,

and she's also a photographer.

Cartwheeling her way
to the start line

is 21-year-old Heidi Jorgensen,

who's competing
not just for herself,

but for a very good friend
back home.

- Ready to go to the Ninja gym?

- Yeah.
- Yeah?

Julia, she is one
of my really good friends

from high school.

She's got cerebral palsy.

Remember what
you told me about balance?

- Fast feet.

She can't talk very well
or walk around very well.

- I'm a little nervous about it,

but I know I've trained for it,

and you've helped me
train for it,

so I think it'll be good.

I can't imagine
going through the things

that she does every day,

but she does it
with a smile on her face.

Should we hit a buzzer?
Ready?

Three, two, one.

Preparing to compete
on the show,

Julia has been
my training partner.

How was that?

Even though she's not
on the obstacles with me,

she's training me, coaching me

through how to do the obstacles.

Yeah, look at how
she keeps her feet

right underneath her, right?

- Yeah.

- Tonight is incredibly
special for the both of us.

When I'm in San Antonio,
will you wear this shirt?

It says "Team Heidi,
Julia's Ninja."

- I love it.

- I'm the ninja,
but Julia's the warrior.

- Heidi is all smiles because
Julia's wearing that shirt.

She's watching back in Utah
with another friend of theirs.

- I love you!

- I love you, Julia.

- Heidi's got a big Utah
contingent on the sidelines,

including her husband, Josh.

She recently graduated
from Brigham Young University,

but met Julia when
they were seniors together

at American Fork High School.

On now to the Shattered Panes.

Heidi is 5'7", grew up
as a high-level gymnast.

- She's done a lot
of local training.

Utah really becoming
a hotbed for "Ninja Warrior."

- All right.
- Watching this transfer.

- Nice, oh.
- You can just see that focus.

- She crushed that one, Matt.

- Not in the clear yet though.

One more pane to go.

Aim for the center of this pane.

Try to minimize the impact
of this pivot that's coming.

- That's so weird to just
throw your body into...

Oh, look at that.

Look at that third pane.

Everything is just
moving and shaking.

- 60-degree tilt.

Lost traction
but managed to save it.

And she is through.

But now it's Split Decision.

Will she choose Broken Bridge
on the left

or the Despicables on the right?

She's going for the Despicables.

- Fast feet.
Fast feet.

- Julia says, "Fast feet."

Remember, these two trained
for balance obstacles.

- Here we go, Matt.

- Otto, Bob, Stuart, and Kevin.

- There it is.
- Nice!

- And she's relieved.

- Heidi, you got it!

- They worked on balance,
and it paid off.

- Now Heidi's gonna step up
to take on Ring Chaser.

- She was on the USA
Junior Olympic gymnastics team

for four years.

She's got legit skills.

Let's see how well she can race

out there and get that ring.

- Like the playground.
Oh, she missed it.

Oh, she missed it.

- Going with
the smaller diameter ring,

and this requires
a lot more precision.

- Man, is she gonna have
to really get focused

on this one.

- Wow!
Locked it right in.

- That was no problem.

I don't even think she cared
that she missed the big ring.

Okay, Heidi!

And right to Final Frontier.

This is where her friend,
Kyndal McKenzie,

went out moments ago.

- I see you guys.
- What's up?

I see you.

- I'm finally here.

- Yeah, you're here.

All that work
with Julia paid off.

- All right, she's got to get
in the right headspace

here in Final Frontier.

- It just is so tricky.

Great transfer there.

- I like that, Matt,
and it's all

about manipulating
that weight transfer.

Get on one side, and then
get to the other side.

- Doing a good job.

Those hands getting ready
for the transfer

into Earth's orbit.

Trying to time it.

Yes!
- Got it, nice.

Make sure you don't rock
too much to the left.

You see her trying to get it?
Scoot, scoot, scoot.

Oh, boy.

- Only eight ninjas were able
to get past this obstacle

last week.

One of them was
teenager Katie Bone.

- Yeah, you've got
to be focused.

- Jorgensen's
struggling right now.

No!

- A fantastic run
by Heidi Jorgensen

ends on the fifth obstacle.

We'll have to wait and see,

but that could get her
into the semifinals.

- She did it!

- Oh, it brought Julia to tears.

You've got to love it.

Heidi Jorgensen was battling
her way through the course

while her coach Julia
was beaming

from ear to ear in Utah.

Heidi made it
to the fifth obstacle,

and that could earn
her a trip to LA.

And she did it all for Julia.

What a great run.

- Welcome back
to "American Ninja Warrior."

We are in the final night
of qualifying

here in San Antonio,

and if you're just joining us,

it has been an action-packed
start to the night.

Minutes ago, Deren Perez

proudly waved the flag
of his homeland,

the U.S. Territory of Guam.

- Biba Guahan!

- Excellent.
I see you, big boy.

- Perez is an officer
in the U.S. Coast Guard

and had his family
watching back in Guam,

more than 6,000 miles away.

- He wants that buzzer.

- The three-time veteran
made it to stage one

in Vegas last year,

but he was sunk this year
by the Despicables.

Oh!

- I really love Minions,
but apparently,

I forgot to bring my banana.

- Utah's Tyler Kurtzhals
was all fired up

for his "Ninja" debut.

- He put some spin on that flip.

- The 18-year-old just
graduated from high school,

and he put together a run
that had to impress

his girlfriend,
fellow teen competitor,

Ava Colasanti.

- He's pumped!

- Kurtzhals looked like
he was gonna cruise

through Final Frontier...

- Come on, Tyler.
Dig deep.

Nice.

- But came up just short.

- No!
- No!

- Oh, what a run, though.

- It was so much fun!

- Then it was Ava's turn.

- You got this, Ave!

- Last year, Colasanti lived
up to her nickname Savage

as she became the youngest
female ever on stage one.

- Nice.

- So she was looking to kick off

another big season tonight,

but those plans were shattered
by Shattered Panes.

- Oh!

- No!

- And while
she was disappointed,

her boyfriend Tyler
lifted her back up.

- You did awesome.

I want you
to be proud of that, okay?

I love you.
You killed it, okay?

Everyone...

They love you!

And I love you too.

Whoo!

- A very sweet moment,

and here comes another one.

This is Chris O'Connell,
a 32-year-old dad

from Northern California
who's brought his son Kavan

to the start line.

They are rubbing their chests
because both father

and son are heart warriors.

- I was born with
a congenital heart defect,

and so when I was 24,

I had to have
open-heart surgery.

However, my wife
was eight months pregnant.

- When Chris made it through
his open-heart surgery,

I started crying in relief
'cause I was just so happy.

We were just ready to go home
and just prepare for our baby.

- When we took my son
to his two-week checkup,

that's where it all turned.

My son had a heart defect too.

My son had open-heart surgery
at two months old.

- Yeah, I mean,
you can't really prepare

for a moment like that.

It's... every baby is supposed
to be born healthy...

And he wasn't born healthy.

But he pulled through.

- My son Kavan
is now eight years old.

You would have no clue
that he had a heart condition.

- Go, whoo, whoo!

- Kavan is
my little ninja sidekick.

I love bringing him with me
to the Ninja gyms to train,

and he's my inspiration.

- Yeah!
Whoo!

- I want to not only show Kavan,

but prove to everyone out there

who has a congenital
heart defect

that anything is possible.

- There's a special bond
between these two.

Dad's gonna send Kavan
off with Mom,

and they're gonna watch
from the sidelines,

while Chris's own dad
and mom will be watching

from back in California.

- Yeah!

Chris has competed twice
before without much success.

Gets through the first obstacle.

- He looks relieved.

- That's make the family happy.

Mom's keeping her hands
on Kavan's ears

because he's sensitive
to loud noises,

but he did not want
to miss seeing Dad compete.

- 'Cause Dad wants
to show his son

there are no limits

no matter how many surgeries
on your heart.

- Confident, c'mon.

Grab it.
- Nice.

- O'Connell's
been Ninja training

for a couple of years.

Didn't do a lot
of sports growing up

because of concerns
about his heart,

but he's not afraid
to try things anymore.

- Nice!
- Oh!

- He's never made it past
the second obstacle before,

but he's making
the moves tonight.

- And he's through!

And for the first time
in his Ninja career,

Chris O'Connell's gonna
be taking on

obstacle number three,
going to Broken Bridge.

And he's looking at Kavan
for some inspiration.

- You've got to stay on top,
take big strides,

and move quickly.

- And he's through
another obstacle.

And he is pumped,
his best run ever.

Showing what it truly means
to be a heart warrior.

- Matt, he's a sports producer
for a radio station.

He might want to do a story
about himself tomorrow.

- Now on Ring Chaser.

Didn't get that ring.

The difficulty goes up,

but this guy's
faced long odds before.

- Yeah, Matt.

Missed the big ring.
That's okay.

He's still got an option.

If you want to get
to the next level, man,

you better put a ring on it.

- Well, this run's already
been a victory

for Chris and his son.

Can he make the move here?

- Oh!
- No!

Just couldn't get the smaller
ring onto the hook,

but still a victory for him,

and he did it with his son,
Kavan, by his side.

- Chris O'Connell
wanted to show his son

to not be afraid of anything,

and he did that.

Couldn't land the small ring,
but an inspirational run

for the heart warrior.

- Chris, we saw a beautiful
moment at the start line.

Your beautiful son, Kavan,
tell us a little bit about him.

Why was this run
so special for you?

- Well, he's had
two open-heart surgeries,

same as me.

We both had two.

So I just want to show him

that anything's possible.

Don't slow down.

I was told that my whole life,
to be careful of my heart,

and that wasn't the case.

You can do anything
you put your mind to,

and that's what I wanted
to show him today.

- Awesome job
on the course tonight.

You're such an inspiration.
Thank you, Chris.

- Thank you.

This goes out to all the other
heart warriors out there.

Thank you.
- Matt, Akbar, back to you.

- Up next,
we're headed out West,

where Ninja's favorite
cowboy has a new ranch hand.

- Climbs it clear!

- Lance Pekus and teenager
Elijah Browning are just ahead

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- It's the final night
of qualifying

in San Antonio,

last chance to earn a trip
to the semifinals.

One of the ninjas
who's traveled far to be here

tonight is professional dancer
Asaf Goren who's from Israel.

And his family was watching
back home, 7,000 miles away.

Goren won
"Ninja Warrior Israel,"

but this was his first time
on our course.

- Now he's bringing
his talent to America.

This Orthodox Jew
had an unorthodox style...

He's leaving it to chance.

But it seemed to work for him.
- Ooh!

- On Ring Chaser,
he tried hooking

the big ring with his foot,
but still got through...

- Nice!

- And made it to Final Frontier,

where the break dancer
finally broke down.

- Shalom, Mr. Goren.

- Another rookie,
Emmanuel Williams,

showed off his happy feet
at the start.

- Okay, do your dance then!

- The 29-year-old
is a filmmaker,

and he created a dramatic
final scene for his run.

Ooh!

Oh, boy,
that looked like it hurts.

- We did it though!
We did it.

- Utah's Dan Wentworth is
known for being injury prone.

Over the years, the 37-year-old

has suffered through
numerous broken bones

and bruises while training,

so when the father
of three hit the course,

we he had all our ninjas
with medical experience

on standby,

a nurse, surgeon, doctor,
and physician assistant.

- Wow, that is
the "Ninja" medic team.

- And it's a good thing
we had them there

because true to form,

Wentworth suffered
a hard fall...

- Oh, my goodness!

A shot to the kisser.

- And he had to be carried away.

- Oh, it's the knee.

It's the knee again, guys.

Thanks.

- Oh, Dan Wentworth,

he's always getting hurt, Matt.

- There are plenty
of cowboys in Texas

but none quite like
the Cowboy Ninja, Lance Pekus.

The Idaho rancher
is back for his 11th season,

but he's looking
to learn some new tricks,

so he turned to one
of the sport's young stars.

- I've always been
a huge fan of Lance Pekus.

Like, I've always
looked up to him.

We started talking,
and he's like,

"Yeah, no ninja has ever
come to Idaho before."

- I've been doing Ninja
for ten years.

I've invited ninjas out
every year.

Nobody takes me up 'cause I am
in the middle of nowhere.

- And me and my mom kind of
looked at each other and like,

"Well, we're coming to Idaho."

- Now to the balance.

This is not his type of balance.

And does it easy.

- So it's Lance Pekus, right?

He's an incredible
ninja warrior.

I was thinking, like,
we'll get there,

and he'll have
a ton of ninja stuff.

He has the sketchiest
Warped Wall

I've ever seen in my life.

- Climbs it clear!
Whoo!

- Actually,
most of his Ninja stuff

is under his porch.

Oh, I broke my stairs

I broke the step.

- I'm like, "Bro,
let's build you something."

Loading up the lumber.
- We're done.

- Ultimately, we had
the goal of building a rig

so I can improve my lache
and my connectivity.

- He's got this.

Whoa, makes it look easy.

- The way
the course is changing,

you have to conserve that
energy as much as possible,

and these kids are
really good at connecting

obstacle after obstacle.

And that's why I'm slower
than all these young kids.

- You know,
Elijah might have learned

over the years of watching me,

but there's a lot
I can learn from him.

- Yeah, Lance, quick moves.

Look at that cowboy fly.

Being out there in Salmon, Idaho

with Lance Pekus,
it was so surreal.

- This is where
I went down on my run.

Elijah is showing
a lot better control.

- I'm gonna use what
the Cowboy Ninja taught me,

and I'm gonna hit
a buzzer tonight.

- And of course, Elijah will be

on the sideline for this run.

Lance's biggest fans
are back in Idaho,

his wife, Heather,
their two kids,

and other family members.

- Let's go, Lance!

- Well, he wears a black hat,

but Pekus is one
of the good guys.

Almost 20 years older
than Elijah Browning,

but they found
a common bond in Ninja.

- Let's go, Lance!

- Elijah taught him
a newer way to lache,

taught him some newer tricks,
the 2.0 versions.

- Trying to make it
real efficient there,

5'8", 165.

No shortage
of beef on this dude.

He is muscles.

- And the one thing
that Elijah Browning

and Lance have in common

is they both like to compete

with their hat on.

- Well, he tips his hat
to the Minions,

but he's not trying them.

He's going to Broken Bridge.

- Here we go.

Nice, nice, nice, nice, nice,
and he's through.

Giddyap.

- Ah, look at that,

drops his hat as a tribute
to the Minions.

I bet that's for the kids,
right there.

Now let's see
if those laches that Elijah

was working on with him pay off.

- There goes that ring.
Get it, get it.

- Oh, shocked.
- He couldn't get that one in.

- I am surprised
he didn't get that.

- Well, let's see what
his lache skills are now.

Got to be precise
with that smaller handle.

- Nice.
Nice.

He got it.
Right on target.

- Deep breaths, bro!
You're good!

- This is the one that's been
tough tonight, Final Frontier.

- How will the cowboy
do in space?

- You got it, broski!
- Be easy on it.

Be easy.

You don't want too much weight
moving forward

'cause you don't want
to slide off.

- There you go.
- Great control.

- Lean in on the planet.

Jupiter to Earth.

- We've seen him
on the Super Salmon Ladder.

He's got power
with the bar in his hands.

Of course, we keep saying it,
this control stick

is so unique, that I-shape.

And he's fighting it now.

- Yeah, he is.

He's kind of got
to get it over there.

Nice.

Oh, there it is.
- Get it on the center line.

Nice, uh-oh, uh-oh,
that's not secure.

That's not secure.

- Teetering on the edge,
this may affect his jump.

- Oh!

Wow.

- Only a few feet from
completing the fifth obstacle.

Not what he wanted, but
he's still in good position

to stay in the top 30.

The Cowboy Ninja had
a smooth ride early.

Lance got to use
those lache skills

he's been working on
with Elijah.

But on Final Frontier,
got hung up

as he tried to swing over
and came up just short.

- So Lance is gonna dry off,

and now his young
training partner,

Elijah Browning,
will try his luck.

The 17-year-old from Tennessee
is nicknamed the Boss,

and was a dominant force
last year.

Made it to stage two
as a rookie.

And there's his biggest fan,
his mom Renée.

Elijah's got more family
watching back in Tennessee,

plus the top ninja
from last season,

Kaden Lebsack and his family.

They call him the Boss

because he's
a true entrepreneur.

Only 17, but has
his own sports car business

and several other
money-making ventures.

- And he made
a big impression last season.

He was the second fastest
in qualifying

his first time on the course.

6'1", 165,
what a stud this guy is.

I think he's got an autographed

Akbar Gbajabiamila
rookie card, doesn't he?

- Yeah, you know,
when he sent it to me,

I was pretty honored
that he went out

and found my rookie card.

I signed it for him, Matt.

He really is a good kid
and a great ninja.

- No trouble
with obstacle two here.

The Boss with a decisive move
at Split Decision,

going with Broken Bridge.

- All right, Matt.
He's got to go fast here.

He's got to go fast.
He's got to go.

Okay!

- The Boss in command right now,

going straight into Ring Chaser.

- Nothing like this
at Lance's ranch.

- Oh, he's way ahead
of the ring.

- He was waiting for the ring.
Come here.

Come to daddy.
- Come, my precious.

- Nice.
- Perfect.

- Ooh,
should be great on this lache.

And he's through.

- Come on,
he's at the fifth obstacle

in under a minute.

- And Lance has now joined
the sideline group.

Only one finisher so far,
Jeramiah Boyd,

but the Boss
is well ahead of that pace.

His buddy Lance, though,
showed how dangerous

this obstacle can be.

- Oh, be careful, young fella.

- We go in Jupiter.

Getting on the inside there,
you can see it.

It's where that center
of gravity is

to keep that handle in orbit.

- Nice.
- Good switch.

- Boy, he went
at that one like a satellite.

- But it's that transition
from Earth and Mars

to the final
"Ninja" space station.

- Gliding through it.

And you see how he just
shifted his body weight?

Nice.
Lock it in, lock it in.

- This is where Pekus fell.

- Yeah, now it's secure.

All he has to do is
get enough momentum.

I don't think he's got
enough gas there, Matt.

Land this one, and it's over!

- Got it!

Trying to be just tonight's
second finisher.

And he's through!

Get that money.
- Yeah, you are!

- Get that money wall.

- He just said,
"Get that cheese."

- Get that cheese.
Oh, yeah.

- These teenagers
continue to amaze us.

We've already had one,
Jeramiah Boyd,

get a Mega Wall tonight.

Will Elijah Browning
be the second?

Here we go.

$10,000 for
the 17-year-old on the line.

Oh, just missed it.

And that's gonna cost him
the fastest time,

but the smaller wall
should be no problem.

- And the Boss is back!

Our second finisher
of the night.

- Let's go!

- That close!
- That close!

- Elijah, I know you
came so close

to getting that Mega Wall.

Take a look at it right here.

See how close you were.

Tell me what was going
through your mind... oh!

- Well,
if that lip wasn't there.

It was that.

- You know what?

I have a feeling
you're gonna have

a lot more shots at
that Mega Wall in the future,

but as of now,
the next time we'll see you,

it'll be LA, buddy!

- Let's go!

- The Boss.
- The Boss, Boss man.

The Boss is back on tour.

- Go ahead, Matt.

We're gonna say it.
Like a boss!

- Boss!

He's a high-flying
professional dunker.

She's an Orthodox Jewish
mother of four,

and we'll see them both

when "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

- They're the only athletes
to compete

on every season
of "American Ninja Warrior"

with 33 buzzers between them,

and they hit
the course minutes ago.

First up was Brian Kretsch,
who's struggled

with balance obstacles
over the years.

And he had another
rough ride tonight.

- Oh, my goodness.
He fell right on his appendix.

Take a look at this.

It took the wind
right out of him.

- But the 37-year-old
powered through the pain

and got through Ring Chaser...

- Oh, yeah,
he's grimacing, Matt.

He's grimacing badly.

- And nearly finished
Final Frontier.

Oh!

- Oh, I had that.

- Then the Godfather
David Campbell took his shot.

- Godfather, he's saying,

"You ain't gonna
take me out just yet."

- The 44-year-old

is nearly three times older

than some of our teens
but didn't show it.

- Wow, looked like
a football player on that one.

- The pizza delivery driver
delivered

on the fifth obstacle where
other veterans couldn't...

- Nice hang time!

- And made his way up the wall,

finishing the qualifying course

for the fifth straight year.

- The Godfather
is going back to LA, buddy!

- Yeah!

- One of the great things
about "Ninja"

is our athletes
come in all sizes

and from all walks of life,

and our next athlete
is proof of that.

This is Liba Yoffe.

She's an Orthodox Jew
who's a mom to four kids.

She's only 4'11",
but do not underestimate her.

Being a Jewish woman,

it's something
that's really important to me.

I keep the Sabbath.

I eat only kosher.
I dress modestly.

I believe in faith...

and fitness.

I always dreamed
of being able to be

in any sort of competition.

In 2019, I started training
as a power lifter.

I may only be 4'11",

but I was able to deadlift 189,

and I really excelled,

and I wanted
to enter competitions,

but they wouldn't allow me
to enter in a skirt,

so it was very disappointing.

I really needed
an outlet in sports,

and that's when
I discovered Ninja.

In Ninja,
you can be whoever you are.

Climb up.
Reach, reach, reach.

And you can be
small, tall, male, female.

I want to show women
and girls all over the world

that they can do anything
that they desire

and keep to whatever
their values are.

Being strong is beautiful.

- And her husband
and all four kids

are down on the sidelines,
so proud of their mom.

Her sister's family is watching

7,000 miles away in Israel.

- At only 4'11"
and running in a skirt,

these Shrinking Steps
might be a challenge.

Okay, big strides.
Big strides.

- Nice!
Just like that.

- Great job by Liba Yoffe.

And you can see the relief
on her face.

What a moment
for her and her family.

- Matt, you can see her,

she's looking over
at her four kids saying,

"Y'all see what Mama did?"

- Well, now she's
got another mountain

to climb with Shattered Panes.

- If she thought
the Shrinking Steps

was intimidating,

the first pane
is almost 12 feet tall.

- Needs to get a good run up.
- No!

Aww!

- She didn't back down,
but at 4'11",

couldn't get up
the 12-foot wall.

- I love that she came out here

and give it her best shot.

- Little Liba represented

for Orthodox Jewish women
everywhere.

Getting big hugs.

Her family, her community are
all so proud of her tonight.

Well, only on "Ninja Warrior"

would a 4'11"
Orthodox Jewish mom

be followed by
a 6'2" professional dunker.

This is Chris Staples,
one of the best

in the world at what he does,

pulling off jaw-dropping
slam dunks.

- Slam dunking is an art form.

I've taken my talents
all over the world.

I've jumped over
motorcycles, people.

I've jumped over
Metta World Peace before.

Dunk after dunk after dunk.

I'm always trying
to wow the crowd.

I want to come out to compete

on "American Ninja Warrior,"

because I want
to challenge myself.

I have the ability.
I have the athleticism.

I have the willpower,

and this is my time.

Looking at this course,
feeling pretty good.

It's gonna be
a slam dunk tonight.

- Chris has a bunch of friends
down on the sideline,

including his girlfriend.

- Whoo!

- Plus, an NBA legend
wishing him good luck.

- Yo, what's good?
My guy, Chris.

So happy to see all
the successes and everything

that you achieve.

You got it, bro.
Go out there and kill it.

You got this.

- Pretty cool
having Metta World Peace

wish you good luck.

- That's pretty cool.

- Build you up.
- Matt, can you do this?

Whoa.
- Do what?

- Can you do...
- Can you do it?

Yeah, ooh, see?

- There it is.

6'2", 190,
with a 40-inch vertical leap.

- Matt, you know
what I call that, right?

Boosties!

- All right, he's gonna need
those boosties

here on Shattered Panes.

- Staples certainly
has a longer stride

than little Liba Yoffe.

- Ooh, oh, oh, oh.
- Whoa!

- He's got to boost
himself up that pane.

- Does he have grip?

- And a great recovery.
- Wow.

You know how powerful you have
to be to recover like that?

- The shattered backboard,

he's looking for an exit, Matt.

He doesn't like being up there.

- The high-flying dunker
looking surprisingly nervous

about jumping
to the second pane.

- Hey, these courses are a lot
harder than they look on TV.

He's way up there,
and it's intimidating.

- Talking himself into it.

- You know, air up there.
Nice!

- Got it.
- Nice, nice.

- Hanging onto the rim,

that's allowed
at "Ninja Warrior."

- Boy, he's got that hang time.

He's hanging on for dear life,

and you need technique
here on the swing.

He's starting to slip, Matt.

- This third pane's
gonna tilt on him.

- No!
- Oh!

- Shattered Panes claims
a second straight victim,

and whether
you're 4'11 " or 6'2",

this is a tough obstacle.

- That was tough.

- All right, watch this.
Oh.

- Coming up,

on a remote Alaskan island,
he had a Ninja dream,

and this competitor's journey
is like nothing

you've seen before.

His story is next
on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back
to "American Ninja Warrior,"

coming to you from
the Alamodome in San Antonio.

- Matt, the night's
only half over,

but already we've seen
some remarkable performances.

Eight-time veteran Sweet T,
Tiana Webberley,

is no stranger to the spotlight.

She's a Hollywood stuntwoman
on big movies and video games.

Minutes ago, she had
to rely on those skills

to survive an early close call.

- Oh!
- A great save.

- But the eight-time veteran

from Palmdale,
California recovered...

- And she is through.

- And showed why
she's one of "Ninja's"

most consistent performers.

Oh, what a catch!

- She came very close to
finishing the fifth obstacle.

- No!

- And she's got a good chance

of moving on to the semifinals.

- Another sweet run by Sweet T.

- Then the Archery Ninja,
Anthony Porter, took his shot.

- And there it is.
- Whoo!

- The archery instructor
from Chino Hills, California

was on target on the course too.

- Bull's-eye!
- Let's go!

- The 25-year-old shot
through all six obstacles

and got a qualifying buzzer
for the second straight year.

- Whoo!

Yeah!

- And the shirt's coming off.

- Then it was the return
of one our old friends,

Josh Levin.

- Great to have him back.

- Levin missed
the past few years

while getting his master's
degree at Harvard.

- He is so smart.

- But this world-class climber

has been a top ninja
in the past.

He's never fallen
on the qualifier course,

or a semifinals course,
or a stage one course.

- With his Harvard classmates
cheering him on,

the 27-year-old became
the night's fifth finisher.

- Josh Levin
back where he belongs!

- Whoo!

- Up next is one
of the most unique athletes

we've ever had on the show.

This is Isaiah Waghiyi,

and he came more
than 4,000 miles to be here.

- Oh, he's flipping out.

- He's happy because being here

is a really big deal.

He lives on an island located

between mainland Alaska
and Russia,

one of the most remote places
on Earth.

- I'm from Savoonga, Alaska.

It's in the middle
of the Bering Sea.

It's a very remote place.

Winter is nine months
out of the year.

Temperatures can drop
to 40 to 50 below.

In summer, the sun is up 24/7.

We are Siberian Yupik native.

We live off
the land and the sea.

There's no restaurants.

There's no supermarkets.

There's one native store.

There's not very much
fresh product,

but the ocean
is like our garden.

We eat meat.
We eat fish.

We harvest vegetation that grow

from the bottom of the ocean
to feed our family.

Life in Savoonga
can be dangerous,

but I'm very blessed
to have grown up that way.

I competed in a lot
of sports in high school,

and then I watched the show.

I was drawn to it.

I told all my friends

I'm going on that show one day.

I feel like my life
brought me here,

and my whole town,

they're all rooting me on,
cheering me on.

We come from community
where we're close-knit people.

A small town kid like me
making it on the show?

I just made it possible
for everyone in my island

to follow their dreams.

This is where I climb.

Natural Ninja training.

To hit a buzzer tonight,
it would not only

be my hopes and dreams,
but the whole hope

of my whole community.

- Wow, just an incredible moment

for Isaiah
and everyone in Savoonga.

Only a few hundred people
in his town,

but looks like most of them
have gathered to watch this.

And Isaiah's family
has come to watch.

Many had never left Alaska
before this week.

- How cool is this?

Well, I gotta say, obviously,

this is his first time
on the show.

Doesn't have a lot
of obstacle experience

up in Savoonga.

- Yeah, it's too cold
to be outside.

- But what a testament
to the reach and impact

"American Ninja Warrior" has.

He and his family,

they logged 4,300 miles
to get here

and had to take
five plane rides.

It ain't easy
to get here from Savoonga.

- He's been watching
"Ninja" for nine years.

He said as soon as he saw it,

he could picture himself
on the show.

- He had his aha moment

when he was working
on the family fishing boat.

Oh, good job hanging on.

That's his fishing experience.

He's used to scrambling
around on the deck.

- Isaiah has
an athletic background.

He did cross-country
and wrestling

as he was growing up.

- He was state
runner-up wrestler

in the Native Youth Olympics
and met Nick Hanson,

the Eskimo Ninja.

He said it really convinced him

the journey was within his reach

to get on the show.

- Nice.
- Great balance.

Are you kidding me?

- And showing great confidence
for somebody who's never

been on obstacles before.

- And he's moving quickly.

Ready to take on Ring Chaser.

- There goes that ring.
Get it.

Get it.
- Come on.

- Yes... oh!
- Oh!

Well, the difficulty
gets ratcheted up,

but clearly, Isaiah is used
to overcoming obstacles.

- Yeah, Matt, and the weather
that they have to overcome,

that's an obstacle in itself.

Negative 50.

- No obstacles like this
in Savoonga.

Oh!

- Can't quite convert it,

but still, what a journey
for Isaiah and his family.

He showed great athleticism,

and the people of Savoonga
gotta be so proud.

- They're gonna talk
about this run back in Alaska

because Isaiah was impressive
for a guy making his first run

on a "Ninja" course.

Just missed on the big ring,

and then bounced off
with the smaller one,

but a tremendous effort.

- And Isaiah is gonna celebrate

with a traditional dance.

- Just been incredible
having him here to compete.

Coming up, some of
the favorites to win it all

are just ahead.

Plus, adrenaline junkie,
Brittney Durant.

- It's intense.

It's fast and such a rush.

- She can handle skydiving.

Can she handle our course?

Next on
"American Ninja Warrior."

- We've been monkeying around
while we were away.

Incoming high school senior
Colton Skuster

is a bit of a class clown,

so he showed up
in a monkey suit.

- He better not run
in that costume.

- After ripping off the sleeves,

he did run in the suit,
but lost something

running across the stack.

- He dropped a banana.

Boy, a monkey
without his banana,

that could be problematic.

- And the 17-year-old
learned a valuable lesson

on the Shattered Pane.

- Oh!

I said, don't monkey around
on this obstacle.

- Megan Johnson
had reason to smile.

She's about to graduate
med school

and become a doctor
for the U.S. Army.

Cheered on by boyfriend,
fellow ninja, Kyle Soderman,

the second lieutenant used
her head on Shattered Panes...

- Oh!
- And still survived.

But the four-time veteran,
nicknamed Megatron,

had no answers for the Minions.

- Whoa!
- Good job, Megan!

- Then it was Kyle's turn.

The three-time veteran
made a different choice

at Split Decision,
going with Broken Bridge.

The movie stuntman was among
the final four competitors

last season...

- Nice!

- And proved he's a force
to be reckoned with

again this year,
as he not only finished...

- Come on, get it,
get it, get it.

- He took down
the 18-foot Mega Wall,

the second athlete
to earn 10K tonight.

- Let's go!
- That's ten Gs, bro!

- Soderman's a stuntman,

and our next ninja
also knows how to make

some moves
in front of the camera.

This is Brittney Durant.

She's a three-time
"Ninja" veteran,

and her "Ninja" appearances
helped to earn a job

as a host who goes to extremes.

- My name is Brittney.

- What are we here to do today?

- I'm here to skydive.

I've always been
into extreme sports,

and I've been lucky enough
to be a host

and producer on a new show.

Hey guys, I'm your host,
Brittney Durant.

The goal and ambition
for this show

is to get women
to try extreme sports

that are more male-dominated.

Some of the sports
that we've done on the show

are MMA fighting, skydiving...

- Motorcycle driving.

It's intense.
It's fast and such a rush.

Some of these things,
I've never tried before.

They're scary.
They're new.

And it's kind of like
how Ninja is.

You never know
what you're gonna get.

Doing all of these extreme
sports was super fun,

but there's no rush
like hitting a buzzer.

- And she's throwing
some love to family

watching back in California.

- Let's go, B!

- Well, she's one busy ninja.

In addition to her hosting job,

Brittney runs
her own clothing company

with her mom.

That's her on the right.

- Brittney Durant has been
getting better each season.

She made it to
the National Finals last year.

- Climbing up
the first Shattered Pane.

Looking
a little hesitant though.

Only 5'3".

Makes the grab.

Has to be careful here
as she makes her way down.

- Hold on.
Nice.

She's been jumping
out of planes,

so these panes
should be easy for her.

- You've got to build up
some momentum.

- And there it is!
- Okay!

- And she's gonna scramble
through this second obstacle.

Some of the other
California ninjas

cheering her on.

And just veers over
to the Broken Bridge.

Quick decision there.

- Come on, Britt, attack it!

- She used to be a gymnast.

She can handle
the Broken Bridge.

- Come on.
Come on, come on.

Run for it.
Nice.

- Well, Brittney Durant
continues

to fly through this course.

And she's ready for Ring Chaser.

She's never made it
past the fourth obstacle

in qualifying.

And misses the big ring.

- All right, she's fine.

- And with the smaller ring,
you can just see

that smaller diameter.

- She's fine.

- You got this.

- You got it, B.
Good job, girl.

- Got to be precise with
this smaller ring placement.

Got it!
- What I tell you?

- Just needs the dismount.

This will be her
best performance ever.

- Boom!

The Final Frontier
has been a handful.

Four women have reached
this point tonight.

None have gotten past it.

Brittney Durant hoping
to join that elite group

of women who've hit a buzzer
on "Ninja Warrior."

- Come on, let's go, B.
- You got it, B.

- Orbiting around Jupiter.

Now got to get over to Earth.

Nice.

- Well, really times it well.

These ninjas are learning
about space travel.

- She's got to picture it
in her head.

See it.
- Wow.

Great job fighting through it.

- She's right there.
She's right there.

Are you kidding me?

Brittney Durant,
she wants that buzzer, Matt.

Come on.

- Needs a big transfer here
to get to that home station.

- Matt, I feel it.
The planets are gonna align.

- Nice, nice!
- Got it!

- Brittney Durant
just needs the dismount.

Got it!

- Yes, celebrate.
Go on, girl.

Get your buzzer.

Only four women
all season have hit a buzzer.

Brittney Durant will be
announcing her presence

with authority
here in season 14.

- She's so close.

She can feel it.
She can see it.

She can touch it.

- Got her hand up there.
She has two more tries.

- Come on, B.
- Come on.

- She was
a competitive cheerleader.

Now she's got
this whole crowd cheering

for her on their feet.

Vacaville, California
representing.

Yes!

- Brittney Durant
gets her first buzzer!

The first woman
to hit a buzzer tonight,

and the emotions are real.

- Let's go!
- Whoo!

- Well, you made it.

- Yeah!
- You got your first buzzer.

- Ah, this is a dream.
So surreal.

I felt it in my bones.

- Guess what.
You're going to LA!

- Whoo, LA!

- Her TV show
got her ready for this.

Flying across Shattered Panes

was like jumping out
of an airplane,

she went fast
across Broken Bridge

like she was on a motorcycle,

and she climbed the wall
like she was doing a stunt.

And Brittney got a buzzer.

- There was a pitching
change while we were away

as former minor leaguer
Adam Jorgenson

showed off his stuff.

- Ooh, that looked
like a strike.

- Jorgenson played

in the Colorado Rockies
Organization,

and he looked good
rounding first.

- Nice.

- He was barely able
to steal his way past second.

- Oh, my goodness.

- Safe.
- It was safe.

- But was finally
called out at third.

- Oh, that was a bad fall!

- Things cooled down with
Idaho's Brigham Youngstrom.

The 24-year-old is an engineer,

creating elaborate ice palaces
that attract tourists

from across the country.

On the course,
the rookie was red-hot.

- Ice, ice, baby.
Ice, ice, baby.

- In his "Ninja" debut,

Youngstrom carved up the course,

making it all the way
to the fifth obstacle.

- Oh!

- And he's got a good shot at
making it to the semifinals.

- Ah, so much fun.

Yeah!

- Fremont, California's
Grant Nguyen

has some very unorthodox
training methods.

The college student wears
a straitjacket

while training
balance obstacles.

The technique paid off
at Split Decision.

- Okay!

- And the 23-year-old
was impressive,

making it to the buzzer
his first time on the course.

- Let's go!

- I've dreamed of this,

and I'm so afraid I'm gonna
wake up at any moment.

- Our next competitor
is coming out

to make his first run
on a "Ninja" course

at the age of 45.

This is Las Vegas entertainer
David Funk.

He's got a smile on his face
because he's

got extra motivation
for his "Ninja" debut.

- I was born right here
in San Antonio,

and then I was adopted

when I was like two days old.

I grew up thinking that
my birth family didn't want me.

So last year, my wife got me one

of those family DNA tests
online,

and I got a hit on an aunt

that still lived in San Antonio.

She actually put me in contact
with my sisters.

Hey.

The first time we made contact,

I was 45 years old.

- So I tried to look for you.

I always thought you might
have been in San Antonio.

- I found out they had been
looking for me the whole time.

To find out after all
those years that I was wanted,

it's a weight lifted off.

I'm from San Antonio,

and my birth family
still live there.

The fact that the competition

would be in San Antonio

the year we reconnect,

how much more
could the planets align?

This, I would say,
is extra special

because this is gonna be
the second time

I've seen my birth family.

To be able to show them
and share the excitement

that I'm feeling right now,

that's a dream come true.

If I can hit a buzzer,
that's just gonna make it

even more special.

- This is a real homecoming
for David Funk.

His birth parents
and sisters are here.

They still live in San Antonio.

He's seeing them for only
the second time in 45 years.

His wife Heather
also cheering him on,

more family watching
back in Arizona.

- They've got pompoms
and everything.

- If you've been to Vegas,

you may have seen
this guy perform.

He's been in a lot
of the big productions,

including the medieval show
at Excalibur.

Does fire twirling,
horse riding, you name it.

Just such a positive guy.

"Ninja" superfan, says he's
been training since 2008.

- Check him out.

He's really moving through
these first two obstacles.

He doesn't look 45 at all.

- Just needs the dismount.

And he's through.

But now Split Decision.

He consults with his wife.

And she says go
with the Despicables.

- All right, high knees.

Come on, pick up your feet.

Oh, oh, oh.
Whoo!

A little funky there,
but he survives.

- Wow.

Are we sure this guy is 45?

- We're looking right on
to Ring Chaser.

Come on, come on.
Get it, get it, get it.

Nice!
Are you kidding me?

Where did this guy come from?

- Well, he is putting on
a show for his birth family.

- He's got to go up and out.
Whoo!

- Look at him.
Gets through.

- David with that funky beat.

I got to be honest,
I didn't think

he had a chance to hit a buzzer

in front of his birth family,
but he is impressive.

Could be the oldest rookie
ever to finish a course.

This rookie,
looking to solve one

of the most challenging
obstacles we've had.

- Nice.

- This is just
such a unique obstacle,

the technique, that I-handle,

having to kind of defying what
appears to be physics there.

- And then it's all about
the transfer to here.

Transferring over,
transferring the weight.

- And he is fighting through it.

- He's almost there.

He's almost
to the promised land.

And how cool is this
for his birth parents

to be able to watch him?

Oh, be careful now.
Be careful.

- Trying to go back
to space station "Ninja."

- Nice.
- Yes!

Just needs the dismount.

What a rookie effort
by the 45-year-old David Funk!

- Get out of there, David.
Get out of there.

Get it out of there, David.

- Got it... no!

- Splashes back in.

So close.

- I thought he had it, Matt.

- Still a truly impressive run
for a rookie who's 45.

- Ah!

- He got all the way
through Final Frontier,

but he lands on the edge,

and he can't quite
stick the dismount.

He was so close to finishing.

- He's got a good shot at
moving on to the semifinals,

worth celebrating
with the family.

She just gave birth
six months ago,

but Mady Howard's ready
to tackle the course again.

We'll see her and her baby

next on
"American Ninja Warrior."

- San Antonio, if you love
"American Ninja Warrior,"

make some noise!

- Vegas MC Michael Pericoloso

got the party going
while we were away...

- When I say "Ninja,"
you say "Warrior,"

Ninja!
- Warrior!

- Ninja!
- Warrior!

- And got a shoutout from
UFC champion, Rampage Jackson.

- You got this Mikey P.
You got this.

Easy work.

- Pericoloso is a legend
of the Vegas party scene,

But the 36-year-old

got bounced out
of the club early tonight.

- Ooh!

- Man, Spider-Man
can't even do that.

- Then it was the pride
of Butte, Montana,

17-year-old Evan Andrews.

- Okay!
- Let's go!

- The high school student
had family and friends

watching as the rookie
from Big Sky country

blew through the course.

- Just a playground to him.

- The teenager looked like
he might have the fastest time

of the night...

- Is he even gonna stop
and take a breath?

- Until he was tripped up
by the fifth obstacle.

- Oh!

- But his fast time meant Zuri
could deliver some good news.

- We will see you
in Los Angeles.

Congratulations.
You excited?

- Thank you so much.

Los Angeles is gonna be a party.

- Another teen,
19-year-old Izabella Adkins,

also got off to a hot start.

- Yeah, Matt.

She's got some type
of Ninja swag.

- She's a student
at Northern Arizona University

and had school mascot
Louie the Lumberjack

cheering her on.

- She's on this course like,
"Let me introduce myself."

- The rookie was only
the second woman tonight

to work her way
through Final Frontier

- Oh, get out of there.
Get out of there, Izabella.

Yes!

- But the fast pace
seemed to catch up to her

as she failed three straight
times on the Warped Wall.

- Oh!

- But it's the second best run
tonight by a woman,

guaranteeing her a spot
in the semifinals.

- Hey, you go, girl.

- Up next, another one
of our strong women.

It's our old friend Mady Howard.

The Utah nurse
was a breakout star

three years ago
and instantly became

one of our top competitors,

but Mady took last season off
for a good reason.

- Last year, I didn't compete

because I had a little baby boy.

Ah, so fun.

His name is Beckham,

and he is just
the cutest little guy.

Hey, buddy.

Did you wake up from your nap?

He is at such
a fun stage right now.

He's rolling over,
sitting up by himself,

and he's starting to laugh,
which is so cute.

You never know how much
you can love something

until you have a baby.

- I've been doing my workouts
when I'm at home with him,

and if I'm looking
at him and jumping,

he thinks
it's the coolest thing ever.

Good job.

Beckham might be
a ninja in training.

We'll have to see
what he likes in the future.

It can be hard
to balance the demands

of my job, and motherhood,
and Ninja training,

but I've been working hard,

and I can't wait
to hit that course.

- Look at that.

- And baby Beckham
is here in San Antonio.

- Aww, coming to support Mommy.

- He's with Mady's husband,
Tyler.

Everyone's excited
for Mady's return.

Her parents are on the sideline

and a big bunch of fans
in the stands,

and her co-workers
back at the hospital

where she works also watching.

- Akbar, six months ago,
she was giving birth.

It's remarkable that she's
back out here already.

- Any mom will tell you,
it's hard to find time

just to sleep
when you have a newborn,

much less train for "Ninja."

- And she's back working
at the hospital too.

She is so impressive.

Never underestimate
the power of a mother.

- Oh, Mama's strong.

- And she knows Beckham is gonna

want to watch this
someday, see...

- Oh, hanging on.

- Said she doesn't feel
as strong

as she did in the past.

- Oh, she's gonna need
some good strength here, Matt,

and your core strength
is so needed

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Like right here
on Shattered Panes.

- She was a college gymnast.

Got a lot of skills,

able to move her body in space.

- Oh, whoa, whoa, watch it.

- Good anticipation there.

That was a violent drop.
- Ooh, rock the baby.

- Well, that's what Dad
is doing over there.

Beckham, your mom's
made it to Split Decision.

- Blowing a kiss
to baby Beckham for good luck.

- All right, looks like she's
gonna try Broken Bridge.

Mom doesn't want the Minions.

- All right, here we go, Matt.

Go, go, go, go.
Nice!

- And rolls in.
There's the tumbling!

- Whoa.
That's it.

- And she looked like
she surprised herself.

- Oh, and that one
scared baby Beckham.

- She's keeping it moving,
not taking a lot

of time between obstacles.

Going up on Ring Chaser.

- Oh, just missed it.

That's all right.

- Well, let's see
how her laches are.

Gonna have to be precise.

Less margin for error
with that smaller ring.

- Here's a chance to use
those gymnastic skills.

- Nice.

- Did you see how soft that was?

- Well, she is just
an outstanding athlete.

- Beckham can't even watch.
He's too nervous.

- Aww, it's okay, Beckham.
Aww.

Poor mother,
that's gotta be difficult,

to be competing

and hearing your baby
crying on the sideline,

but yet, she's still so focused.

- And on the fifth obstacle,
closing in on a buzzer

six months after giving birth.

- The Final Frontier is a beast.

- It's just such
an unforgiving obstacle.

- Whoa, that handle's twisting.

- Oh, oh, oh, oh.
Good save.

- That was a great adjustment.

That's exactly
the adjustment you wanna make.

- Well, she's worked for years
in the hospital ICU.

She knows pressure.

Good transfer.

- Yeah, she is so trained
to be locked in, Matt.

- Come on!
- Nice.

- And she's fighting her way.

And she's using her core muscle

to scoot that bar across.

Look at that.
That's all core strength.

- This is remarkable.
- It is, Matt.

And you see how much
she's holding...

Uh-oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

- Good recovery.

- Yeah, it's all about control.

- Uh-oh, uh-oh, that's not
all the way locked in.

That's not all the way locked in

- It's spinning.

- No!
- No!

- Oh!

- The grip gave out,

but not before an awesome
return from Mady Howard.

- Baby Beckham, Mama did good.

- This new mom
had extra motivation

with baby Beckham
on the sideline,

and she didn't look rusty
at all on the course,

powering her way
to the fifth obstacle.

- And she and baby Beckham
are standing by with Zuri.

- Oh, my goodness.

First of all, Mady,
a lot has changed.

- Yes, it has.

- You are a new mama.

Baby Beckham
was on the sidelines.

Hi, baby boy.

How hard was it for you to
keep pushing through the course

when you heard him crying?

- Oh, my gosh, my mom heart
hurt for a minute.

But I knew he was okay
with his dad, so...

- What do you think
about that, Beckham?

Yeah?

I think she's a rock star too.

You want to tell her,
or should I?

She's going to semifinals,
Beckham.

- I am?
- I know.

- Yay!
- Good news.

There's a lot
to celebrate, buddy.

Oh, my goodness,
congratulations.

You guys soak up
the mommy and me time.

I'll see you in LA.

Guys, back to you.

- Big things are coming...

There's a big drink of water.

Because our tallest competitor,

6'5" John Mack, is up next
on "American Ninja Warrior."

- It's our final night
of qualifying here in Texas,

but minutes ago,
it was a Minnesotan

bringing some Latin flair.

16-year-old Paris Juarez
showed off the dance moves

she learned for her quinceañera.

- Oh, she got it.

- The Minnesota teenager
is known as la Quebradora

the Crusher,
because she destroys courses.

- She crushed that one, Matt.

- With her coach Ninja veteran,

Hunter Guerard,
cheering her on...

- Come on, Paris!

- Juarez powered
through Ring Chaser

and became the seventh woman
tonight

to reach the fifth obstacle.

- Oh!

- And though she fell,
her fast time guaranteed her

a spot in the semifinals.

- Good job, Paris!

- Then the roles were reversed,

and Hunter got his shot
on the course.

- All you, Hunter.
Come on.

- The five-time veteran,
whose nickname is the Lizard,

is known for going fast
on the course.

- Nice.

- And he turned it on tonight...

- You showoff.
He was showing off.

- Flying through
Final Frontier...

And grabbing
the night's top time

by almost ten seconds.

Another year.

- Not only was it another one,
it was the fastest one.

- Whoo!

- Up next is our tallest
competitor of the night,

Utah's 6'5" John Mack,

whose nickname is the Reach.

- You can see why.
Look at that wingspan.

He could reach anything.

- And you can see
the college student

pointing up to the sky.

That's to honor his dad.

- Sports were really
important with me and my dad

in our relationship
when I was growing up.

When I was 12 and 13, I suffered

two major head injuries
that kind of prevented me

from playing any contact sports,

and I got really,
really depressed.

My dad discovered
"Ninja Warrior"

when I was at home in hospital.

We were like, "Let's just see
if we can build

some of the stuff
in the backyard."

It kind of brought me
back to 100%...

110%, really.

After a few months
of really getting

into "Ninja Warrior"...

My dad took his own life
and committed suicide.

- We had finally
really started to connect

over something again,

and then one day,
he just wasn't there anymore.

- It wasn't easy
to be 13 years old,

have a concussion,
and then have your dad die

and then have to find a way
to keep going,

but John did.

One of the things
that really saved him...

was being able to go outside

and be on his Ninja course.

- I'm so proud of John.

- My mom struggled,

but she was always there for us,

even at great
personal sacrifice.

- Do you remember when he
let you guys silly string him?

- Going to football games
with Dad,

those are some
of my favorite memories.

- And you had to be twins.
- Oh, yeah.

- To be able to run
this course in front of her,

in memory of my dad,
in honor of him,

it means a lot.

- And there's mom going crazy,
along with John's grandmother,

and a big group

of other friends and ninjas
chanting "Reach."

- Hey, I love y'all!

- He's also got the love and
support of friends and family

back in Utah.

- With them long legs,
he should have no problems

with the Shrinking Steps.

- And he's through it quickly.

- Yeah, John, let's go!

- He'll probably
only need a few steps

to get up Shattered Panes.

- That's a big body, though,
to be throwing around,

6'5" and 190 pounds.

- Mack made it to the semifinals

last year as a rookie.

- Matt, he's so big,

his feet are almost
touching that third pane!

- Sticks the landing,

wastes no time
at Split Decision,

heading straight
for Broken Bridge.

- Nice.
- Oh, my goodness.

Now he's hitting
the afterburners.

- Nice.
- Are you serious?

Look at this.

- Whoa, John Mack
is just like a Mack truck

on this course, Matt.

He's bulldozed
through four obstacles

in under 45 seconds!

- Hunter Guerard
has that top time,

but John Mack's got
a good chance to beat it.

- He is flying, the Reach.

Reach, Reach, Reach!

- Listen to this crowd, Matt.

They want him
to reach that buzzer.

- Well, he is absolutely
beasting this.

And what's so impressive is
his technique looks on point.

- Matt, I don't even
have a word to explain

what I'm watching right now.

- 21 years old,
went through that tragedy

losing his father in his teens.

Well, what a moment this is.

- Come on, come on, get it.
Boom!

- Nice!

- And look at him
pointing at the Mega Wall.

- At 6'5", homie's got
to at least try it.

- Oh, the shirt's coming off.

- Oh!

- This has been an insane run.

This could earn him 10 grand,

but I think it would mean a lot
more than that to John Mack.

Can he do it?

Oh!

John Mack!

The Reach!

- Let's go!

- $10,000.

That is impressive.

- I'm not leaving.
I'm not leaving.

- You stay right there.

You just bulldozed
through this course.

You got $10,000...
- Whoo!

- And the fastest time
of the night.

- Let's go!

- John, I'm so impressed.
- Thank you.

- And listen,
I know I can imagine

all you've been through
with the loss of your father.

What's it like right now
doing what you're doing,

just looking so amazing?

- Man, it's incredible
to be here after everything

that's happened,
and it's really cool

to have my family
and friends here too

because they're the ones
that got me

through all that, you know?

And especially my mom.

- Let's go!
- Whoo!

- My mom is my hero
and my role model.

And she's been by me
through all the bad moments,

so it's finally good to have
her here for a good one.

- Why don't you slide down
and give your mom a hug

right now, man?

You're making me cry.

- And that's what
this is all about.

- Whoo!

- That's a beautiful moment
right there.

Reach, Reach, Reach!

- Coming up,
he won "Ninja Junior."

Look at you, big fella!

Can Jackson Erdos be
the next "Ninja" superstar?

His debut is next
on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Two of "Ninja's" best
took on the course

while we were away.

Sean Bryan is the Papal Ninja,
the Catholic Church worker

with the loyal fan base,

usually including priests
and nuns.

- They gon' be praying
for him, Matt.

- Adam Rayl's the rock-solid
Arizona concrete worker

who always has his mom Vicky

watching nervously
during his runs.

- Oh, you know Vicky
wouldn't miss this.

- Rayl and Bryan
are good friends

and training partners,

and their runs
were remarkably similar.

- Way ahead of the ring.

- They powered their way
through the fourth...

- Nice!
- And fifth obstacles.

- Yes!

- Yeah, go get it.

- Both took a shot
at the Mega Wall...

- Oh!

- Before rebounding
on the regular wall.

And we'll see both
of them in the semifinals.

- Hey, homie, see you in LA!

- Well, our final runner
of qualifying

is the youngest competitor
of the season.

This is 15-year-old
Jackson Erdos.

He was the champion

of "American Ninja
Warrior Junior"

last summer,
and if he's anything

like other "Ninja Junior"
success stories,

he could be the next
big thing in Ninja.

Last season's junior champ,
Vance Walker,

got a Mega Wall, a safety pass,

and was one
of only four athletes

to reach stage three.

The junior runner up
Kaden Lebsack

went one step further,
finishing stage three

and earning $100,000

as the last ninja standing.

The bar's been set pretty high.

- Jackson just doesn't let up.

- But Erdos is confident
he's got what it takes.

- I just want the world to know

that I'm coming
for Mount Midoriyama.

- Whoa!
- Jackson is a beast.

Honestly, this kid,
just in a different league.

- And he is flying.

- There's definitely
a lot of weight

off my shoulders knowing
that I've done this before.

I'm really confident.

I've planned this out
hundreds of times in my head.

I have what it takes
to go all the way.

- Well, we're not
the only ones who want

to see what this kid can do.

He's got his family
on the sidelines

and many of the other
teenage ninjas.

Plus, a big group
of his training partners

watching back in Pennsylvania.

We have seen the youth invasion.

Will this be the next chapter?

- Yes!
- Whoo!

- And Jackson,
not a little kid anymore.

He's always been big
for his age.

He's 5'11" now.

- And on "Ninja Junior,"
he went all out.

It was a fast style
that worked for him,

but he may have to alter
his approach on the big show

to avoid mistakes.

- And great body awareness.

- Yeah, especially
as he traverses

through that third pane.

- Which way
will he going to go here?

- He's going Despicables.

- He's a kid, Matt.

Of course, he wants to run
on top of the little Minions.

Nice!

And he just crushed Despicables.

- Now hopping up to Ring Chaser.

- Now, Matt,
he does admit that he gets

a little reckless on the course.

His speed comes with great risk.

- Oh, what?
Are you kidding me?

- Love you, Jack!
- I love you too.

- And he just yelled
to his family,

"I love you too,"
in the middle of a lache.

Erdos looks like
he hasn't missed a step

since winning the championship

on "Ninja Junior."

- Yeah, this is where
he cannot be reckless.

He really has to take his time.

- Well, he's not
gonna beat John Mack

for the fastest time,

so he doesn't need
to be reckless.

- Make the connection as you
traverse through the universe.

- Oh, my goodness.
Erdos is being a boss.

- Erdos sounds like a far,
far away galaxy,

and he is from a far,
far away galaxy

because he is talented.

- This is the transfer
that's tripped up

so many ninjas tonight.

- Nice, whoo!
- Got it!

Trying to get a buzzer in his
first run on the big show.

- There it is!

- Let's go!

- You think he's going
for that Mega Wall?

- Let's make some noise!

- Oh, he wants some noise.
Let him hear it.

- 10 grand goes a long way
at 15 years old.

- Well, remember, the previous
"Ninja Junior" champ,

Vance Walker, got the Mega Wall

in his first run last year.

Can Jackson Erdos do it too?

- Come on!
- Oh, he's fired up.

Here we go.
- Go, go, go, go.

- Oh, no.
- Oh!

- But doesn't waste a moment.
Right up the smaller wall.

Jackson Erdos gets a buzzer!

- You won "American Ninja
Warrior Junior" season three.

Are you winning
"American Ninja Warrior"?

- I can pinky promise you.

Akbar is walking out of here.

Why don't you slide down
and celebrate

with your friends
and family, Jackson?

A great debut for him.

How far can he go this season?

- Hey.
Hey, man, you pinky promised.

I want that pinky promise, man.

I want that pinky promise, man.

You're a beast, man.
You're a beast.

- So that wraps it up
for tonight.

John Mack's inspirational run
lands him at the top

of our final leaderboard.

And check it out,

we had three teenagers
in the top five.

We also had three competitors

conquer the Mega Wall tonight,

including stuntman
Kyle Soderman.

44-year-old David Campbell,
the Godfather,

was the night's oldest finisher.

And how about Brittney Durant?

She became the season's
fifth woman to hit a buzzer.

Leading the non-finishers
moving on

is Arizona College student
Izabella Adkins.

We'll also see the Cowboy Ninja,

11-time veteran Lance Pekus,
in the semifinals.

And rounding out
our top 30 is Utah nurse,

baby Beckham's mom, Mady Howard.

Sweet T, Tiana Webberley,

grabbed the final spot
for the women.

Well, that wraps up
our history-making

qualifying rounds
here in San Antonio,

but next week, we're kicking
the excitement level up

a notch as we move on
to LA and Universal Studios

for the semifinals.

For Akbar Gbajabiamila
and Zuri Hall,

I'm Matt Iseman.

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

Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.