American Ninja Warrior (2009–…): Season 14, Episode 8 - Semifinals 3 - full transcript

- Hello everyone, and thanks
for joining us once again.

I'm Matt Iseman.
- And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.

Matt, it's our third night
of the semifinals.

Last week, we only one finisher,

but we've got a lot
of strong ninjas tonight.

- And we're gonna jump right
into a run with one of them,

one of my favorite stories
from the past few years.

- This guy's an under-the-
radar superstar, Matt.

- Absolutely, big man.

We're talking about
the Stallion, Mike Silenzi.

At 35, the nine-time veteran
has turned back the clock,



and he's now a run
everyone looks forward to.

- And the Stallion's
gonna give us

our first look
at this brand-new obstacle,

Over-Under.

- You can go over like
the Stallion just did.

Now has to do it one more time
on the second run.

- Boom. That's the quick way.

We'll see some take the
slower under approach later.

- But the Stallion's galloping
through the second obstacle.

And it's always a stampede
on his sidelines.

Those are his friends
and fellow ninjas

from the Chicago area.

Silenzi's gonna keep it rolling,

jumping up to our third
obstacle, Clockwork.



Stallion generating
some good power.

This guy loves Ninja.

He's had a great career
as a physical therapist

but gave it all up,
opened a gym, be a manager,

and really pursue
Ninja full-time.

Talk about following
your passion.

- Look out, ladies...

The Stallion is looking
for a filly.

- Yeah, he is one of Ninja's
most eligible bachelors.

- Girls, if you're listening,

it's the full package
right here.

We can go on my boat...

You know, I can put, like,
ten people on it.

It is so much fun.

Also, I love water skiing

and I got a trampoline
in the living room.

You got to be cool with that.

Now we're trying
to break the trampoline!

And if you are,
slide into those DMs.

- Whew!

His DMs are gonna be
on fire tonight.

- Giddy-up! Let's see if
he can handle Diamond Dash.

- Come on, Mike.

Ooh!

- He's going to roll

right into the fifth obstacle,
Hopscotch.

Got to jump between
those numbered boxes

with small ledges to grab onto.

- Oh, look at that...
The nickname the Stallion

is short for the
Italian Stallion, like Rocky.

- Well, Silenzi means silence
in Italian,

but this guy's been making
a lot of noise

the past two seasons.

He started in Ninja
ten years ago.

That's him in the box.

But he's had his best success
the past two seasons.

Last year, hit three buzzers

and made it to stage two.

- He is getting better with age!

- And he's on
to the Warped Wall.

- Yeah, he's gotta love
all the support.

His boys are ride or die.

- Gotta giddy up that wall!
Giddy up that wall!

- Giddy up that wall.

That's what they're saying
on the sidelines.

- The Stallion's gonna run right

up this wall just like that.

Yee-haw!

- Nice.

- This dude's a ton of fun,
and you can see why

his students love training
with him.

Got a big group of them
watching back in Chicago.

- They're genuine... look.
They're riding the ponies.

- Well, he's got
the crowd fired up.

They'll be going nuts
if he hits a buzzer.

Four obstacles away.
First up, Salmon Ladder.

It is a taxing course.

- And you know,
Silenzi's got a little bit

of a narrow grip there.

That's an interesting approach.

You know, maybe perhaps using
a little bit more back muscle,

trying to save the forearms.

- He'll definitely need
a little extra for Box Office.

This ended a lot
of runs last week.

- Yeah.

- These boxes are attached
to bungee cords.

Great job absorbing it.

- Yeah, he had
his chin over the box.

Now this is the 14-inch box
here with a blind hold.

Nice, nice.
- Got it.

Mike Silenzi really
getting this night

started with a bang.

Going deep on this very
difficult semifinals course.

Getting a little spun around.

- Yeah, this one
looks scary, Matt.

- Wow!
- But he's got it.

- Yeah, Stallion! Get 'em!

- Uh-oh.

Get out of there,
get out of there.

His hand's starting to slip.

Oh, wow.

- Wow!
Well, the Italian Stallion

always delivers
at the Box Office.

Another great ride
for the Stallion.

- Hold up, did he just do a
point to the ladies out there?

- Well, this guy's riding high,

but now facing Split Decision.

Diving boards are back.

One of the most treacherous
balance obstacles we've had,

and the other choice is a
brand-new one, Flipped Around.

- He's looking at it.
Oh, I don't know.

This is a hard one, Matt.

- The safe play,
probably Flipped Around.

But he may have
to go Diving Board.

- I'm telling you, Matt.

I think the easiest path here
is going Diving Board.

You got to just trust yourself.

- Well, let's face it,
there's no easy way out,

there's no shortcut home.

And he thinks he has
enough left in those arms.

He's going with Flipped Around.

Got to climb up these boards

and flip them
before you can make the leap.

Well, you can tell
his heart's on fire,

burning desire
to get through this.

But we've never had
our first athlete

complete a semifinals course.

This would be a first.

- Matt, he is blazing a trail

for all the other athletes
tonight.

- Got to flip this final board.

What does he have left?

This crowd behind him.

- My goodness, he is
hanging on for dear life.

He's literally hugging
and loving Flipped Around.

- He's giving it
everything he's got

to finish this obstacle.

- Come on, come on.
Get out of there!

- Can he survive the drop?
- Hang on!

Yes!

- Oh, boy.

He's got to throw himself.

I don't know if he has
enough grip strength

to hold on to the bars, Matt.

- Is he going to
throw in the towel?

- No, don't throw in the towel!

- Are you kidding me?
- Let's go!

- 35 feet away from another
buzzer for the Stallion!

- I told you you don't want
to miss a run by the Stallion!

- Just needs to climb the
35 feet up the Spider Trap

to hit that buzzer.

Only had one ninja hit a
semifinals buzzer last week.

Now Mike Silenzi's
about to do it

in our very first run.

- And this is so hard.

Some ninjas never hit
a semifinals buzzer

in their career.

- But he is hurting right now.

Two more sets of doors.

- Let's go.

- Watch the traction in that
lower body, locking it in.

Here we go, almost safe.

- Oh yeah, get that in!

Put the buzz on it!

Nice!
- Yo, Stallion, you did it!

- Wow.

- The Stallion delivers
a knockout blow

on this semifinals course!

- Whoo!

- Amazing for our
first run of the night.

Stallion, I've got to say, man,

with every passing year,
you seem to get stronger.

This course looked brutal.

How did you survive, my friend?

- Oh man, I'm like a fine wine,
you know?

Oh.

- Get better with time, huh?

- On top of the world.

Well, Stallion,
hit that buzzer one more time.

Everybody's riding the
Stallion, galloping to Vegas.

- Oh, he's gonna have
a lot of folks sliding up

in the DMs tonight.

- And what a way
to get things started.

And that's just
a preview of what

we're going to see tonight at
Universal Studios, Hollywood.

- I will say I'm excited
for tonight's feature

because it's in 3-D.
- Ooh.

- We're going
to have doctors, dogs,

and some dudes
that you don't want to miss.

Like the wild and crazy ninjas

from Iowa, Chris Behrends...

- Noggin!

- Levi Enright...

- Protein shake!

- And the Cat Daddy,
Jackson Twait.

- Meow!

- And that's just for starters.

We're also going
to see the rock and roll

speed demon from Orlando,
RJ Roman.

Fastest time of the night!

Along with the reigning
Women's Champion,

Jesse "Flex" Labreck.

- One of the best who's
ever done it!

- And the ninja
that went farther

than anyone last season,
16-year-old Kaden Lebsack.

- Just made history!

- And at the end of the night,

our top two ninjas race up
there on the Power Tower.

It's been redesigned this year
with some brand-new elements,

and we've already seen
some amazing finishes.

The winner takes
a Safety Pass to Vegas,

so get your popcorn ready
for a big night.

- Oh!
- Whoo!

- We're swinging for the fences

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back
to Universal Studios.

Minutes ago,

Connecticut teenager
Devan Alexander hit the course

with his mom, Pow,
leading the cheers.

- Come on, Devan!

- You can hear her
from anywhere, Matt.

- The 17-year-old was
impressive last year,

making it to Vegas as a rookie.

And he came out hot tonight,

blazing through
the early obstacles.

- Matt,
this kid is on a mission.

- But then he hit Diamond Dash.

- Oh, my God!
Oh, my goodness!

- A shocking exit for one
of last year's top teens.

- You tried your best.
I'm so proud of you.

- Colorado's Brandon Varner
dresses to impress.

Whoa!

He hit the course
in a onesie he made himself,

along with custom
made shoes and shin guards.

- The ostentatious attire
gives him superpowers.

- And the colorful
outfits seemed to work...

There you go, nice.

As the 41-year-old dad had
the best run of his career,

rolling through
the first five obstacles.

- He didn't stick the landing,
but that's all right.

- But his special shoes were
no help on the Warped Wall...

Oh!

- He needs some new shoes.

Oh, my goodness.

- As he failed
on all three attempts.

- Oh, that has got
to be devastating!

- Bouncing
to the start line next

is the bundle of energy
known as Megan Rowe.

She had a breakout season
last year

when she was known
as the Axe-Throwing Ninja

from Wisconsin, but now she's
on a Rocky Mountain high.

- I'm still the
Axe-Throwing Ninja.

But we got a lot going
on this year.

I recently moved all the way
from Green Bay, Wisconsin,

with my boyfriend Dalton,
and now we are in Colorado.

It's just... oh my gosh,
it's so gorgeous.

We love to be outdoors,
we love to rock climb,

we love to disc golf.

Let's go!

- I just don't like to fish,

but, like, I'll sit there
while you fish, so...

Colorado is just
a hub for ninjas,

so I have lots of ninja
friends around here.

Not bad, not bad.

So we're constantly pushing
each other and growing.

And training
with them has definitely

boosted my confidence
to go out there

and just dominate the course
tonight.

- I don't care what happens,

you know she's going
to have fun out there.

Let's go, Megan!

- Boyfriend and
fellow ninja Dalton Knapp

is on the sideline
with family members.

Her mom and brother
watching back in the Midwest.

- Let's go, Megan!

- She's become one
of the elite women.

Made it to the
National Finals last year,

and was in the Final Four
of our women's championship

earlier this year.

Ready for Over-Under.

The axe thrower,
she can generate some power.

- And don't underestimate
this obstacle.

- Well, at 5'3",
may have trouble getting up.

- Oh, whoa.
- Going under.

- And when you have
to go the under route,

it takes more time,
and it eats up more energy.

- 5'3", grew up as a gymnast.

Used to swinging on bars,

but this is more work
than she wanted.

Now she's got to do it all
over again on the second,

trying to go up and over.

- But if she stays calm,
stays within her game,

trusts the process,
she'll do it.

Whoa.
- Once again goes under.

She may get through this,

but she's using up a lot of
energy on the second obstacle.

- And that could
catch up to her, Matt.

You can see her grip strength
starting to peel off.

- Made it to the eighth obstacle

in last year's semifinals.

We know she can go far.

Has shown such strength
and such resilience.

- Matt, she spent almost
a minute on this obstacle.

At this point,
she just wants to get off.

- And she does it
with a flourish.

And you can tell
she's frustrated

she spent so much time
on that obstacle.

Breathe, breathe, breathe.

- You got it, you got it!

- The next one, Clockwork,
can also wear you down.

She's got that
upper-body strength.

It's this first throw, this is
the make-or-break right here.

It's such a challenge.

You can just see it...
Hard to find a rhythm.

Megan Rowe is struggling.
- She's got to make it now.

Oh!
- Oh, what a save!

- Wow!
- Unbelievable.

- She threw her
whole body up there

to get that second handle.

- Can she make the grab
on the third gear?

- Nice.

- She's had to fight for it,

but Megan Rowe is going
to get through once again.

It has not been pretty,
but she survived.

- Come on, let's go!

- Now her arms will get
a break on Diamond Dash.

There it is.

- She keeps going.
She's rolling through.

- It's been an adventure,

but the Axe-Throwing Ninja
is still in the game.

- Okay, Megan Rowe, I see you.

Megan! Megan!

- This crowd chanting her name.

They appreciate this
never-say-die run.

Megan! Megan!

- Well, wielding those axes...

Has the strength
in her forearms.

It'll be tested here
on Hopscotch.

- You can see her kind of
sizing up two and three here.

Nice. Great.

- Testing the wingspan.

- It's the single one
here on four.

Nice.

- And this double blind grab
at 5'3".

- All right, get those hips up.

- Grab it, feel it.

This is it, you got
to make the move now.

Oh, she missed it
with her left hand!

- What a battle,

fought her way
to the fifth obstacle.

We'll have to wait to see
if that gets her to Vegas.

- She had some close calls
and big falls,

but she survived
until Hopscotch,

where she just missed
with that left hand.

- Coming up, we're gonna
let the dogs out...

- When the Canine Ninja
Roo Yori hits the course.

Plus, this superhero's
toughest battle.

- Our chance of it happening
actually was like 2%.

- Jamie Rahn and his wife Kim

share their emotional efforts
to start a family

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- While we were away,

Huntsville, Alabama's
Lindsay Eskildson

had her biggest fans
on the sideline:

her husband and two young kids.

- Oh, look at Houston and Ava.
Aw!

- Even with two young kids,
the 40-year-old mom

has made it to the semifinals
the past two seasons.

- Lindsay can go.
She's a beast, Matt.

- The four-time Ninja veteran
had to work overtime

to get through Over-Under.

- Come on, mama.
You got this.

- And that may have
caught up to her,

as she struggled on Clockwork.

- Uh-oh, she's starting
to doubt herself.

Come on mama, you got this.

- And ended her run by falling
back onto the platform.

Oh!

Though disappointed,

it still earned her
some big hugs from the family.

- Aw!
- Mommy!

- Then it was high-octane
teenager

Enzo DeFerrari Wilson.

Hey, this kid can go.

- Electric Enzo
turned it on early,

driving through the
first half of the course

and giving his legion of fans
plenty to cheer about.

The 16-year-old made it
to stage two last year...

- So focused, dialed in.
Nice.

- And he was cruising as he
made his way to the back half.

- All right.
Come on, DeFerrari.

Oh!

- Now he'll have
to wait and see if his run

keeps him in the top 15.

On the course right now

and just flying through it,
army medic Drew Nester.

- Matt,
I love this guy's energy.

He is so happy to be here.

- And he's headed
to the Warped Wall.

And he is pumped.

There are his parents.
They're as excited as he is.

He's from Sioux Falls,
South Dakota,

in the Army National Guard.

There's some of his
fellow soldiers

leading the
"beat that wall" chant.

Beat that wall! Beat that wall!

- Gets up that Warped Wall.

- Okay! Check your pulse.

Check your pulse.
You good?

All right.

- Checking the carotid pulse
up there.

- Come on, look at that.

You doing flips
on the semifinals course?

- His army buddies like that.

Made it to the fifth obstacle
in qualifying,

but this back half,
all new to him.

- Well, Matt,
he just checked his pulse,

now he just got to make sure
he's got the beat on this one.

There's a beat to it, nice.

- You can see him, though.

The emotion is stacking, Akbar.

He's been breathing heavily.

- Matt, what we saw last week

based on the way he did that
Salmon Ladder,

the Box Office
could be a little struggle.

Well, army movies tend
to do well at the box office.

Let's see how he does.

- Yeah, he better GI Joe
this Box Office.

- Will he be calling
for a medic?

- Oh, no.
It's more like "Call of Duty."

- This rookie
continues to impress.

It's early, but if
he can survive Box Office,

he'll have a good shot at Vegas.

Now go going to that
8-inch box there,

getting a little spun around.

- Hang on, hang on! What?

- What a save.
- Wow.

- It is a battlefield out there,

but he is staying alive.

And he's through!

What a moment for him.

He was selected last year,
but couldn't compete

because he was in the Middle
East serving his country.

So to be at the ninth obstacle,

gotta be a dream come true.

- Are you kidding me now?

- Now has to make the choice
at Split Decision.

Flipped Around or Diving Boards?

- He's looking at it.
Oh, I don't know.

This is a hard one, Matt.

- It looks like he's gonna
try the Diving Boards.

He'll be the first tonight.

- You got it!
- Let's go!

- You can do this, man!
- You got it, you got it!

- Looking it over,
trying to see where to step.

You land precisely,
or it's over.

Almost impossible.

Only four people got
through it last season.

- Well he just made it
through Diamond Dash.

Oh!

- Doesn't survive, but what
a run by the army medic!

- Take a look.

He came really close
to making it through.

He got one hand
on top of the pad

and couldn't hang on.

But he's likely going to Vegas.

- Up next from
Madison, Wisconsin,

24-year-old Nathan Green.

And he's carrying
the Best Twin trophy

he earned back in qualifying
when he went further

than his twin brother, Marquez,

who's bowing down
on the sidelines.

These two are incredibly
close, even for twins.

Nathan and Marquez have
been inseparable

since losing their mother
to cancer when they were 14.

- We spend so much
time together.

We live together,
we train together every day.

We'll compete together.

- Nice!

The twins even placed bets

on who will perform better
on the course.

- Oh, Nathan lost the bet!

Time for a haircut.

Oh, my God.

- This year, only Nathan
made it to the semis,

but it's Marquez who's
feeling the pressure.

- I'm going to be
cheering him on so loud.

I'm going to be super nervous.

I get more nervous watching him
than when I'm competing.

Getting to share this
experience with Marquez

means absolutely, like,
the world to me.

So I'm really, really, really
hoping to make Marquez proud.

- Look at that,
he's more than nervous.

You can see the emotion.

These twins have a special bond.

- Marquez on the sideline
with some of the Iowa ninjas

the twins have
been training with.

Let's go, Nathan!

- Nathan's never made it
past the fifth obstacle

but has been training hard
before these semifinals.

- Come on, Nathan, come on.

- I've got twins
of my own at home,

and I can tell you
there's a special bond.

You can't break that.
That's for real.

- Can he generate
the power to go over?

- Yep, look at this. Nice.

- Well done.
- Ooh!

- Both brothers graduated

from the University
of Wisconsin last year.

- Go Badgers!

- Caught it again.

Got good power, and that
makes it more efficient too.

Saving some extra moves there.

Onto Clockwork.

150 pounds.

Not a lot of weight,
but hopefully enough

to get all three gears moving.

- Bigger kicks!
Bigger thrusts when you go!

- There it is, there it is!
Right there!

- Here we go!

Yes!

- And he's got it.

Okay, Nathan.
- Did a good job.

Wasn't bending at the arms,
was driving with the hips.

Doing it again, you can
see getting that power.

Comes from the lower body.

That work with the Iowa ninjas
clearly paying off.

Nathan Green looking strong.

And showing some love
to that cheering section.

- Man, those Iowa boys

can make some noise,
now, can't they?

- Let's go, let's go.
Come on, come on, Nathan!

- The former track athlete

needs to sprint
across Diamond Dash.

- Nice.
- Perfect.

- Great athleticism.
All right.

- And he's reached
the fifth obstacle, Hopscotch.

In his three seasons,
never made it past the fifth.

This really is
a test of the grip strength

and hand placement,
and it's a challenge.

As you start having
to split the hands,

you can only focus on one.

- Nice. Ooh, okay.

- Nathan Green having
the run of his life,

trying to make it into the
top 15, earn a trip to Vegas.

That's real challenging,
a double outside grip.

Blind grabs, you can't see
what your hands are going.

- Use peripheral vision.

- And his brother, Marquez,
is in tears watching this.

- Well, here we go, another one
for the free spinner.

- Locked in.

Get out of there,
get out of there, Nathan.

- And he's done it!

What a great moment
for the Green brothers.

- You can see Marquez
is just overcome

watching his brother succeed.

It's a victory for both of them.

Now this is the first time

Nathan has faced
the Warped Wall.

And he's got it.

I've never got past five.

- Yeah!
- I know, I know!

- Well, it means as much
to Marquez as Nathan.

They've gone through
some tough times together.

You can see
just how connected they are.

Some other
family members watching

back in Wisconsin as well.

- This will be Nathan's
first time in competition

on the Salmon Ladder.

All right.

Come on, get your popcorn ready.

Let's go.

Pop.

Pop... that's slow... that's
slow popcorn right there.

- Slow pace.

- You got it! Here we go!

- You got it! One more!
Come on! Get it!

- Come on, put some
butter on that.

Nice.

- Well, he gets through,

but looks like
he is starting to strain.

What does he have left
for Box Office?

- Come on. Nice.

Ooh, hold on, hold on.

All right, you got to move
to this next one here, Matt.

- The lead hand is a blind grab.

Nathan, let's go!

- 14-inch box on this one.

Oh!

- I am so proud.

- The grip just gave out.

His best performance,

but not enough
to take down the Box Office.

- Good job, Nathan!

- Well, only one
was on the course,

but this was a gut-wrenching
run for both Green brothers.

Nathan finally made it
past the fifth obstacle,

and with his brother in tears,

he made it all the way
to the eighth obstacle

before running out of gas.

- Oh, my goodness.
I know.

Oh!

- I love the brotherly love.

What's going on, you two?

Marquez, you were
tearing up at the start line,

you're tearing up now.

What are you feeling?

- I've just been
a nervous wreck, like,

just waiting for him to run.

I know how hard it is
for us not to be together.

We do everything together,
and to not compete with him,

I was like, he's doing it
for the both of us.

And he absolutely killed it,
got further than I have.

I'm just so proud of him.

- Well I can't wait to see
what's next for both of you.

Good job out there tonight.

Guys, take it away.
Back to you.

- Still to come,
Jesse "Flex" Labreck

goes for another
semifinals buzzer

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Moments ago, two ninjas
with Chicago roots

tried to rip through
this semifinals course.

The Deaf Ninja, Kyle Schulze,

got one of the biggest
receptions of the night,

with fans signing their support

for the hearing-impaired
ninja veteran.

- You can see the audience
waving their hands.

- And the crowd
had plenty to cheer about

as Schulze worked his way
through the early obstacles.

- Oh, oh, come on, come on.
Nice.

- The grad student
has had success,

but in six seasons,
he's never hit a buzzer.

No I didn't, I didn't.

- The 32-year-old
made it to Box Office...

- Nice.

- Before running out of gas.

Oh!

- But it's one of his
best runs in years.

Another ninja from the
Windy City, Joe Brown,

came in with high hopes.

- That dude's got way
too much boosties.

- Last year, he showed off
his impressive skills

by jumping over Zuri.
- Wow!

- And in qualifying, he jumped
over Akbar, who's 6'6".

Earlier tonight,

he tried to vault
over three ninjas at once...

- Ooh!

- But didn't quite clear
fellow ninja Derrick Pavoni.

- Oh, boom!

- Still, the leasing agent
came into tonight

with a lot of confidence

after hitting a buzzer
in qualifying,

but he couldn't make the leap
on the second obstacle.

- Whoa!

Did he just break?

- No!

I do this all the time, bro.

- And another Chicago-area
ninja,

the guy who
just got bonked in the head,

Derrick Pavoni,
is on the course right now.

Nice!

- Got his fiancée

and all of those Windy City
ninjas on the sideline.

Pavoni's known as
the Pizza Ninja.

His family owns a pizza joint
back in Illinois,

and he brought us a pie.

- Oh yes, we got
Pavoni and cheese.

Eat it! Eat!

- Hey, this is for you, homie.

- Up on Hopscotch.

Again, the handles
on one, two, and three.

3/4 of an inch and squared.

Now down to half an inch around
and difficulty goes up.

- There we go.

Derrick Pavoni trying
to get to Las Vegas, Matt,

and win that cheese.

Here we go.

- Oh, almost missed it
with the left hand.

Good save.

We saw a bunch of top ninjas
fall on this one last week.

- Come on.

But Pavoni continues the run.

- Yeah, baby, yeah!

- I've waited so long for this.

- Four seasons
of "Ninja Warrior,"

his first time
at the Warped Wall.

They're watching back at
the family pizza restaurant

and loving this run.

- This is big.

Every ninja remembers
their first Warped Wall.

- And he's got it!
A great moment for Pavoni.

It's up there!
You got it!

- Come on, man, come on!

- Okay, okay!

- Love this guy.

Always positive,
despite a tough year.

His gym in Chicago burned
to the ground in February,

a huge loss for him
and the kids he coaches.

And there are some of
those students.

- You can tell he is running
for them this season.

- Well, getting his
first buzzer would be

a great end to that story,
but he's got a ways to go.

First time on the Salmon Ladder.

- Ooh.

All right, come on now.

- Gets through
the Salmon Ladder.

The Pizza Ninja's still rolling.

- Box Office,
get your popcorn ready.

While you might have
popcorn at home,

I've got pizza right here
in the host tower.

- This is the front and back,
that front grab blind.

Locks it in.

Pavoni making the most
of this semifinals run.

- Matt, this is a
nice movie right now.

I'm enjoying myself.

- Well, this pizza
has everything.

Oh, my!

- Come on, come on.

- Are you kidding me?

- Let's go, baby.

- Derrick Pavoni never made it
past the fifth obstacle.

Here he is in Split Decision.

- Tell me
you're not entertained.

Tell me you're not entertained

by that performance
on Box Office.

- He can barely
believe it himself,

but he's reached
the ninth obstacle.

Has to make the choice
at Split Decision.

Will he try Diving Boards

or the upper-body test
of Flipped Around?

- I feel it.

- He says his arms are spent,

so maybe he'll try Diving Board.

- Come on!
- Breathe!

- Feel it out!
- Do it?

Let's freaking do it.

- No, he's going
to Flipped Around.

Diving Boards
just looks too risky.

Even with tired arms, gonna
try the upper-body obstacle.

- There you go!

- Now you got to get it
completely inverted,

go up to the top,
grab that handle.

- And you see him
wrapping his legs

around towards the bottom.

Now he's got
to grab the bar on top.

- Well, it's like you've got
to start with the crust.

Pull the handle,

lock... oh!
- Oh!

- Ironically taken out
by a pizza-shaped obstacle,

but still the best run
of Pavoni's career.

- He's going to
remember this one.

Got up his first Warped Wall

and made it
to the ninth obstacle.

But with those tired arms,

couldn't grab the handle
on Flipped Around.

- It's early, but that run may
have earned Derrick Pavoni

his first trip to Vegas.

The dogs are barking

because our next athlete
is the K9 Ninja, Roo Yori.

- The 45-year-old
from Rochester, Minnesota,

has competed seven seasons,

spreading the message
you can see on his shirt:

dog adoption.

Roo started a foundation
that rescues dogs.

He even bought a van

to transport unwanted dogs
from all over the Midwest

to Minnesota
to find forever homes.

Roo's got rescue dogs
of his own at home,

and he's got a special guest
on the sideline with Zuri.

- I'm here with Amy
of Angel City Pitbulls,

and we have the
cutest little thing

here to help us cheer on Roo.

Who is this?

- This is Weasel.
He's about ten weeks old.

He's getting ready for adoption.

- Okay.

Are you ready to cheer on Roo?

I think he is.

Okay, let's go.

Roo, Roo, Roo, Roo,
Roo, Roo, Roo, Roo!

- Roo invited Weasel
as an example

of the great dogs you can
adopt at your local shelter.

And Roo looks cat-like
going across the steps.

There's Roo's wife, Clara,
watching back in Minnesota

with their dogs,
Johnny and JuJu.

- Roo's the old dog out here.

At 45, he's the night's
oldest competitor.

- But he's still been getting
it done on the Ninja course.

Hit a buzzer in qualifying
a few weeks ago.

Continues to compete
because he wants

to keep the spotlight
on dogs like Weasel

who are looking for a new home.

He's making short work
of Over-Under.

Roo! Roo! Roo! Roo! Roo!

- Points over at Weasel.

How can you not love that face?

Oh, man.

All right,
jump into this one, Clockwork.

- 5'8", 155.

Should be able
to generate that power.

When Roo is not saving dogs,

he's working at the
Mayo Clinic in Minnesota

helping to save humans.

- Throw yourself up.
- There you go.

Oh, no.

- Ruh-roh.

- Oh man, this has got to be
rough, rough for Roo Yori.

Clockwork is a tough one
to figure out.

He got both hands on the bar
but couldn't hold on.

No trip to Vegas for Roo Yori.

- But Roo got
to spread his message,

so get out there
and adopt a dog like Weasel.

He went further than anyone
last season at just 15.

Yeah!

Kaden Lebsack tries to
punch his ticket back to Vegas

when "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

- Welcome back to
"American Ninja Warrior"

at Universal Studios Hollywood,

where you can
soar over Hogwarts Castle,

journey into Jurassic World,

or let loose on Illumination's

Off the Leash.

- And let's not forget
the world-famous studio tour

where you'll
go behind the scenes

on your favorite film sets.

Make it your best day in LA.

- Teenager Max Feinberg
went to Universal today,

and he was still wearing
his souvenir sweatshirt when

he hit the course minutes ago.

- Boy, he's going to need that
Hogwarts magic tonight, Matt,

because the semifinals,
it is brutal.

- The 17-year-old wears
a pink ribbon on his shirt

to raise awareness
for breast cancer.

But despite the serious message,

he was having fun on the course.

- How sweet is that?

- Feinberg rolled
to the back half...

looking confident as he
swung through Box Office.

- Whoa!

Oh, wow.

- Box Office will likely be
the cutoff for the top 15,

so Feinberg will
have to wait and see

if that gets him to Vegas.

Well, Max's trip to Universal
was with our next competitor,

his good friend, Kaden Lebsack,

who, oh yeah, went further
than anyone last season.

He and Max had a wager
on last year's competition,

and today, Kaden paid it off.

- A couple of years ago,
me and Max made a bet.

- I would buy him a smoothie,

he would buy me
a ticket to Universal

if he won
"American Ninja Warrior."

And Kaden won.

- Yeah!

- Kaden Lebsack is the
Last Ninja Standing!

At 15, he's just made history!

- I've been wanting
to go to Universal Studios

for a super long time.

And it was just amazing
with all its sets,

all its cool food.

- Max was definitely
a tourist at Universal.

He bought a whole bunch of
stuff, took a lot of pictures,

and I think we went
on every single ride.

- Me and Kaden
may be an odd couple,

but when we're together,
we're just having a ton of fun.

- Both me and Max hit buzzers
in semifinals last year,

so hopefully we can keep
hitting buzzers together.

- Come on, Kaden!
Let's go!

- Max is on the sidelines
with a bunch of other ninjas.

Kaden's parents also over there.

Mom's always nervous,

even though he's never fallen
in the water.

Five buzzers last year,
already got one this year.

The goal, of course, is six,
total victory.

- 16 years old and
has a really good shot

at hitting all six buzzers.

- Kid has a lot of power,

can really fly through the air.

Trains up to eight hours
a day, and it shows.

Right through Over-Under.

Clockwork.

Don't think he'll be tardy here.

- He gets it. Early's on time.
On time is late.

Wow. Great timing.

- Just launched himself there.

Good kick with those hips.

- He's a great student
in school,

great student of Ninja.

This kid does nothing
but study the game.

- Ol' balance obstacle,
Diamond Dash.

And flies through it.

Mom's relieved he got
past the balance obstacle

as Lebsack glides
right into Hopscotch.

- Kaden Lebsack makes it
look so effortless.

Trust me,
these courses are not easy,

but this kid
is in a class by himself.

One of the best ninjas ever,
and he's only 16.

Nice.

- And he's handled
the expectations

and pressure of being the
defending Last Ninja Standing.

- You can see how calm he looks.

Like, that right there
is the strength of a ninja.

Look at that, nice adjustment.

- I think that's
what's impressed us

so much about these
young athletes

and Kaden in particular

is that they have measured up
to the moment.

- On now to the back half
of the course.

Only the Stallion, Mike Silenzi,

has finished so far.

Could Kaden be the
second buzzer tonight?

- Hey, don't bet
against Kaden Lebsack,

because he's about
to get it done.

- Not even stopping
to take a rest,

going right up to Salmon Ladder.

- Come on, Kaden.
- Let's go, let's go!

- Did you hear that?
Just listen.

That right there tells you

he's got enough to make it
through Box Office.

- You can see that front hand
is going to be a blind grab.

- Nice.
Ooh!

Yeah, he saw that,
caught the corner,

made the adjustment on the go.

And another good transfer.

- Mama is sweating through
every move out there.

Come on!

- And he is through.
- Yeah!

And he looks like
he's taking a casual stroll

as he walks to Split Decision.

Does this kid ever get tired?

- And didn't even look
at the Diving Boards.

Going for Flipped Around.

Mike Silenzi
got through it earlier,

but this will test tired arms.

- Come on, buddy.
- Let's go, man! Come on!

- Come on.
Catch high.

- Balancing here, you have
to ascend your way up top,

try to get that board locked in.

Good!

- Oh, look... look at.
Oh, Mom can't watch.

- Now it's locked in,
gotta lache.

- Nice.

- And repeat the process.

- Oh, rinse and repeat.

- Lache to another one.

- Nice.

- You could just see
the challenge

locking onto this moving board.

- Well, he's bear hugging it,

and he's using his legs
for point of contact.

- My goodness.
- Absorbed the drop, nice.

- He's making it look easy.

And right on the catwalk.

Kaden Lebsack,

35 feet away from being
our second finisher.

Here we go, the Spider Trap.

Has to get through
three sets of trap doors.

100 pounds, 50 on one side,
50 on the other,

and 35 feet straight up
after an exhausting gauntlet

of nine obstacles,
still looking strong!

- Yes he is, look at this.

- Well, there is no sophomore
slump for Kaden Lebsack.

- Get it.

- 16 years old!

- And he's standing atop a
semifinals course once again.

Kaden Lebsack!
- What's up?

- our Last Ninja Standing
from last year.

You haven't missed a beat.

How'd it feel?
- I'm so tired.

- I didn't think you get tired.

Let me ask you straight up.

You getting six buzzers
this year?

- That's the goal.
- That's the goal.

- That's the goal.

- Kaden, man, so proud of you.

You ready to go back to Vegas?

- Oh, yeah.

- Hit that buzzer
one more time, my friend.

Here they come.

The high-flying veteran
Ethan Swanson,

the defending women's champion,

Jesse "Flex" Labreck,

the rock and roller
from Orlando, RJ Roman,

and Captain NBC, Jamie Rahn.

All ready to battle our course

when "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

- Welcome back to Universal
Studios Hollywood.

It's night three
of the semifinals

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- And it's been another
night of surprises.

Florida's Jason Kotzin
is an avid surfer,

and he was riding the wave
in his first semifinals.

- Great balance.

- That two-time
Ninja veteran from Orlando

had never been past the
fifth obstacle until tonight.

Little pump as he's up
at the Warped Wall.

- The dreadlocked 24-year-old
was hanging loose.

He even stopped
for a moment of zen.

- Talk about being LA.

Meditating on a course.

- And it seemed to work

as Kotzin bounced
his way through Box Office...

- Fitting in right in Hollywood.

- And made it to Split Decision,

where he went with the upper-
body test, Flipped Around,

and made it to the very end.

- The grip is giving out,
digging for it, fighting.

No!

- Oh, my God!
I can't take it!

But it's his best run ever.

He's almost assured
of moving on to Vegas.

The Swan, Ethan Swanson,

flew through
the first part of the course

and had everybody
flapping their wings.

- The Swan is about
to take flight!

- The nine-time veteran
was looking

to get back
to the National Finals

after missing out
the past two years.

- And he just cut the
Box Office down to size.

- When he reached
Split Decision,

he took the opposite
approach from Kotzin

and tried the balance
obstacle, Diving Board.

- Oh, my goodness!

- But he, too, is likely
to make it to Vegas.

- I thought I could get it.
I was a little wrong, you know?

- There's a two-legged cat
at the start line,

and that can only mean
one thing.

- Oh, boy.

- It's time for the
cat-loving ninja from Iowa,

Jackson Twait.

Though he's only 24,

he's the elder statesman
among that crazy Iowa crew.

- Iowa has definitely been
expanding as a Ninja hotbed.

I might even say
the Ninja hotbed.

- Wow, big kick.

- These ninjas from Iowa
have dominated tonight.

- And this year
I'm back in semifinals,

competing with my best friends,

the Ninja Teens Chris and Levi.

- Yeah, he wants that Mega Wall.

- Yeah!

- He's pumped up,
he's pumped up!

- San Antonio went
pretty good for the bros.

- Jackson Twait,
full speed ahead.

- We crushed it.

You can't get much better.
- Can't get better. Yeah.

- Double noggin buzzer!
- Oh, oh, oh, go!

- The Iowa boys are definitely
ones to look out for.

- It's 'cause we're corn-fed.

But we've never actually
made it to Vegas,

so we've been putting in
the work, training hard,

and we're going to be
hitting buzzers all day.

Noggin!
- Noggin!

- Well, you know the Iowa boys
are going to make some noise

on the sideline.

They're over with the Green
brothers and Jackson's mom.

- Jackson Twait is too good
to have never been to Vegas.

I think that's going
to change tonight.

- Jackson Twait has shown
flashes of brilliance.

He got the Mega Wall last year

and is almost always among
the fastest in qualifying.

- Let's go, Jackson!

- Ooh!
- Ooh, went under.

- He can climb below
or fly across the eight feet,

and that's what he does.

- Nice little glide,
lands on his feet again.

More of those Iowa ninjas
watching back in Cedar Falls.

As well as he's done
in qualifying,

he's had some early falls
on the longer courses.

- Yeah, that's right, Matt.

And we've seen
some inconsistency

with Jackson Twait
over the years,

but Matt, he's a
legitimate ninja, Matt.

He can go now.

- Got great speed, but we'll
see what endurance he has,

'cause this course is taxing.

- Could this be the year
for Jackson Twait?

- He got onto the
Power Tower back

when we had it in qualifying
in the six-obstacle course,

would love to get there tonight.

That Safety Pass,

can't be overstated
how valuable that is in Vegas.

- Yeah, he's got
a lot of swinging there.

- Oh, almost slips
with that right hand,

but he recovers.

- Nice.
- Good control.

- Great. I love the way
he came into that.

He came in pretty tight, now
he's trying to kick the board.

Don't waste that.

- Fidgety cat.
- Nice.

- See if he can claw
his way up the Warped Wall.

- He's not taking any breaks.

Going straight up
the Warped Wall.

- And no problem.

Meow.

- Did we just do that
at the same time?

- Meow. We did.
- Yeah, we did.

- Team Twait eliciting dual
meows from Matt and Akbar.

- Jinx.

- Beautiful job.
Come on, Jackson.

- Four more obstacles to go,

starting with the Salmon Ladder.

- Jumps right into it
with the switch grip.

Nice.

Yep, right up.

All right, I think he's got
enough left in the tank

to get through Box Office.

- Well, if he can survive this,

he'll be in good position

to move on to the
National Finals,

which start two weeks
from tonight in Las Vegas.

- Here we go. Right here.
Come on, Jackson.

- Just barely hanging on.

Jackson Twait spending a lot
of time spinning around here.

Let's see if the Cat Daddy
of here can right the ship.

Spinning around, he's using up
some of his nine lives.

- Uh-oh. Yes, he is.

- Meow, meow, meow, meow.

- Let's go!

- Cat Daddy avoiding
the litter box.

- Uh-oh, uh-oh.

- And he gets through.

Headed for Split Decision.

And don't look now, but he's
got a fast time going.

He could be thinking
about the Power Tower.

- And he's going straight
to Diving Boards,

which is quicker,
but a lot more dangerous.

- Well, cats do not
like getting wet.

What's going to happen here?

- Matt, he can't
pussyfoot through this.

Oh!
- But he's still on!

- Oh, my goodness!
He's got nine lives!

- What a save!

- He's got nine lives
on the ninth obstacle!

What? What?

- He's riding the horse.

What a save!
- Come on.

That's a lucky cat right there.

- He just used eight
of his lives right there.

The first to get
through Diving Boards,

and now he's got
more than a minute left

to get the fastest time.

- That's crazy.
What a lucky cat.

- Making the most
of those nine lives,

Cat Daddy 35 feet away

from his first
extended course buzzer.

- Are you kidding me?
I'm going to go adopt a cat.

- Well, sometimes you need
a little bit of luck.

But don't take the
Spider Trap for granted.

He fell on this obstacle
two years ago.

- Matt, I'm not going to lie.

This has been a purrfect run.

- And look, here it is.

Jackson Twait's going to
do it with the fastest

time of the night.

- Come on! Nice!

- Are you kidding me?

- Okay,
he wants the Power Tower.

Let's go!

- It's the year
of the Cat Daddy!

Jackson Twait,
a miraculous save.

Makes the most of it.
- Yes!

- I don't know how
he survived Diving Boards.

He tried to two-step
the second board,

but his right foot
missed completely,

landed right on that last board,

and held on for dear life,
and he was able to save it.

Even he couldn't believe it.

All right, Jackson,
did you think

you were going in that water?

- 100%, yeah.

- Jackson, you used up
eight of your lives.

You stayed alive, though.

Right now,
you've got the fastest time

and you're in line
to go to the Power Tower.

RJ Roman's rocking out.

Soon, he'll be doing
the same thing on the course.

The Orlando musician
is coming up.

And you know he wants
to end up on that Power Tower.

Our two fastest will be there
at the end of the night.

It's all coming up on
"American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back
to Universal Studios,

where a couple of Chicago-area
ninjas just got their shot.

Pediatrician Dr. Steven Bachta
hit the course

with his wife
and two daughters watching,

plus his coach, Mike Silenzi.

Doctah Bachta made it
to the semifinals

as a 40-year-old rookie.

- Oh, he goes under.

That's the hard way.

Oh!

- But tonight, the Doctah
didn't survive Over-Under.

- Girls, it's time for bed.
Love you guys.

- 17-year-old Maggie Owen was
making her first appearance

in the semifinals,
and her coach,

Jesse "Flex" Labreck,
was leading the cheers.

- Let's go, Maggie!

- Though only 5 feet tall
and 105 pounds,

Owen quickly powered her way
through the early obstacles.

- Oh, look at this.

- But Clockwork
turned into a struggle.

- Everything you've
got here, Maggie.

Oh!

- Good job, Mags!

- Up next is another teenager.

16-year-old high school
student Karen Potts.

And she's calling
her shot, Akbar.

She's a star athlete
on the softball field,

and now, she's bringing
her talents to "Ninja."

- I started playing softball
when I was nine years old.

It's so much fun.

I like to play shortstop

'cause a lot of the time,
I'm involved in the action.

I got it, I got it.

- Way to work!

- Karen is one of the
most athletic kids,

really, in the county.

She is naturally gifted,

just a college-level athlete...

Playing in a high school.

- "American Ninja Warrior" is
a lot different from softball.

But the two sports
really translate

well into each other.

- Karen's Ninja training
has really paid off

with her softball
and improved her game.

She throws harder,

and she hits for power that
she didn't used to hit for.

- Last season,
I hit about .500,

and I'm batting
about .700 this year.

- I'm really proud
of what she's accomplished

in all of her endeavors.

School, softball, Ninja.

Whatever it is,
she attacks it with gusto.

- Really athletic.
Look at her go, Matt.

- Coach gave her
the steal signal.

She can run.

- It would mean so much
to me to advance

to the National Finals in Vegas.

I would prove to myself that
I can compete with the pros,

so I'm ready to swing
for the fences on this course.

- Karen's mom will be
on the sidelines...

- Let's go, Karen!

- While her Dad and her uncle
watching back in Maryland,

along with some
of her softball teammates.

5'11", tallest female
competitor running tonight.

In addition to softball,
also a top soccer player.

See if she can generate
the power here on Over-Under.

Take that bar up and over.

- Nice.
- Just got it.

- All right, okay.

Using a long reach.
If you got it, use it.

- Well, look at her
generating a lot of power

with those hips.

- Ooh! Okay.

- A batter's power
comes from those hips.

Now onto Clockwork.

We saw Maggie Owen
fall here moments ago.

You can really struggle here
if you can't generate swing.

Seems to be getting
these gears moving.

That's been a challenge tonight.

- Yeah.

- Especially for
the lighter competitors.

Has a lot of length.

- Oh!
- Okay, she swung for it.

I like it.

- She relies on those long arms.

- It was a little on the short.

She said, "You know what?

I'm just going
to swing for it."

Nice!
- Got it. Wow.

And she gets through.

That's going to give the
rookie some confidence.

Now facing Diamond Dash.

- She's a base-stealer, Matt.

She can go.

- Nice.
- Oh!

- And right through
Diamond Dash.

Of course the softball player
comfortable on the Diamond.

- Of course.
- Now it's Hopscotch.

- I see you, I see you.

Yeah!

- There it is.

- Knock this one out the park.

- She's got her initials,
KJP, on her shirt,

but she's going for MVP right
now, taking on Hopscotch.

Megan Rowe is the
only other woman

to reach this point tonight.

- KJP is the boss.

Three, nice.

- Now for the double wide
blind grab.

- KJP is not messing around.

- Oh, how did she save that?

- Okay.

- Had the left hand,
got the right hand.

Into the free spin.
- Nice!

- Oh, my goodness!

- Okay, KJP.

- Only one woman
bested it last week.

KJP at 16 beats Hopscotch.

It is child's play for her.

Now her first attempt
at the Warped Wall.

This is like the Green Monster
in Fenway.

Can she go yard?

- Nice! Okay!
- Yes, she can.

- KJP, call your shot!

- She's already getting
recruited by college coaches,

and you can see why.

She is a natural athlete.

Let's see what she does
on the Salmon Ladder.

- Go, Karen!

- What a run.

- We lowered
the age limit last year,

and she's now
the second teenage girl

to reach the back half
of the semifinals course.

Isabella Wakeham was
the first to do it last year.

- Come on. Nice.

- It's like pots
and pans banging away,

those arms getting extended.

- Ooh, okay.
- What does she have left?

- She's cooking up something.
Come on!

Nice!
- Well, let's see it.

Got it!

- She's doing a great job.

- Well, let's see
if she can be the natural

at the Box Office.

- Oh!
- Splashes down.

But that's the best run
by a woman tonight.

Makes it to the
eighth obstacle as a rookie!

- Matt, that was great.
Look at this.

The softball player showed off
a strong arm on Clockwork,

was safe running
across Diamond Dash,

and displayed power
going up Salmon Ladder.

Her only error was at the end.

She got her right hand
hung up on the bar,

and that caused an awkward fall.

And this 16-year-old is going
to the National Finals.

KJP may be in the running
for Rookie of the Year.

- Well, Captain NBC's
ready to fly,

and Jamie Rahn's got
some big news to share.

His run is coming up next
on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to
"American Ninja Warrior,"

where it has been
non-stop action.

- Yeah, check out
what just happened.

- Cam "The Baum"
Baumgartner was looking

for his second straight finish
in the semifinals.

- He wants that buzzer, Matt.

- The 24-year-old gymnastics
coach from the Chicago area

is one of the
sport's top talents,

and he had no problem on the
front half of the course.

- Go get what's yours.
Go get it.

All right, Cam "The Baum"
has got to be explosive.

- At Split Decision,
he went with Flipped Around

and had to wrestle
his way through.

- Uh-oh, oh, oh!
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Okay.

- But he survived,
and the four-time veteran

is going back to Vegas.

Our fourth finisher
of the night.

- Let's go!

- 15-year-old Ethan Gardulski
was one of the great

stories from qualifying.

Though he suffers from anxiety,

the Michigan teenager motored
his way through the course

and got a buzzer
on his very first run.

Yeah!

- Tonight, though he
only weighs 100 pounds,

Gardulski was able
to power his way

past the early obstacles.

- This dude can go.

- And he was looking strong
as he swung through Clockwork.

- Sha-ba-ba-ba!
- No!

- But just couldn't hang on.
- So close!

- Pro handball player Gary Hines

brought his impressive
physique all the way

from Germany to compete.

- You can see everything,
oblique muscles.

He's putting on a show.

- The muscled-up 38-year-old

nicknamed Hangtime
was impressive.

- Okay, Hangtime Hines.

- Yeah!

- And the handball player showed

good hands on Hopscotch
with a two-finger save.

- Come on, man.

I'm telling you right now,
my index and middle finger

can't do that.

- Hines got a buzzer
in qualifying

and had another
strong run tonight.

- Oh!

- Before he was
bounced on Box Office.

We'll have to wait and see
if that gets him to Vegas.

Iron Man, Spider-Man,
and Captain America

have all filmed scenes
right here on New York Street,

but up next is Ninja's
favorite superhero,

Captain NBC, Jamie Rahn.

First competed 12 years ago.

We've seen this man grow up,

and now, he's working
on an origin story.

- We have been
trying to, you know,

have a kid for three years now.

So we got testing done

and found out that our chances
of it happening naturally

was like 2%.

And so we decided to try IVF.

- Going through so many shots
and procedures

and everything else
to hopefully become pregnant

and find out that you're not,
it was very hard.

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

But I have him.

And I have lots of family
and lots of friends.

They were just there to hug me

or just let me
sit there and cry.

- After two years
of trying IVF, you know,

we decided to take
a little break.

And then, that's actually
when we got lucky.

- I was getting ready for the
winter, closing up the pool,

and dropped an umbrella
weight on my foot.

Knowing that I needed
to get an X-ray done,

they made me take
a pregnancy test.

In addition to a broken toe,
I was also pregnant.

Look at that cute,
little button nose.

- Yeah.

- So we're having a boy.
Couldn't be more excited.

Right above where his
head is going to be.

- Yeah.

- Jamie has just been
standing right beside me.

- Hey.

- He's been bringing me
apples and ice cream,

holding my hand,
telling me he loves me,

telling me I'm pretty.

You know, our whole lives
are about to change.

We're ready for it, though.

- Kim's been amazing
through this process.

I'd love to hit a buzzer for her

with little baby Jay
on the sideline.

It just means the world to me.

- And Jamie's got
Kim on his sideline

wearing the green wig.

She's due very soon.

- Let's go, babe!
Look at your baby!

- Oh, buzzer for baby!

- Buzzers for baby.
That's great.

But also wearing the green
wigs are Jamie's parents

and other family members.

They never miss one of his runs.

Boop, boop, boop, boop!

Oi, oi, oi, oi, oi, hey!

- Did he make his own sound?

This superhero doing
his own sound effects!

- Come on, Jamie!
- You got it, Jamie!

- Come on, Jamie!

- You know this guy
can generate power,

great at laches.

- Well, yeah, of course,
he's a superhero.

Of course he can generate power.

Oh, what's your power?
- There you go.

You can see, no capes, though.

- Real superheroes
don't need capes.

- 5'10", 170,
should have no problem

moving the gears here
on Clockwork.

What a journey
it's been for him.

When we first saw him
back in season two,

he was a kind of nerdy
cosplay kid from New Jersey.

But he worked at it and became
one of the very best ninjas.

Now this guy's married,
having a baby,

runs a successful gym
in St. Louis.

And there's some of his students

watching back in Missouri.

Now the Diamond Dash.

- All right.
Come on.

Nice.
- Great footwork.

- He's going to be doing a lot
of this with his baby.

Playing hopscotch.

- There's a good look
at his left thumb.

He cut part of it off
with a table saw

a couple of years ago.

His grip had been
a little impacted.

So anytime you're on
something like this,

this may be his vulnerability.

Hasn't slowed him down much,
though.

Made it past semifinals
the past two years.

And he's through
five obstacles tonight.

Looking over at Kim.

- You're doing awesome, babe!

Beat that wall! Beat that wall!

- Taking a breath
before the Warped Wall.

- There he goes. Nice.

- Now, and his son is
someday going to be

able to watch this video.

Jamie will say,
"You were there, kid."

- Nice. There you go.

Just rolling around here
like a little roly poly.

Why not have fun?

- And with a baby on the way,
that's a lot of expenses.

He'd love to win that
million dollars in Vegas.

- Been to the National Finals
seven times in his career.

If he wants
to guarantee another trip,

they'll need to get
past Box Office.

- The way he did that, Matt,

I think he's going
to make it through Box Office.

- Box Office
could be a challenge.

Although superhero movies
traditionally

do well at the Box Office.

- You got it!

- Really got to get
that grip locked in.

- Nice.
- He did it.

- And you saw the way
he came in, compact,

so he could absorb the drop.

- And the blind grab here with
that lead hand blind grab.

Got it!

That's impressive.

- Well, it's not a blind grab
for Captain NBC.

He can see right through it.

- I believe X-ray vision
is one of his powers.

Now, the smaller cube here...

- All right,
keep the film rolling!

Keep it rolling. Nice!
- Wow!

A boffo Box Office move.

And it means
he's going back to Vegas.

Now has to tackle
Split Decision,

and he's got a dilemma.

Last season in the semifinals,

was taken out
by the Diving Boards.

Will he try them again?

- How's everything feeling?

- But it's fun.
- Yeah.

- Well, you heard him.

Talked it over with his wife,

and he's going to go with the
fun option, Flipped Around.

Though I don't think
it's going to be fun.

- Well, Matt,
Flipped Around is a beast,

especially after
the eight other obstacles.

- You can see him sliding.
- Oh, he's sliding.

He's sliding.

He's got to find
his foot placing.

He's using a lot
of grip strength there, Matt.

- Oh, the arms are fatigued.

You can see he's
wrapping his legs

to take some pressure off.

- Oh, boy.
He's struggling to get up top.

- Well, this is just
a grip gone...

Oh, wow!

- Well, a strong run
by the father-to-be,

but just didn't have anything
left on Flipped Around.

- I don't know.

This looked more fun
than the Diving Board,

so I had to give it a go.

- The superhero came through
once again,

earned a trip back to Vegas.

But on the ninth obstacle,
his arms were dead,

and he couldn't hang on
as he got flipped around.

- And Zuri's with Jamie

for the NerdWallet
post-run interview.

- How we doing?

- Wetter than I'd like to be,
but I'm all right.

- Understandable.

And of course, you've got
your beautiful wife, Kim,

we've got a bun in the oven.

How special is it for you
to have them cheering you on

on the sidelines tonight?

- I don't know
if he can hear it yet,

but I'm excited they're here.

- Wait, wait, wait, hold on.
I just realized.

We've got a little onesie
for him ready to go.

- That was for the buzzer,
but we didn't get there.

- Well, I've got some good news.

Redemption is near, okay?

We've got buzzers in Vegas,
and that's where you're headed.

We will see you
in the National Finals.

Congratulations, Jamie.
- Thank you.

- And congratulations
to you guys.

Take it away, Matt and Akbar.

- This post-run interview
brought to you by NerdWallet,

the smartest decision for
all your financial decisions.

- She's the reigning queen
of "American Ninja Warrior"...

- She will not give up!

- With more buzzers
than any other woman.

- Again? For a third time?

- Jesse "Flex" Labreck runs next

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to night three
of semifinals

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Minutes ago,
40-year-old Nebraska mom

Maggie Thorn hit the start line

in her trademark pink bow.

- "Moms make the best ninjas."

- With her three kids
watching from home

and friend Jessie Graff
on the sideline,

the former track star sprinted
through the first obstacle.

- All right, here we go.
Oh!

- The seven-time veteran
bounced back from injuries

and had a strong run
to qualify for semifinals.

- Got to put some power.

Put some... oh no!
- Oh.

But she couldn't make the
grab tonight on Over-Under.

Heavy metal musician Josh Wagg

came out, as usual,
ready to rock.

- Whoo!

- That is a very intense look,
Matt.

- The Orlando metalhead
loves to wear scary face paint

during his runs.

And he had a scary moment early.

- Oh!

Oh, wow.
- Yeah!

- Yeah, John!

- With his training partner
RJ Roman cheering him on,

the two-time veteran
kept rocking and rolling.

- Oh, boy.

Hold on for dear life, like
you're holding onto a guitar!

Hold onto your guitar!

Nice.

- What a save!

- Ah!

- He made it to the back half
for the first time ever

before his run ended
on Box Office.

No!

- Pretty freaking impressive,
bro.

Yeah!

And Wagg's training partner,

RJ Roman,
has just started his run.

25-year-old musician
has quickly made

his way to the fifth obstacle.

- All right, Matt.
I think he's going for speed.

In qualifying,
he had the fastest time.

Last year in qualifying,
he had the fastest time,

so we know he can go.

5'6, 145. He does.
He absolutely shreds.

- He got a big jump here.

- And there it is.

Got a big group of friends
on the sidelines,

including Flip Rodriguez.

Warped Wall
should be no problem.

And up and on to the
back half of the course.

- Matt, he's not stopping
to talk.

No stopping to rest.

He wants to get
to that Power Tower.

- That Safety Pass
is so valuable.

- Yeah. Critical.

- And right now,
he's got a chance

to beat Jackson Twait
for the fastest time.

- Come on, RJ!
Finish strong!

- A lot of people think
RJ Roman can win it all.

If he has a Safety Pass
in Vegas,

that would improve his chances
exponentially.

- Makes quick work
of the Salmon Ladder.

Now on to Box Office.

- This is the one that
can slow you down here,

so you got to be very,
very intentional too.

Knowing the timing here,
get that timing,

get enough up to give yourself
the time to make that grab.

Just like that.

- Well, RJ Roman's going to
have a big decision to make

if he gets off Box Office.

- Well, Matt, he is a
Box Office hit right now,

because he is running this
course, I mean, perfectly.

- And looks like he's going
to survive Box Office,

and he does.

On now to Split Decision.

So last year
in a similar position,

he chose Diving Boards,
and he fell.

- He ain't going back that way.

- He could get through
Flipped Around,

but he's going to
think about it,

looking to the sidelines
for advice.

- You got it, you got it.

- Yeah, you heard that he just
said he's kinda pumped,

so maybe he'll go Diving Boards.

Still got a shot
at the top time.

- Nope, took one look,

and he's going back
to Flipped Around,

even if the arms are tired.

Oh, here we go.

- Nice. All right.

- This will definitely
take more time

than if he'd gone
with the Diving Boards.

Locked it in.

RJ Roman making
good progress here.

- All right, here we go.

- We've had four finishers
so far.

- Oh, he's got to fly now.

Uh-oh.
- Shaking out those forearms.

Said his arms were tired.

Can they hold out
a little longer?

Get that power
and trying to lock it in.

Almost there.

But as we've seen,
this dismount is no gimmie.

Makes the grab.

RJ Roman looks like
he's getting through.

- Oh, boy! Uh-oh!
We got something here!

We got action!

- Well, he's not going
to beat Jackson Twait

for the fastest time,

but he can move ahead
of Kaden Lebsack for second.

That would still put him
on the Power Tower.

RJ! RJ! RJ! RJ!

- Flashes the
rock and roll horns

as the crowd chants his name.

RJ! RJ! RJ!

- This is like being
on stage at a rock concert.

- He's got to hustle,
he's got to hustle.

It's going to be close.

Oh, boy. Here we go.

- Got about 20 seconds left
to beat Lebsack.

Through the second set of doors.

Just needs a final push.

- Oh, he's gonna do it, Matt!

- He'll be our fifth
finisher tonight.

RJ Roman has done it!

Moves ahead of Lebsack.

Now he's in line
for the Power Tower

with only a few runners left.

A great performance by RJ Roman,

shredding that course.

- RJ, RJ, boy,
I know you spent, man.

You left everything out there
on the court.

- But you got that buzzer,

and right now, you're in line
to go to the Power Tower.

Yeah!

- After just
one finisher last week,

we've got five already tonight.

And one of the best ever
is up next.

Zuri, get her going.

- Guys, it is time to flex,

because the baddest woman
in Ninja

is headed to the start line.

It's the reigning women's
champ, Jessie "Flex" Labreck.

She's got ten career buzzers,

more than any woman
in Ninja history.

That includes three finishes

on the ten-obstacle
extended course.

No other woman has
done it more than once.

- Can she do it again tonight?

She's breaking
her own record every time.

- Yeah, Jesse!

- Fiancé Chris DiGangi.

He'll be running
in just a few minutes.

Made it to stage two
in Vegas last year,

only the third woman
ever to get to stage two.

- It's not been a good night
for the women.

If Flex can reach
the fourth obstacle,

she'll guarantee
a return to Vegas.

- Though she is one of
the most consistent ninjas

we've ever had.

Was the only woman to finish

the difficult semifinals
course last year.

- Nice.
- And such good power.

5'7", 145, just taking charge
on Over-Under.

- She wants that buzzer, Matt.

- Hall of Fame heptathlete
at the University of Maine.

Should be able
to handle Clockwork.

These three gears,
get them moving,

got to generate power.

Flex, never a shortage of power.

- She's a boss.
Come on.

- Come on, come on!
- Come on!

- All right.

Will need a major kick up here.

No!
- Oh, no!

- No, no, no!
- Oh, my goodness.

A shocking early exit.

Flex Labreck taken out
by Clockwork.

- No, no, no, no.
That didn't just happen.

- We love you, Jesse!
- Jesse!

- Just goes to remind you

any ninja,
any obstacle, any time,

even the great Flex Labreck.

- She didn't look comfortable
on this first gear,

couldn't generate a good swing,

but just decided
to go for it anyway

and only got one hand
on the bar.

And she will not be in Vegas

for the first time
in her career.

- Just so silly.

It's all right.

- Wow, it is gonna be weird
not having her in Vegas.

- Oh.
- Bummer.

That sucks.

- We're down
to the final runners

in tonight's semifinals.

While we were away,
it was Chris DiGangi,

who had to shake off the
shocking fall of his fiancée,

Flex Labreck, minutes ago.

- You got this, babe!

- Unlike Flex,

Chris was able to figure out
the timing on Clockwork.

- He said, "It's easy.
I'm Chris DiGangi."

- The ten-time veteran
was gunning for his third

semifinals buzzer
and looked under control

as he took on Hopscotch.

Oh, oh!

- Oh, no!

- Meaning he and Flex will
both miss the National Finals.

- Are you kidding me?

- Then it was one of the crazy
Iowa ninjas, Chris Behrends,

who was cheered on
by his Iowa bros,

Levi Enright and Jackson Twait.

Behrends had the
night's fastest time

back in qualifying,

and he was running wild
again tonight.

- Oh! Whoo-hoo-hoo!

- The college student was
trying to earn his first trip

to the National Finals.

- Nice!

I think he's going
for the Power Tower.

- And raced to the eighth
obstacle, Box Office, quickly.

Ooh.

- And it was fast enough for
Zuri to share some good news.

- Congratulations.

We'll see you
at the National Finals.

- So right now, this is
our Power Tower matchup.

The speedster
from Orlando, RJ Roman,

would be racing against Iowa's
Cat Daddy Jackson Twait,

who has
the night's fastest finish.

But there's one more athlete
to run,

and he's headed
to the start line.

It's Levi Enright,

who's coming up with
his Iowa bro, Chris Behrends,

who we just saw run.

They're normally
drinking protein shakes,

but not tonight.

- They brought some Iowa corn!

What in Sam Hill
is going on out here?

- They're having a race.

Who can eat their corn
on the cob the fastest.

Looks like Levi has a big lead.

Oh, an easy win over Chris.

- Matt, he's going in
for seconds.

Eating the other one too.

- Well, not a traditional
pre-game meal,

but these guys are
anything but traditional.

Iowa has been well-represented
tonight.

- Whoo!

- That group watching
back in Cedar Falls

has had plenty to cheer about.

Let's go!

- Let's go, Levi!
- Come on, Levi!

- Levi's fiancée
down on the sideline.

She's the cousin
of Chris Behrends.

This is a very tight-knit
group from the Hawkeye State.

Can Levi continue
the stellar performances

out of Iowa tonight?

We'll see if this is
his field of dreams.

- We know we're going
to have one Iowan

on the Power Tower,
Jackson Twait.

Levi Enright would love
to be right there with him.

- Well, these guys
are goofy off the course,

but they deliver on it.

Levi got a buzzer and
Mega Wall back in qualifying.

- He's got some serious
upper-body strength, Matt.

Levi tried to break the
24-hour pull-up world record.

He did almost 7,000 pull-ups.

They had to take him to the
hospital for exhaustion.

Could you imagine
doing 7,000 pull-ups?

- That's a lot.

- That's a lot.
- That's a lot.

- You got this!
- Yes!

- Come on, Levi!

- We know he's got
that back strength,

got that grip strength,

and he's moving it
here on Clockwork.

- Nice.

- Trying to earn his first
trip to the National Finals.

- Whoa!
- Oh!

- Whoa! Okay.

- It's only the second season
for Levi Enright

and Chris Behrends,
and it has been

a breakout year
for both of them.

- They've put Iowa
on the Ninja map.

- Jackson Twait's the elder
statesman of the group.

It's his fourth season.

He will be on the Power Tower.

Levi Enright trying
to join him there.

Oh, and he is looking
locked in here.

These dudes have fun,
but they are serious ninjas.

They have worked for it.

They put in so many hours
at their Ninja gym

back in Cedar Falls.

Nice.

- I like it.

- I got my bro-tein, Matt.
I got my bro-tein.

- Where's my bro-tein shake?

- Hey, I got it right here!
I got the bro-tein!

Mmm, mmm, mmm!

Oh, there we go.

Well, Levi's got no time
for a bro-tein shake tonight.

He's laser-focused on
getting to that Power Tower.

Got a shot to beat
Jackson Twait for fastest time

but still some
tough obstacles to go.

Gets through the Salmon Ladder,

but this is the obstacle
that's taken out more than

any other tonight, Box Office.

- "Field of Dreams"
was a box office smash.

How will this kid from Iowa do?

Blind grab with that lead hand.

- Here we go.

Nice. Nice.
- Great job.

You can see with that bungee,
that box twisting around.

Got to really fight
to control your momentum.

- Nice. And he just got...
I told you, Matt.

He's not going to go out
on an upper-body obstacle

when you can do over 6,700
pull-ups in 20 hours?

That's impressive.

- Now guaranteed a spot
in the top 15.

He's moving on.

But will he do
at Split Decision?

He's marching straight
to the Diving Boards.

- What? What?

- We talked about his
upper-body strength,

and he's got plenty of time,

but he's going to risk
it all on Diving Boards.

- What are you doing?

Oh, pardon me!

- A risky move, but it paid off.

Now he's got over a minute
to beat Jackson Twait's time.

- Are you serious?

- He showed us his strength in
qualifying, got the Mega Wall,

now 25 feet away from
his first semifinals buzzer

and a trip to the Power Tower.

- Matt, this dude
looks like Hulk Bro-gan.

Rocky Bal-bro-a.

All right, here we go.
Bro, bro, bro your boat.

- I love what we're seeing
out of Levi Enright.

Bro-digious strength.

What a breakout year this is
for Levi Enright.

- Matt, I know this is corny,
but I cannot believe it.

It's going to be corn versus
corn on the Power Tower.

- Jackson Twait
will be battling this man,

the new fastest time
of the night!

- The Professor,
the Ninja Professor.

Noggin!

Noggin!

Whoo!

Let's go!

- Come on, Matt,
we got to do a noggin!

Noggin!

- Whoo!

- He took a huge risk
by choosing the Diving Boards.

He barely paused
and then stumbled across.

But that saved him
a ton of time,

allowing him to cruise
to the fastest finish

and earn a spot
on the Power Tower.

- Levi, let me ask you.

Your bro, the Cat Daddy,
Jackson Twait,

nearly lost his life there
on the Diving Boards,

yet you choose to do it again.

What was your
thought process there, man?

- I mean, I just wanted
to see an Iowa boy showdown

on that Power Tower.

And I knew going there would
be the fastest way through.

- Well, it worked.

You're going to be racing
your boy Jackson Twait.

- Yo! Come on!

- Noggin!
- Whoo!

Noggin!

Let's go! Come on!

- Well, you better
get down from there

'cause you've got to head over
to the Power Tower.

It'll be the battle for Iowa,

Enright versus Twait,

and we'll see it next
on "American Ninja Warrior."

- We're going to end our night
at the end of the course,

40 feet in the air
on the Power Tower.

And in a field with elite
ninjas like Kaden Lebsack

and RJ Roman,
our match-up features

two friends from Iowa,

Jackson Twait and Levi Enright.

- What is this?

Are they putting flowers
in each other's hair?

- You'd think they might
be serious right now,

but not these guys.

- Well, take a look.

They're very similar in age,
weight, and height,

and they train together
almost every day.

But no matter who wins,

it's already a big night
in Iowa.

- Power Tower,
bigger than anything

I've ever seen in Iowa.

- And Twait's slightly ahead!

Look at this!
- Oh, my God!

- Incredible climbing ability
out of this rookie!

- I've been on the
Power Tower before.

- Ooh, ooh!
- No!

- But this one's even bigger
and scarier.

- Jackson, he's a
really great friend.

We've been training together
for a long time.

I know his strengths
and I know his weaknesses,

and there's not a lot of those.

- Wow. Good power.

- A little scary
going up against Levi.

He's hungry for buzzers,
Mega Wall.

- Yes!
He's going to noggin it!

- Semifinals buzzer.
- Noggin!

- So this is the
ultimate Iowa battle.

- But there's only
one corn-fed Iowan

that's walking out of here
with a Safety Pass tonight.

- Iowa is really delivering
here in Hollywood.

- We gotta put that
friendship aside.

I want to be the one
to win this thing.

- The entire state of Iowa
will be watching,

and their allegiances are split.

Back in Cedar Falls, they're
wearing blue shirts for Levi

and yellow for Jackson.

- On the sidelines,
that's Levi's fiancée

and Jackson's mom.

And even they're
cheering for both.

That's how close this
Iowa Ninja community is.

- This one's going to be good.

- This is their field
of dreams, our Power Tower.

Two boys from Iowa
battling for a Safety Pass.

- Ooh, look at them
pushing that wall,

like they running through
a cornfield.

Whoa, nice.
- Very ably started.

- Oh, this looks like it can
be a difference-maker, Matt.

Cat Daddy with the
cat-like reflexes.

- And he takes the lead
as they jump to the rope.

- Oh, look at that.
You got to be a high...

- Wow.

- High and tight and efficient
here on the rope swing.

- And you can see just a
slight edge for Jackson Twait.

- But Levi's got great
upper-body strength.

He can make up some ground
as they climb the column.

- Jackson with a small lead
as they start the Cliffhanger.

But this is getting tight.
Both moving quickly.

It is so close!

Oh, Jackson stumbles a little,
and here comes Levi!

Now they're neck and neck!

It's going to come down to
the Dropping Shelves, big man!

- Who can lache faster?

Oh, boy, here we go!

- The Iowans are dead even!

Oh, what a finish!

- Look at this!
- And down to the buzzer!

Levi Enright keeps
the perfect season going!

- Yeah!
- Whoo!

- He edged out
the Cat Daddy by a whisker.

- Oh, man.

- Another unbelievable finish
on the Power Tower!

I love this thing!

- Jackson Twait
had a decent lead

as he jumped off
on the rope swing,

but Levi Enright
used his upper body strength

to climb quicker.

He didn't even use his legs.

And when Jackson stumbled
coming off Cliffhanger,

that allowed Levi to pull even.

And it was a side-by-side duel
down the stretch,

with Levi's hand just barely
hitting the buzzer first.

- Two Iowa boys making a go,
both going to Vegas,

but Levi Enright going to
have that coveted Safety Pass

in his back pocket.

Other finishers moving on
include RJ Roman,

and our defending
Last Ninja Standing,

Kaden Lebsack, who'll be
going back for another shot

at the million dollars.

Non-finishers moving on

include veterans Ethan Swanson
and Jamie Rahn.

The Pizza Ninja, Derrick Pavoni

will be making
his first trip to Vegas.

And teenagers Enzo DeFerrari
Wilson and Max Feinberg

just made it into the top 15.

The top three women were
led by another teenager,

16-year-old Karen Potts.

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.