American Ninja Warrior (2009–…): Season 9, Episode 13 - Denver City Finals - full transcript

- ♪ I've been up,
I've been down ♪

♪ Seen the world
from the ground ♪

Over the last 12 weeks,

hundreds of athletes
have pushed themselves

to their breaking point...

- I know it burns, baby.

- Does she have anything left?

Reaching unimaginable heights.

Yes!

- The crowd
losing their minds.

Now only the top 100 remain.



- ♪ All my life ♪

♪ I have been waiting ♪

♪ I have been waiting
for this ♪

- Tonight is gonna be
incredible.

All the best ninjas are here.

They're vying for $1 million

and a chance to make history.

- This is where you do or die.

This is where all your training
is gonna pay off.

- ♪ All my life ♪

♪ I have been fighting ♪

♪ I have been fighting
for this ♪

It's night one
of the national finals.

- ♪ Dream in my soul ♪



♪ And I won't let it go ♪

- This is the year
I'm gonna win it all.

- ♪ All my life ♪

♪ They try to keep me down ♪

♪ But I just get higher ♪

- There's nothing that
I can't do on this course.

Nothing is gonna stop me.

- The power in Flex Labreck.

- I will never quit.

I will never stop.

If you want me to stay down,
you better kill me.

- Go get it, JJ.
- That's the only way

I'm not gonna win
this whole thing.

- ♪ They try to keep me down ♪

♪ But I just get higher ♪

"American Ninja Warrior"
starts now!

♪ ♪

- This is it.

We're just outside
the world-famous

Las Vegas Strip
for the main event.

It's what we've been building
to all season long

on "American Ninja Warrior."

Hello, everyone, and thanks
for joining us for night one

of the national finals.
I'm Matt Iseman.

- And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.
- It's Vegas, baby.

We've got the best athletes,
the toughest courses,

and $1 million up for grabs.

- And the pressure couldn't be
any more intense

for these finalists.

There are four stages here
at the national finals.

Complete a stage,
and you move on.

If you don't,
your season is over.

- From the thousands of hopefuls
that started the year,

only 100 are still standing,

including
these ninja superstars.

- The Weatherman delivers!

- Tonight on night one,

we'll see the Weatherman,
meteorologist Joe Moravsky.

We'll also see
stunt man JJ Woods.

- I'm back, baby.

- And Idaho rancher Lance Pekus.

- The Cowboy Ninja
back on his horse.

- On the women's side,

we've got fifth grade teacher
Allyssa Beird...

- Oh, my goodness.
- Ms. Beird!

- And former track star
Jesse "Flex" Labreck.

- The power in Flex Labreck.

Stage one competition
plays out over two nights.

Half the field runs tonight
and the rest next week.

For more on that,
let's go down to Kristine Leahy.

- Thanks, Matt.
- Stage one is made up

of eight brutal obstacles,
and in order to advance,

competitors must
complete it in under 2:35.

It all starts with
the agility test of Snake Run.

Then it's a jump
to the Propeller Bar,

where they'll grab the rope
and swing to safety.

Then it's this epic new
obstacle, the Double Dipper.

Athletes slide the bar
down the track,

then release
and catch a second bar.

That leads into
the Jumping Spider.

Competitors have to
jump off the mini tramp,

land in the chute, and work
their way to the other side.

That's followed by another
new obstacle, Parkour Run.

Five angled steps,
then a jump to a rope.

Then it's the Warped Wall,
but here in Vegas

there's a much shorter run-up
than in city competitions.

Balance will be tested
as they run across

another new obstacle,
the Domino Pipes.

Then it's the Flying Squirrel.

With the clock ticking,

athletes will have to swing
through two sets of handles

to the cargo net
and climb to the top.

Hit that buzzer
before the clock runs out,

they're advancing
to stage two.

- Guys.
- Thanks, Kristine.

Well, it's time
to get the finals started,

and hyping this crowd up
is Gabe Hurtado,

the shoe salesman
from Fresno, California.

We told you the story about
Gabe's home burning down,

and "Ninja Warrior" helping
lift his family up.

You can see "Rise"
on his T-shirt,

and he's got on
his trademark bandana.

- Remember, he gave us
some bandanas to wear

back in the LA city finals.

- His girlfriend's
on the sidelines

with his two daughters
and his cousin,

and here on stage one,
there's only 2:35 to finish,

and that clock
will be counting down.

And here we go.

Starting off with this
balance obstacle, Snake Run.

Hurtado through quickly,

heading up
to the Propeller Bar.

- This knocked out more
than any other last year.

- Big jump,
and right to the rope.

What a move.

- That was bold.
- Never seen anyone try that.

- Now he'll give us
our first look

at the Double Dipper.

- This is a roller coaster ride
with over 50 feet of track.

- Has to ride one bar down,

then jump and catch another.

He's got it.
Oh!

Hurtado goes down,

and this obstacle's gonna be
a challenge all night long.

- First let's look
at the Propeller Bar.

He just barely touches the bar
and goes right to the rope.

But on the Double Dipper,
he released the first bar

and grabbed the second
but just couldn't hang on.

- It was a fun ride.
- I love roller coasters,

but this one got me.

- Up next, another
familiar face to "Ninja" fans.

This is Karsten Williams
out of McKinney, Texas.

This is Karsten's
fourth straight year

in the national finals, but
he keeps hitting a roadblock

here on stage one.

- Prior to tonight,
I've made it to Vegas stage one

three times in a row,

and I've failed
three times in a row.

- Oh!

- No!

Hold on, hold on.

- Oh, so close.

I started doubting my abilities
and why I'm there.

Why am I doing this
if I keep failing?

- He is the hardest person
on himself.

Every obstacle that Karsten
faces, he says, "I'll be back."

♪ ♪

- And right through it.

- Wow.
- Yes!

- Tonight, stage one,
it's about to go down.

- Boy, you just better fly
like Superman. Boom.

- Let's go!

I'm ready to unleash fury
on this course.

♪ ♪

- His biggest cheerleader
always on the sidelines,

his mom.

- Well, the last time
we saw Karsten in Vegas,

he was winning the Super
Salmon Ladder challenge

in our skills competition.

- And going right
into the Propeller Bar.

This took him out two years ago.

Oh, just grabs the rope.

Staying calm,
and he's through.

Headed up
to the Double Dipper.

We just saw how dangerous
this obstacle can be.

- Let's go!
- You can do it!

- Karsten Williams
is a bigger guy

at 6'1", 175 pounds.

He's gonna fly through this.

- Nice.
- And that's how you do it.

No hesitation, right on
to the Jumping Spider.

- Okay, this is
where he fell last year.

He made the initial jump
into the chute

and slid right down the walls.

- Has never made it past
this obstacle before,

but he's through.

- Hold on. You got it.

- That will give us our first
look at this new obstacle,

Parkour Run, five angled steps
and a jump to the rope.

- And we're used to seeing
the clock count up,

but in Vegas, it counts down.

He's got plenty of time
right now.

- And he gets through.

Could this finally be the year
Karsten Williams

breaks through on stage one?

The Warped Wall.
No problem.

- Whoo!

- Now he's confident.

He just has to
put it all together

with these last two obstacles.

- Gives a thumbs-up
to his mom.

He is feeling confident.

But now another new obstacle,
the Domino Pipes.

You have to run
across the top.

- Oh, no.
- Whoa!

- No. It's okay.

- The Domino Pipes takes out
Karsten Williams.

- Matt, that domino effect
is real.

- Karsten Williams
had visions of stage two,

but he's gonna have to wait
another year.

- Good run, Kars.

- He looked so good.

He flew through
the Double Dipper

and finally conquered
the Jumping Spider.

But watch his foot.

He just stepped over the top
of that second pipe,

and he never regained
his balance after that.

- Tonight...

- ♪ All my life ♪

♪ I have been waiting ♪

- We'll see the best
of the best

roll the dice in Vegas,

including the Weatherman,
Joe Moravsky...

He's done it!

The Tennessee Trader,
Travis Rosen...

The ageless wonder.

And Miami stunt man JJ Woods.

- I'm beating stage one,
then I'm hitting the Strip.

- ♪ They try to keep me down ♪

♪ But I just get higher ♪

- Plus, Jessie Graff
did it last year.

The first woman
to complete stage one.

Now, Allyssa Beird...

Yes!

Jesse Labreck...

- She is a Labreck house.

- Barclay Stockett...

- I just got chills.

- And a deep field of women

try to make history
again tonight.

- These women are fast.

They're strong.
It's gonna be amazing.

- It's all coming up
on the national finals

of "American Ninja Warrior."

- ♪ They try to keep me down,
but I just get higher ♪

- Utter silence in the crowd.

We'll never forget
that moment three years ago

when Kacy Catanzaro
made history,

the first woman up
the Warped Wall.

She followed that
by becoming the first

and still only woman to finish
a city finals course.

Kacy Catanzaro has done it.

But now we've got big news.

Mighty Kacy is announcing
her retirement from ninja

to start a new career
with the WWE.

- Whoo!

I feel like I've done
everything I can as a ninja,

and I'm really excited to start
this new chapter in my life.

- One week from tonight,

Kacy takes the course
in what could be her final run.

You don't want to miss it.

Up next, another one

of the many athletes
inspired by Kacy.

This is Lincoln, Nebraska's
Maggi Thorne.

This mother of three
is making her first trip

to the national finals
while dealing with

huge changes in her life
off the course.

- This last year had been
a really tough year.

I went through a divorce,

and there's a lot
of insecurities

that you can have around that

and just who you are
as a person.

Over the last year,
the biggest thing I learned

is that it's okay
to not be okay.

Being a single mom is...
it's hard.

- Ah!
- I'm sorry.

I spent three months straight
just crying.

♪ ♪

- The number of things
that Maggi can handle at once

blows my mind,

emotional things
and raising three kids...

- Go, Mom.

- And training and a job.

- Oh.
- Yes! Oh, my.

Maggi Thorne, the first woman
to survive Crank It Up.

- That's a big deal.

- Well, after all
she's been through this year,

you know how much
this moment means.

- My performance in Kansas City
showed who I am as a ninja.

I had an amazing
support network of friends,

and people were so uplifting,
so empowering.

It meant the world to me,

and it gave me
a lot of confidence.

- Oh!
- Yes!

But over the last year,

life kept knocking me down.

My motto has been "Rise up."

Rise up as a mom,
rise up to your potential,

and of course,
as an American Ninja Warrior.

♪ ♪

- And so much support
for Maggi Thorne.

There's Barclay Stockett,
Jessie Graff,

and Michelle Warnky
holding the phone

so Maggi's kids can watch.

So many of her fellow ninjas

wearing Maggi's
"Rise up" T-shirts.

Maggi Thorne was roommates
with Jessie Graff

back at the University
of Nebraska.

She was part of two NCAA
track championships there.

- That's right.
- And Maggi was a sprinter.

She'll need that speed
to get through stage one.

- Whoo-hoo! Yeah, Maggi!

- Now the Propeller Bar.

This has always been
a challenging obstacle

for the women.

Oh!
Somehow manages to hang on.

Fighting to swing
to the landing platform.

Look at the grimace
on her face,

holding on to that rope.

But she's through
the Propeller Bar.

Yes!

- And listen to the crowd.

But now facing this
high-flying new obstacle,

the Double Dipper.

Maggi will be the first woman
to give it a try.

- And you can see
she's talking to herself.

Here's the secret.
Let it go and let it flow.

Once you get to the end
of the track,

ride the momentum, and grab it.

- No!

An epic splashdown

on a promising run
cut short by the Double Dipper.

- We love you, Maggi!

- That's an 8-foot gap
between the two tracks,

and her feet got too far out
in front

and just kicked
that second bar away,

and it's a long way down.

- And getting
a much-needed hug

from her longtime friend
Jessie Graff.

Well, Maggi Thorne,

an impressive run
throughout this season.

Unfortunately, it comes
to an end on the Double Dipper,

and she's standing by
with Kristine.

- Maggi, I know
you're disappointed.

First let's talk
about the Double Dipper.

It's a really hard obstacle.
What do you think happened?

- I kicked the bar, literally,

and I just couldn't get
my hands on it.

I just should've kept
my feet tucked back.

- This is your first time
making it to Vegas,

so that alone is something
that you should be proud of,

but I see that you're still
getting upset.

What's going on?

- I just... I worked really hard,

so I felt really good
about this year,

and it means a lot to me
to be here.

I'm sad I'm not moving on,

but still, I feel loved
and supported by everybody

and thanks be to God for
the opportunity to be here too.

- Well, you absolutely are loved
and supported by all of us

and by the fans
watching at home, Maggi,

so thank you so much.

- Thank you.
- Guys.

- Thanks, Kristine.
- Well, up next is a guy

whose life has completely
changed in the past year,

all thanks to "Ninja Warrior."

This is Chris DiGangi, now
living in Naperville, Illinois.

He's back in Vegas for
the first time in five years,

and he gives the credit
to his new training partner.

- My first season
was season four,

but that was the last time

that I made it
to the national finals.

- He's losing it. Oh!

- It's crushing
that you can't live up

to where you feel like
you should be.

This season is
a little bit different.

Check.

Jesse Labreck and I
have been dating

and training
extremely hard together.

- Come on. It'll be there.

- She pushes me to levels
that, you know,

I never knew
that I could get to.

- No!

Chris and I
are fairly competitive.

We do have, like, date nights
and regular fun too,

but I would say, like, 75%
of our lives are competing.

- Chris!

- She's an amazing coach,
she's an amazing partner,

and she is definitely

the biggest reason
that I'm here.

♪ ♪

- Look at him, Matt.

He looks a little nervous
at the start line.

- Well, there's Jesse Labreck.

She's looking nervous too.
She's gonna watch Chris,

then she'll run later.

Chris' parents also here.

Chris and Jesse met
training ninja warrior,

fell in love,
moved in together,

and just moved
to Illinois together.

- Whoo!
- Big up onto the Propeller Bar.

- This course much tougher
than the one he faced

five years ago.

The Jumping Spider
and the Warped Wall

are the only obstacles
still here from season four.

- Let's go, babe. Come on!

- DiGangi's got a master's
in aerospace engineering.

He may need it to solve
this Double Dipper.

It's a wild ride.

- Dip, baby, dip.
- Let's go.

- Ooh!
- Perfect.

Makes it look easy.

And look at this,
right into the Jumping Spider,

the obstacle that took him out
five years ago.

- Yeah, he's been waiting
five years to get his revenge.

- DiGangi showing good power.

6 feet tall, needed
every inch of that frame.

- Babe, you're killing it.

- DiGangi ran track in college

and now needs to sprint through
the five steps of Parkour Run.

- Got that parkour lean going.
- Stop yourself.

- Good save.

- Got to stick that landing now.

- Misses.

Now it's eating up time,
and every second counts.

Gets off the obstacle.

- He's still got
plenty of time here.

- Has three more obstacles
to go.

More than 1:20 left
on the clock.

Now facing the Warped Wall,

but a shorter run-up space.

DiGangi, though, up it.

Now two obstacles away
from the buzzer.

- Come on, babe, fast feet.

- Facing the Domino Pipes.

Took out Karsten Williams
only minutes ago.

- Yeah, speed is crucial here.

Those pipes will fall over
like dominoes

as you run across them.

- Here he goes.

Oh, no!
Oh, no!

A hard impact
but a great save.

- Oh, boy.
- Can he get up?

- Oh, boy, Matt.
- He got to get out of there.

- Wow, DiGangi
refusing to quit

but can't build up momentum.

He's stuck on the bottom
of that pipe.

- Everything you got!

- And the clock keeps ticking.

Just can't reach up,
and it's so hard

to get your body weight
around that pipe.

- He doesn't want
to hit the water.

- Got his feet up.
- Ooh!

Matt, he may not have
enough surface.

- Oh, man, look at that.
- Can he get the knees?

What a save!

- Oh-ho-ho!
- An incredible effort.

But now DiGangi's
got to get going.

- You got to go!
- You got to go!

- Less than 30 seconds left,

and he's got
the Flying Squirrel.

And he is looking exhausted

as he has to
swing his way over

to the cargo net.
Got to go.

- Big numbers
in front of his face.

- He's got to go hard.
- One more set of handles.

Oh!

- With the clock ticking,
he comes up short

on the Flying Squirrel.

So close for Chris DiGangi.

- He didn't get his foot on top
of that third domino pipe,

and he tumbles down.

He fought for more than
30 seconds to save himself,

but he used a lot of energy
and time.

He had to rush it
at the Flying Squirrel

and came up short.

- Just couldn't get enough
in the swing.

A lot of fun, though.

- Well, Nick Hanson
missed the buzzer

by two seconds last year.

Now the Eskimo Ninja gets
a second shot at stage one.

We'll see his run
when we come back.

And later, the Cowboy Ninja's
heartbreaking battle.

- She's by far
the toughest person I know.

- Lance Pekus
and his wife Heather

talk about the fight
of their lives

when "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

- Welcome back to night one
of the national finals

in Las Vegas.

While we were away,
two more athletes

tried to finish the course.

Jesse Lucero was one
of 14 walk-ons

to earn a ticket to Vegas.

- You see Lucero very focused,
dialed in.

- Go, Jesse!

- But tonight he couldn't get
a grip on the Propeller Bar.

Oh!

- That's a bummer.

- Oklahoma's Matt Holt
was ready for his close-up.

- You can't start a run
if you don't do a selfie.

- The 21-year-old rookie
raced all the way

to the Jumping Spider,

where the picture
wasn't so pretty.

- Not even close.

Up next is one
of the smartest

and most talented ninjas
out here.

This is mechanical engineer
Brian Wilczewski.

He's made it
to the national finals

every year he's competed,

but one moment
still haunts him.

Four years ago,
Brian fell on the Timbers,

which was the first obstacle
that year.

He was the only one
to go out there,

and the embarrassing moment

has become sort of
an inside joke

to the Wilczewski family.

In fact, look at his mom
and dad on the left there.

Their shirts say "No one falls
on Grip or Timbers."

They'll be watching along with
Brian's brother Chris,

another top ninja
and friend Michelle Warnky.

- Well, Brian looked real good
in LA qualifying and finals.

He's been to stage two before.

- Oh!
- What?

- Oh, no.

- How did he miss that?
- His entire family in shock.

Talk about déjà vu.

And Brian Wilczewski's run
is over before it began.

- Every competitor tonight
has used the first pad here,

but Wilczewski makes a big leap
to the second pad,

and his foot slips right off,

and he's out on the first
obstacle once again.

- I fell.

- Well, hopefully
that shocking exit

doesn't rattle
our next competitor,

another familiar face,
Nick Hanson.

The Eskimo Ninja
is back in Vegas

for the second year in a row.

- Let's go, Nick!

- His family's once again
on the sidelines.

They made the nearly
3,000-mile trip

from Unalakleet, Alaska.

Nick and his family have
been through a lot together.

- In rural Alaska,

alcohol is a common problem
amongst villages.

Growing up, my mom
was a severe alcoholic,

and she struggled daily.

♪ ♪

- I didn't make it easy
for them to be around.

I'm sure Nick
saw a lot of stuff

that he probably
shouldn't have seen.

♪ ♪

- I'm not trying
to play my mom out

like she was
a terrible person.

It was just,
she couldn't control it.

♪ ♪

- Through all the crap
that I put him through,

through all the drinking and...

terrible words,

Nick was always there,

you know, taking care
of his brother and sister.

♪ ♪

I've been sober
for six years now.

♪ ♪

- It has been a complete flip,

and what you see on TV
is how we are at home.

I mean, she is the best.

- Let's go, son.
- Just like at home.

- She's there with me
every time, on every run,

and she will continue to be

as long as I keep on doing this.

I feel like I'm starting fresh
with my kids.

- I'm so glad those dark days
are behind us,

and tonight I'm gonna give
my family one more happy moment.

♪ ♪

- And there's his mom,
and give her so much credit

for having the courage to
speak out about her addiction.

She'll be cheering along
with the rest of his family

and his girlfriend there
on the right.

- Last year, Hanson made it
to the buzzer

but was two seconds too late,
so you've got to believe

he's not gonna
let that happen again.

- Oh. Ooh, watch yourself.

- Hanson through Snake Run.

Now moving
to the Propeller Bar.

- Ooh, and he missed the rope.

Those are the little things
that cost you time.

- And he knows better
than anyone.

The clock is ticking.

Timed out last season

on that final obstacle,
so close.

Now heading up
to the Double Dipper.

- And we've already seen
how dangerous

this obstacle can be.

- Go ahead, man.
- You got it, you got it.

- Training partner Grant
McCartney on the sidelines.

Didn't qualify for Vegas
but cheering Nick on.

- Let's watch him come down.

Whoa, a little sideways but
makes a correction in midair.

- Nice!
- Hanson looking smooth.

- Now staring down
the Jumping Spider.

A solid pace but not
terribly aggressive, Akbar.

- Get in there, get in there.

- Ooh.
- Ooh.

- Locked it in.
- Good save there.

- Nick Hanson's 5'10",
170 pounds.

That's on the bigger side
among these ninja athletes.

- But he's gonna get through
the Jumping Spider.

- Keep it up, son!
- Let's go, Nick!

- Mom's getting excited,
now Parkour Run.

Those steps are angled.
You have to keep moving.

Now the jump to the rope.

- Stick the landing
on that platform.

- And he's got it.
- Nice.

- Now on to the Warped Wall,
1:13 left.

- He's got a good pace.

He's just got to keep
that pace going.

- Oh, bit of a stumble.
- I'm telling you,

that curve messes
with your footwork.

- But gets it
on the second try.

- About a minute left.
- All you got, Nick!

- Matt, I'm getting
a little worried now.

- Well, only two more
obstacles remain,

but they will take time.

He needs to pick up the pace
right here.

- And he looks winded.

He's gonna be
cutting it close again.

- Let's go, Nick!
- Let's go!

- Let's go, Nick!
- Let's go!

- Now finally ready
for the Domino Pipes.

A stumble,
but he's through.

43 seconds left.

He's ahead of where he was
last season

but got hung up
on the transfers here

- on the Flying Squirrel.
- Well, and I think it was

for him... last time
for Nick Hanson,

it was about really
getting that big up,

so he can make that transfer.

- Another swing.

- Come on, you've got
to get comfortable.

- This has to be a bit
of déjà vu for Nick Hanson.

Building up the momentum.

You want to see him
get high on that cargo net.

- Go, go, go.
- Go, Nick. Go!

- Oh, hung in the middle.
- 15 seconds.

Come on, Hanson.
You're too close.

Ten seconds.
No, not again.

- The horn's sounding.
- Not again, not again.

- Nick Hanson does it!

Oh, my, just a few seconds
faster than last year

but that's all he needed,

and he's our first
finisher tonight.

Nick Hanson's moving on
to stage two.

- He got crooked
on the Double Dipper

but made the adjustment,

and then he stumbled
on the Warped Wall,

but Nick Hanson
just kept trucking

and just barely made it
to the buzzer.

- Nick Hanson elated

to have avenged
last season's early exit.

He's standing by with Kristine.

- Nick, congratulations.

You did it with
five seconds to spare.

We were all nervous.
Were you nervous?

- Oh, man, when I heard the horn
start going off, I was like,

"Not this year.
It's not gonna happen."

So I climbed up that rope
as quickly as I could

and slammed that buzzer.

- And, Mom, how proud are you
to see Nick do this?

- Oh, man, I'm so proud of him.

He's worked so hard for it,

and to see him accomplish
something like that

is just the best.

- Nick, what does it mean to you
to hear your mom

saying those things?

- There's no words.

There's no words for my mom.

I mean, she's pushed me
every time.

She's here every year.

- Well, we're gonna need her
in stage two.

- Can you be there?
- Definitely, most definitely.

- All right,
congratulations, guys.

We'll see you then.

- Thank you so much.
- Matt and Akbar, back to you.

- Coming up, he knows how
to conquer this course.

The fastest time in "American
Ninja Warrior" history.

The Weatherman, Joe Moravsky,
has never failed on stage one,

He'll try to keep
his streak alive.

- You know what the forecast is.
- I'm gonna hit the buzzer.

- Plus, she's a pint-sized
powerhouse.

Oh, yes!

And Barclay Stockett's
ready to break big

in her first trip
to the national finals.

- I'm gonna be Barclay strong.

- We'll see her run
when we come back

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to Las Vegas
and the first night

of the national finals.

"American Ninja Warrior"
is brought to you in part

by our friends at SB Nation.

Next up on the course,

undoubtedly
the fastest talker

in the field tonight.

This is New Jersey auctioneer

Judas Licciardello
pulling out a phone?

- "Yeah, I'm in Las Vegas.
- I'm about to crush it.

Watch this."

- Well, he can definitely yak
it up, and that's a quality

that comes in handy
with his unique occupation.

- Welcome to S&S Auction.
- Thank you all for coming out.

All right, nice set
of Pembrokes here.

How much?
Want to give 200 apiece?

200. I got 200.

I work at a large
auction house.

My grandfather and my father
are both auctioneers,

so that's what led me to become
a third-generation auctioneer.

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

Sold for $65.

- Being an auctioneer
is a lot more

than just rifling
through numbers.

You got to have a knowledge
of what you're selling.

All right, nice
marble top set here.

My job is to sell items
as quick as I can

for the highest dollar
I can get.

Sold for $350.
Buyer number is 808.

One of the things
I like about "Ninja Warrior,"

it's neat to be up there
and be the center of attention.

- Oh, I see you.

- And it's not so much
just being able

to complete an obstacle

but how you can do it
differently,

how you can make it harder.

- Oh!
- A backflip.

That was special.

- I enjoy doing flips
and having fun.

I'll try to throw something
like that in the course again

if it presents itself.

Going once, going twice,
sold at $1 million to the winner

of "American Ninja Warrior,"

Judas Licciardello.

- Well, here to watch Judas
make his opening bid in Vegas

are his dad John
and his good friend Joseph.

Ooh, makes the same
leap Wilczewski attempted

but he survives.

- That was risky.

- Going right into
the Propeller Bar.

- So remember, he's got
that iPhone 7 in his pocket.

I'm not quite sure
if it's waterproof.

- Look at this.
- This guy is really moving

but seems a little confused

as to how to grip the bar.

- Yeah, he's going real hard.

Now push this thing fast
and catch it.

Nice transition. Good.

He is not getting his... whoa!

- What was that?
- Oh, shoot, did you see that?

- The auctioneer did a flip
on the dismount.

How gutsy is that?

- No, are you kidding me?

- One of the greatest moves
we've ever seen on a dismount

followed by a fall
on the very next obstacle.

- I've got to see
this one again.

Coming off the Double Dipper,

he brings the feet up
and over and pulls it off,

and then on the Jumping Spider,

he got his hands out
in front of his feet,

and he couldn't get locked in,

and you remember that iPhone
in his pocket?

Oh, yeah, it got wet.

- I thought I had that one
in the bag all day.

- Well, up next,
one of the real

breakout stars
from this season.

This is 5-foot-tall Barclay
Stockett from Dayton, Texas.

We told you her story
during the San Antonio finals.

She tried ninja training
after watching Kacy Catanzaro,

and with Kacy on the sidelines,
Barclay gave us

one of the most memorable runs
of the season.

- The San Antonio city finals
was a lot more emotional

than I expected it to be.

When I was standing there,
looking at the Warped Wall,

I looked over, and I saw Kacy
jump over the fence.

- Come on, Barclay!
- You got this.

- You got this, Barclay.
- Let's see it.

- It just immediately
brought me back

to watching her get up the
Warped Wall for the first time,

and I was like, "Oh, my God,
like, Kacy's here.

I have to make it up this wall."

- Oh, yes!
- Yes!

Yes!

- Oh, my God, I just caught
the Warped Wall.

- What a moment, the crowd
losing their minds.

- It's almost like,
you know,

passing on that legacy
a little bit,

and it was really, really
special to be a part of it.

- Hey, guys, I'm going to Vegas.

- That's right, she said it.
- I'm going to Vegas.

♪ ♪

- My favorite thing
that happened

was after I fell in the water,

and I kind of flopped
like a fish over the side,

and everybody just jumped
on top of me.

It felt like a movie.

I've been waiting
so long for this,

and I am so ready to roll.

♪ ♪

I now feel like I'm ready to
join the elite group of ninjas.

Now I just have to prove it.

- And everyone's gonna be
watching this run.

Her parents and sister
are here,

along with so many
of her fellow ninjas,

and Kacy will be cheering her
on once again.

- You got this, Barclay.
- Let's see it, girl.

- Barclay Stockett
just 5 feet, 112 pounds.

- Oh, Matt,
she is a firecracker.

- One of the strongest women
out here.

Cautious approach.

- Yeah, not exploding through
Snake Run, though,

and I think she's just trying
to work through the nerves.

- The Propeller Bar a real
challenge for the women,

especially the smaller ones.

- Oh, did you see
that hang time? Ooh.

- Well, that Propeller Bar
used to be a roadblock

but no problem
for Barclay Stockett.

The former gymnast now gonna
try to fly through

this challenging obstacle,
the Double Dipper.

- Hold my hand.
- Let's go, Barclay!

- Only the second woman
to try this.

- Don't be surprised
if the force counters you

- a little sideways.
- Uh-oh.

- Go, go. Yes.
- Great recovery.

The first woman
through the Double Dipper.

But watch this.

No one this size has gotten
through the Jumping Spider.

- All right, Jumping Spider,
she's got to get in there deep.

Ooh.

- Only two other women
have ever made it

Meagan Martin and Jessie Graff.

Barclay trying to join
an elite group

if she can survive,
and she does it!

- Oh, she's ready
to play, Matt.

- Jessie Graff's the only woman
ever to finish stage one.

Stockett trying
to be the second.

- She's really got
to stretch it out, Matt.

The distance here on Parkour
Run will challenge her.

- Ooh, ooh. Tremendous save.

- She took one
straight to the kneecap.

- What grip strength,

what upper-body strength
out of Stockett,

but now that clock
becomes an issue.

- I hope she's aware
of the time.

- Just over a minute left,

and she has three more
obstacles after this one.

- Get it. Got it.
- Got that foot.

Under a minute.
Got to go.

- Go, Barclay.

- And Stockett,
at just 5 feet tall,

staring down
the Warped Wall.

Oh, and she's kneeling down.
She may just be out of breath.

- She's either catching
her breath or saying a prayer.

Either one works here.

- Well, she's got about
40 seconds for three obstacles.

It is gonna take
a superhuman effort

out of
the pint-sized powerhouse.

- Move, you firecracker!

- Oh, comes up just short.

At this point, she may not
be able to finish,

but she could become
just the second woman ever

to get past the Warped Wall
on stage one,

and that would be
a huge accomplishment.

- Dig deep, Barclay!

- Well, Matt,
there's a lot going on.

There's the adrenaline
pumping,

there's the thousands
of people cheering you on,

and then there's
the time element.

- And she's done it!

The second-best run ever
by a woman.

- Ten seconds left, Matt.

- Oh, my, what could have been.

- Go, go, go, go, go, go.

- And she got through it.
- One obstacle left.

What an amazing run
out of Barclay Stockett,

just ran out of time.

- Matt, she didn't hit
the buzzer,

but that still was
a winner run

by Barclay Stockett.

I mean, look at this crowd.

Just look at her
fly through the air

and get such elevation
on the Propeller Bar.

She also got full extension
in the Jumping Spider,

and remember,
she's only 5 feet tall,

yet she still managed
to make it up the Warped Wall

and go further than any woman
on stage one

besides Jessie Graff.

- I'm pretty proud of myself.

- Well, Barclay Stockett's
only 22.

Travis Rosen's 42.

Can the ageless wonder
conquer stage one once again?

He's up next.

In earlier runs tonight,
for the second straight year,

New Jersey's Anthony DeFranco
saw his season end

on the Jumping Spider.

- Oh, no.
- Not again! Not again.

- New Jersey EMT
Yancey Quezada

saw his night end
at the Double Dipper .

- Ooh, no.

- While Hawaii's Kapu Gaison

made some waves on his way out.

- Ooh, big up
and a big splash.

- But there's a lot more
to come

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back
to the national finals

of "American Ninja Warrior."

Our coverage tonight
is powered in part

by crazy healthy
POM Wonderful.

While we were away,
three more athletes

tried to conquer
this stage one course.

Last year, Snake Run took down
Brazi Bro Lucas Gomes,

but not tonight.

That's revenge.

But the redemption
was short-lived,

as he went down
one obstacle later.

Oh!

- Boy, he just did a flip.

- One of the top two women
from the Daytona city finals,

Lindsay Eskildsen,
did get past the Propeller Bar.

- Boom, just like that.
- Good job, good job.

- But the 5'2" web developer

came up short
on the Double Dipper.

- Oh, no.
- Ooh.

Big height
but not enough distance.

- Two-time national finalist
Michael Torres came out fast,

and it nearly cost him.

Oh, no.

- Don't let that speed
kill you, though.

Let's go, Mike.
Let's go, Mike.

- The carpenter from New Jersey
kept up the torrid pace

until his footwork failed him
inside the Jumping Spider.

- Oh, no.
- No, no, no, no, no.

- Speed kills.

Up next, one of our
oldest competitors here

at the national finals,

but he's also one of the best.

This is 42-year-old
Travis Rosen,

the stock trader
from Franklin, Tennessee.

He is one of the most
consistent ninjas ever,

which is why his run here
last season was such a shock.

He's going for
his sixth straight finish

- on stage... whoa, no!
- Whoa!

- Rosen snakebitten
by the Snake Run.

- In season eight, I fell
on the very first obstacle.

It was the first time
I had fell on stage one.

It was obviously a shock.
It was crushing to me.

I was starting to feel
like retirement

might be right
around the corner.

But that's not how
my legacy is gonna end.

I want to get back
to stage three.

I want to go all the way,
and I want to go to stage four.

♪ ♪

- Well, Rosen flashing
a heart sign

to his wife and three kids,

who made the trip
from Tennessee to cheer him on.

- Come on, Trav!

- And right off the top
has to face Snake Run again.

Little stumble
but he's through.

- That's got to be a huge
weight off his shoulders.

- Quickly up onto
the Propeller Bar.

Rosen, a former gymnast
at the University of Iowa,

swings through easily,

but now the unforgiving
Double Dipper.

- Come on, Trav.

- This is visually
intimidating, so fast.

You got to have the timing,

and you got to trust
yourself in space.

- Oh, yeah, excellent body
control out of the gymnast.

And I like it, pause.
This is a veteran,

regrouping right before
the Jumping Spider.

- Stick it.
- Nails it.

- Nice.
- This is his seventh trip

in a row
to Mount Midoriyama.

- Yeah, and he's made it
past stage one every year

except last season.

- Now taking a look
at the Parkour Run.

Let's see his agility.
Bounding through it.

Ooh, good save.

- Well, he's got plenty
of time left,

but you've got to stick
the landing,

or you could lose
a lot of time.

- He's got it.

- Go, Daddy!

- Now heading
to the Warped Wall.

Beat that wall,
beat that wall.

- Got to get those 42-year-old
legs up this Warped Wall.

- He's got it.

- And well over a minute left
for these final two obstacles,

but he's never faced
either of them,

and we've seen these
Domino Pipes can be tricky.

- Nice, ooh.
- Oh, no!

- Oh, no!
- What a save.

Oh!

You know, if you're gonna
have a stumble,

and you need a great save...

- He took that one straight
to the jaw too.

- What a save, but now
do not miss these laches.

Don't miss these transitions.

- This obstacle right here

is in his wheelhouse
as a gymnast.

- He's got it.
- One transition away now.

- And he's got plenty
of time here.

He can take a couple of extra
swings if he needs them.

- And he's done it.

A little low on the cargo net
but he's got time.

- Plenty of time there,
plenty.

- Well, after
a nightmare run last year,

going out
on the first obstacle,

the ageless wonder's back
where he belongs,

and despite some stumbles,

Travis Rosen's moving on
to stage two.

And for the sixth time
in his career,

he hits the buzzer
on stage one.

- Snake Run did not get him
this year,

but on the Domino Pipes,

he stumbled and just barely
grabbed the pad

and managed to save himself,

and at 42,
he's the oldest ever

to finish stage one.

- Coming up, Jesse Labreck's

already hit
one buzzer this year.

Oh, my.

- Oh, my goodness.

- Yeah!

- Now Flex is ready to go

all the way on stage one.

- Nothing's gonna
stop me tonight.

- And later, he's one
of ninja's biggest stars.

- I want to be a cowboy
when I grow up.

- But back at the ranch,

Lance Pekus' hero
is his wife Heather.

- It's hard to see the person
you love just fall apart.

- For the first time,
the Cowboy Ninja

reveals his family's battle

when "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

- Welcome back to
"American Ninja Warrior's"

national finals, just
off the Strip in Las Vegas.

While we were away,
it was double trouble

for three of our rookies.

First, it was the only
hometown competitor,

Las Vegas college student
Jelani Allen.

- Oh!
- No.

That's a hard one
to figure out.

- As he became the sixth victim
of this deadly new obstacle,

the Double Dipper.

And then it was Wisconsin
college student Luke Chambers,

who made it to the second bar
but couldn't hang on.

- And a big splash.

- A third rookie,
Georgia's Michael Johnson

at 6'1" still didn't have
the reach.

- Oh.

- And he became
the eighth athlete

whose season ended
at the Double Dipper.

Well, as we celebrate the best

in the "Ninja Warrior"
community,

we are thrilled to have
one of the best

in the broadcasting community,

our fellow NBC man
Mike Tirico

joining us up here
in the host tower.

- What's up, Mike?
- Matt, Akbar, it's great

- to be with you guys.
- Hey, thank you very much.

We love having you
in the family.

- Well, this is great.

We're down to the end
of the season here.

What a scene in Vegas.
This is wild, and it's tough.

The conditions are very tough
for these guys.

- It is hot.

Well, and you know what it is to
operate under tough conditions.

All Thursday, every Thursday,

you're gonna be doing
the NFL for NBC,

but most importantly,

this winter,
you're gonna take over

as the primetime host
for the Winter Olympics.

- Yeah, here we are.
- It's 100 degrees here at night,

and we're talking about
the Winter Olympics, right?

Go figure.
It'll be none of this.

It'll be on ice
and on blades and on skis.

- We've lined up a guy
who we've got running right now

who is looking to compete
in the Summer Olympics

- in rock climbing.
- That's right.

- Which will start as
an Olympic sport in 2020.

This is Josh Levin,
one of America's top climbers

and one of our top
ninja athletes.

We told you earlier this season
about he and fellow climber

Charlie Andrews' friendship,

and their plan to compete here
together in Las Vegas,

but because of an accident,
that won't happen this year.

I was still happy.

- You know, I was still happy.

Josh Levin and I
have known each other

for about 14 years now,

and I think we've become
like brothers.

- Boom.
- Dominating it.

- Look at that, fight it.

- Being able to hit
the city finals buzzers

together with Charlie...

- Charlie Andrews. Josh Levin.
- Ahh!

One of the most incredible
feelings of our entire lives.

- And he and Charlie are
heading to the national finals.

- Vegas, here we come.

But a couple weeks
after we competed in LA,

Charlie and I
were training together,

and he unfortunately
had an injury.

Whoa!

- Dude, you okay?

- Oh, my God, Charlie.
- Charlie!

- We need a medic, now.

- It was really a scary
moment for me,

seeing him injured like that.

- I later woke up
in the hospital.

I had fractured my skull.

There were times at which
I was close to death.

It's been something
that's taken months for me

to really come to terms with,

and I was really grateful
to have Josh there.

He visited the hospital
pretty much continuously

while I was in there,

and once I got out,

he supported my family
and supported me a lot.

- Wow.
- This is pretty sweet.

Thank you so much, guys.

This made me really happy.

- The dream, of course,
was for Charlie and I

to compete alongside
each other in Las Vegas.

Of course, we're not able
to do that anymore,

but it doesn't change the fact
that we're still there,

supporting each other
the entire way.

- I'm well enough to stand up
and to cheer for my best friend,

and that's a gift.

- We're taking our
combined energies,

and we're gonna complete
all four stages,

and hopefully hit the buzzer
at the top of Midoriyama.

♪ ♪

- Go, Josh.

- Charlie's recovery
is going well.

He plans to compete
again next year,

and we're thrilled that
he's here to support Josh.

- Absolutely.
- Let's watch Josh here.

- And, Mike, I'm sure Josh is
feeling some pressure,

feeling like he's running
for the both of them.

- He gets through Snake Run,

heading up to
the Propeller Bar.

- Well, and we know
his upper-body strength.

He's got to show
that athleticism.

- Ooh! An incredible save
on the Propeller Bar.

A little tangled up.

- Man, timing's been tough,

that transition there,
for people throughout.

- Absolutely.
- There we go.

- But got to be careful here
on the Double Dipper.

It's already taken out
some good ones.

- Oh, here we go.

Josh Levin,
he's got to let it flow.

Let it go.
Right there, nice transition.

- Boy, the good ones
make it look so easy.

- On the transition especially.
- Yes.

- All the ones who have
succeed here tonight.

- But now another tough one,
the Jumping Spider.

And look at him...

- Ooh.

- Just gets it locked in
on the Jumping Spider.

- And he's only 5'6"

but having no problem
working through the chute.

- And he's not known as a speed
guy, but he's really moving.

Gets through,
now heading to Parkour Run.

- And the guys
who have been getting

this part of the course
done quick,

they've been able to take their
time when the pressure gets on,

- Absolutely.
- So this is really important.

Just to collect yourself
like Josh is right here.

- It's gonna take physical
and mental fortitude

to complete the next
couple of obstacles.

- Well, it's like watching
Belichick or something.

The good ones, right,
they got a plan.

Doing it the Levin way here.

- Nice form, man.

- Charlie cheering
his best friend on now,

as he faces
the Warped Wall,

but this is where fatigue
starts to set in.

This wall's a lot tougher
on tired legs.

He gets it.

This guy's a 19-time national
champion speed climber,

so he's very comfortable
on upper-body obstacles,

but these Domino Pipes
are all about balance.

- So you're telling me,
once he gets through

the Domino Pipes,
he's gonna be all right

because of
the climbing ability.

- He should be,
but we've seen people

get tripped up
on the transfers,

but that final obstacle
surprisingly can take

sometimes 30 seconds.

- He's through.
- Yes, Josh!

- One obstacle away
from a return trip to stage two.

Left himself a lot of time
but we've seen mistakes here.

- Pressure situation now.
- That time is ticking down.

Got to be able
to make that transfer.

You're tired. So what?

- Well, we often talk
about clock management.

- It's important in the NFL.
- That's right.

- It's important
in "Ninja Warrior."

- He'll get the momentum here
to take care of the last part.

We know he's got
the last part.

- Yeah, this lache... ooh,
big lache, nice.

- Well, his friend Charlie
couldn't compete,

but Josh Levin is gonna hit
the buzzer for both of them.

He's going to stage two.

- Whoo!

- This run almost ended
on the second obstacle.

He just barely got his hands
on the propeller,

and only with those climbing
skills was he able to save it,

and he cruised
the rest of the way.

- And look at this.
- He's pointing to stage four.

That's our Super Bowl,
Mike Tirico,

and we'll see you
this Thursday

for the "NFL on NBC's"
kickoff.

- Mike Tirico, congratulations.
- Thanks, Matt.

- So glad to have you
in the family.

- Great to be with you guys.
- Yeah, honor right here.

- Bring it home.
- Great season, guys.

- Thank you so much.
- All right, Akbar. Thanks.

- Well, it's one all-star
after another

here in the finals,
like Jesse "Flex" Labreck.

She's getting warmed up,

and we'll see her run
when we come back.

Plus, Allyssa Beird's
already had a big year.

Ms. Beird has done it.

Now this fifth grade teacher
is aiming even higher.

- Tonight I'm hitting the buzzer
for my kids.

- When "American Ninja
Warrior" returns.

- Welcome back to night one
of the national finals

in Las Vegas.

Half the field
is running tonight.

We'll see the rest next week,
including Jessie Graff,

Drew Drechsel,
and Kacy Catanzaro

in her final ninja season.

And up next, it's one
of the year's top rookies.

This is Alpharetta,
Georgia's Kevin Carbone.

He's adopted the nickname
the Maker

because he designed one
of our obstacles

and then competed on it,

and now he's made it all
the way to the national finals.

He's truly living
the ninja dream.

- I absolutely love
to design things.

- 10 foot, a 10 foot?
- Maybe a 2x8.

- Kevin always has ideas.

They flow out of Kevin
on a regular basis.

- I was thinking about ideas
for a while,

and I submitted one for
the Obstacle Design Challenge

called the Wingnut,
and they picked it.

- Now the moment has arrived,

facing the obstacle
of his own creation.

- To compete on this obstacle
I created was unreal.

- The Maker survives
the Wingnut.

- I feel like
a really lucky rookie

to make it out here to Vegas.

It all feels like
it was meant to be.

I'm gonna keep coming up
with new obstacles,

and tonight
I'm gonna hit that buzzer.

- Kevin has his parents
and his sister

as well as some other friends
cheering him on.

- You got it, Kevin!

- Well, Kevin Carbone's
just 22 years old.

Oh, my.

- Ooh, can't make
a mistake there.

- The rookie survives,

and right on
to the Propeller Bar.

- And look how quick
he grabbed that rope.

- But gets through.
- Yeah, Kevin!

- Well, he knows how
to design obstacles,

but can he figure out
the Double Dipper?

- Let me tell you,
this is a tricky one.

- Real smooth
on the Double Dipper.

- He ain't wasting no time.

- Already through
three obstacles

with more than
two minutes left.

Now facing
the Jumping Spider.

- Go, inside. Ooh.

No!

- Can't make it
into the Jumping Spider,

and the impressive run
of this rookie

comes to an end.

- The chute's 4 feet wide
in here but 6 feet out here,

and Carbone's feet land
out on the wide part,

so he couldn't hold himself up,
and his dream season is over.

- Oh, man, I underestimated
that obstacle.

It is tough.

- Up next, one of our biggest
runs of the night.

One of our strongest
competitors,

Jesse "Flex" Labreck.

She made history as a rookie,

and tonight
she's got a real shot

to join the other Jessie,
Jessie Graff,

as the only woman ever
to finish stage one,

but if she did it,

it might be even harder

to tell the two Jesses apart.

- Jessie Graff is one of the
strongest women I've ever seen.

- Oh!

- But for some reason,
we always get confused

just because of our first name.

Jessie Graff has blond hair.

She wears these awesome,
like, sparkly outfits.

I have the brown hair,
the average outfits.

- That girl is a Labreck house.

- My boyfriend Chris
told his aunt

that he was dating Jesse,
and she was like,

"Oh, the blond one
with the pigtails?"

And he was like,
"Nope, the other one."

The not-as-good one.

- Oh, my goodness.

- She's gonna make history.

- Herstory!
- That's herstory right there.

- The first woman ever
to complete stage one.

- I would really like
to show them

that I'm capable of hitting
that stage one buzzer too.

Watch out, stage one, 'cause
Flex Labreck is coming for you.

- Well, her boyfriend Chris,
who fell earlier,

looks nervous.

He's joined by Jon Alexis Jr.,
Jesse's father, and Emeline,

her good friend
with cerebral palsy

that Jesse helped care for.

Well, Flex Labreck
last season without a doubt

the woman rookie of the year,

went further than any woman
ever had in her first season,

but now the Propeller Bar.
Makes the grab.

- Well, she's 5'7",
taller than some of the others,

and so strong.

- Heading up
to the Double Dipper.

- This has caused problems
all night.

Got to get the timing
just right

when you release
that first bar.

All right, watch out.

This thing can get hostile
here on the transfer.

Whoo-hoo-hoo!

- Perfect.
- Yes, yes!

- Here we go.

- But this is where
she went out last year,

the Jumping Spider.

- Mm, stop, think about it.

- Didn't get deep enough
into the chute last year.

- All right, get in there.
- Get in there deep.

- Get in there.
- Yes!

- Well, Jesse Labreck learns
from her mistakes,

and mistakes are something
she does not make often.

- Remember, only three women
have ever gotten past this.

Barclay Stockett
did it earlier.

- And she's through
with plenty of time.

- Let's go, Jesse.

- Close friend Allyssa Beird
taking notes.

She'll run later.

But now Parkour Run.

Labreck ran track
at the University of Maine,

did hurdles.

- Watch out for these angles.

- Very cautious approach,

not really trusting herself
to bound through it.

Clock ticking, needs to make
the quick dismount on the rope.

- Stick it. No!

- And completely passes by
the landing platform

just like her boyfriend
Chris did.

- I think that slow approach
really does kill the momentum.

- Got to get... oh, my,
misses again.

- No. No, Matt.

- And she needs to push back,
push the other direction.

Oh, my, this is so frustrating.

- Oh, my, she's using a lot
of grip strength here.

- Now less than a minute.

Makes it through,
but will she have enough time?

- She can't afford to make
any mistakes.

- Got to get right up
the Warped Wall.

And look at this endurance.

She's forcing her way
through it and up.

- I think she might be able
to make up time here.

Don't count her out.

- But this is where
Chris DiGangi stumbled.

Got to watch
that foot placement.

The track star,
the heptathlete from Maine.

Come on! 34 seconds.

- You better go right now.
- Trying to join Jessie Graff

as the second female finisher
but she's got to go.

Good up on the first one.
Watch the transition.

And she can see the time
in front of her.

She knows what she has to do.

- Here she comes.

What does she have left
out of the grip?

- Oh, Matt, she's gonna do it.

- 15 seconds.
- Come on.

Come on, Labreck.

No!

- What? No.
- No. No!

- Couldn't grab
onto the cargo net.

I think she was just
exhausted,

tried to rush it.

So close but comes up short.

- Here's where it went bad,

back on the rope
at Parkour Run.

She got her back turned

and couldn't reach her feet out
to the landing area.

She just swung by.
That cost her so much time.

You could see it on her face,

she was just pressing
at the end

and couldn't get a grip
on the cargo net.

- Let's go down to Kristine
for the POM Post Run Interview.

- Jesse, you got all the way
to the cargo net,

- Yeah. Barely.

- And I know
you could've done that.

Was that what you were
thinking too?

Was it just a time thing?

- I definitely should've swung
one more time,

but I got hung up on the rope
for so long

that I just got too tired,

and by the time I got there,
I was just a little pumped out.

- I know that you and Emeline
don't get to see each other

quite as often since you moved.

What does it mean to have
her here supporting you?

- Oh, it's so amazing that she
could come to Vegas and be here,

and she is obviously
very happy about it,

so it makes me really happy.

- Well, she's happy, and she's
obviously so proud of you,

as are we, Jesse. Congrats.

- Thank you so much.
- Guys, back to you.

- Coming up,
big names still to come,

including the Weatherman,
Joe Moravsky,

the Speedster, Lorin Ball,

and the Cowboy Ninja,
Lance Pekus.

But up next, no one wants it
more than JJ Woods.

- Mr. Miami is coming
for Mount Midoriyama.

- The Miami stunt man hits
the course

when we come back on
"American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to Las Vegas
and "American Ninja Warrior's"

national finals.
While we were away,

three more athletes tried
to conquer stage one.

Iowa's Spencer Johnson

put together
a strong run for a rookie.

- Ooh, okay.
- But with the clock ticking...

He needs to get going.

The gymnastics coach

couldn't stick the dismount
on the cargo net,

and he ran out of time.

- Oh, he's upside down.

- Ian Dory was surprisingly
knocked out

by the Propeller Bar
last year, but not tonight.

- Yeah, Ian, killing it.

- The four-time
national finalist

made it a little close
at the end

but managed
to hit the buzzer.

Ian Dory moving on
to stage two.

- Another top competitor,
San Antonio's Thomas Stillings,

had no trouble
beating the clock.

- I think the magic is in his
genie pants, it really is.

- The Genie Ninja put up
the fastest time of the night

so far, finishing with more
than 30 seconds to spare.

- Hitting the buzzer
at stage one for a third time.

I see you, young fella.

- Yeah!

- Well, up next is
a ninja favorite.

It's Miami stunt man JJ Woods.

- Look at him, stalking around
like a panther.

You can't tell me
he's not ready to go.

- After missing out last year,

he's glad to be back
in the national finals.

- JJ's getting
his game face on.

- Last year in Atlanta,

falling on the Big Dipper
was devastating.

- What? JJ Woods out?
- Are you kidding me?

- I was really humbled.

I wanted to make sure
that what I felt in Atlanta

I never would feel again.

Beating the qualifiers

was like lifting
a parked car off my chest.

The anger was finally gone.

♪ ♪

But when I came to Vegas,
and I saw the Double Dipper,

it's like getting beat up
by a massive guy,

going back for a rematch,

only to find out he has
a bigger and better twin.

And I realize, okay,
this is the worst

but the best thing
that could've happened to me.

This is the opportunity
that I have to redeem myself.

No matter what happens to me,
I refuse to stay down.

♪ ♪

You have to kill me.
That's the only way

you're gonna keep me
from winning this whole thing.

♪ ♪

- Well, supporting JJ
on the sidelines

are good friends Flip Rodriguez
and Tiana Webberley.

- Come on, JJ.

- Also cheering him on,
Meagan Martin.

- All right, here we go.
- Showtime.

- Wow!

Got through it
in three steps.

- Come on, man.
- That was risky.

- And right onto
the Propeller Bar,

and JJ Woods has his foot
on the accelerator,

but a little tangled up
with the rope.

Makes it through,

but now the one
he's been thinking about,

the Double Dipper.

It's a supersized version
of the obstacle

that ended his season
last year.

- Well, Matt, he's not gonna be
using the switch grip here

on the Double Dipper.

He thinks using the switch grip

is the reason he fell
last year in Atlanta,

so he's going straight up.

- Here he goes.

- Good.

Look at that,
nice and athletic.

- Oh!
- Ooh. Whoo!

- Skips the landing pad
altogether.

Good thing we had a backup.

- JJ Woods came in hot.
- Wow.

- My goodness.

- Got to be a good confidence
boost for this man.

- His adrenaline
is pumping right now.

- JJ's a former boxer.

He's got good footwork,

and he's quickly scooting
his way through the chute

and the stunt man
through the Jumping Spider.

1:35, 1:35!

- Flip telling JJ
how much time he has left

as he gets ready
for Parkour Run.

- The dude has been sprinting
for 60 seconds.

He's catching his breath here.

- Now he's off.

- He had to stop himself.
- He had a lot of momentum.

- Well, what is he doing, going
right for the landing pad?

- What the... what?
- JJ Woods.

- Oh, my goodness,
the mother of all innovation.

He said, "Bump that. I ain't
messing with that rope."

- JJ Woods electrifying
this crowd.

- You're tearing
this course up, baby!

- All right, but don't
overlook these Domino Pipes.

- And JJ once again pausing
to catch his breath.

He knows he's in
good shape on time,

just wants to avoid a mistake.

- 55, 55!

- Flip's yelling out his time.

- Don't get creative.
- Just move fast.

Come on, get on it.
On it like you want it.

- And right through it
and into the Flying Squirrel,

one obstacle away
from the buzzer.

- JJ Woods.
- All right, get with it.

No! Oh, he almost...

boy, he was so close.

- Not a great transition,
and watch him here

getting onto the cargo net.

- Come on, come on.

- And compensates
that second time. JJ Woods.

- Oh, boy.
- What a comeback.

After going out
on the second obstacle

in qualifying last year,

JJ Woods is headed back
to stage two.

- Way to go, JJ!
- Good job, JJ!

- What's next?

- What a moment for JJ Woods.

- Leave it to a stunt man
to put on a show.

He got big air
and landed on his back

on the Double Dipper

and then he gets creative
and just skips the rope

and hops to the end
of Parkour Run,

and JJ Woods is moving on.

- Let's go down to Kristine
for the POM Post Run Interview.

- JJ, I know this feels great.

I want to go back
to the Double Dipper, though,

because something really
important happened there.

You did not use the switch grip,

which has been a very
important thing for you.

Can you break that down to me?

- Oh, easy breakdown.

If there were 300 people
on the course,

and 299 of them used
the switch grip,

I still would not use
the switch grip.

I learned my lesson in Atlanta.
Never again.

- Does this feel like
redemption to you?

- Oh, my God, 100%
but it's not done yet.

I got three more to go.

- Oh, you're going all the way
to the top, huh?

- Oh, we're going to stage five,
where we pop bottles and party.

- We're gonna make up
a stage five.

I like the way that sounds.

Matt and Akbar, back to you.

- So JJ Woods currently has

the third fastest finish
of the night.

The finishes
are starting to mount.

We're up to six athletes who've
hit the buzzer on stage one.

Well, the women have been
getting close all night.

Now fifth-grade teacher Allyssa
Beird is gonna get her shot.

We'll see her run
when we come back

on "American Ninja Warrior."

- Welcome back to night one
of the national finals.

While we were away,
we saw some dramatic finishes

from a handful of veterans.

The Giving Ninja,
Sean Darling-Hammond,

stumbled on the Domino Pipes.

- He got down to his knees.
- But the Washington, D.C.

attorney recovered to earn his
first-ever trip to stage two.

- I love it.
- I absolutely love it.

- Green Bay, Wisconsin's
Drew Knapp

took an even harder fall.

Oh, hard impact.
Tremendous save.

But the gymnastics coach
fought back,

and he also made it
to the buzzer.

You can't stop Knapp.

Six-time veteran Mike Bernardo
took a different approach,

just diving over
the final pipes.

Leaps that final one.

- He said, "Forget that."
- And the D.C. firefighter

flew all the way to the buzzer.

He's moving on to stage two.

Another crowd favorite,
Kevin Bull,

looked like he was
in big trouble

after missteps
on Parkour Run...

- Oh, this is not good.
- And again on the Warped Wall.

And a miss!

But Bull bounced back and kept
the streak of finishes alive.

And the bull horns are up.

- Whoo!

- Well, our next competitor
has had a big year.

He found a whole new family.

This is Fort Collins, Colorado,
salon owner Dan Yager.

As we told you,
Dan was adopted,

and his appearances
on "American Ninja Warrior"

helped reunite him with
his biological father in Korea.

His new family even
watched his run

in Denver qualifying
on FaceTime.

Well, his Korean family
is back in Korea,

but his wife Sherri is here,

holding their
baby daughter Harlow.

- The last time Yager was
in the national finals,

he made it to stage two.

He's got the skills
to go far in this competition.

- Now the Propeller Bar.
- Good jump.

Yager has
a climbing background

like so many
of those Colorado ninjas.

Now facing the Double Dipper.

- But his daughter's not sure
she wants to watch.

- Well, this is a tough one.

No one's got one of these
in their backyard.

Careful. Careful.

- Oh, no.
- Oh, no, so close.

- Dan Yager says, "Oh, no."
He can't believe it,

but there's very little margin
for error on the Double Dipper.

- Look at it overhead.

That left side
got out in front,

and so he didn't get
a good lift-off.

You can see right there,

he just barely
touched that second bar.

This Double Dipper is doing
some damage tonight.

- I lost my momentum and didn't
quite make it to the bar.

- Well, the women have been
impressive all night.

Barclay Stockett made it to the
final obstacle as time ran out,

and Jesse Labreck just missed
out on finishing the course.

No!

- And up next is the last one

to take on the course
this week.

It's fifth grade teacher
Allyssa Beird.

She's had an incredible year,

joining a very exclusive
group of women competitors

when she hit a buzzer
in Cleveland.

Now she's ready to see how
far she can go here in Vegas.

- Leading up to Cleveland,
I only had it in my mind

that I wanted to hit a buzzer.

That was my goal this season.

- Yes!

- Yes! Allyssa Beird.
- Yes! Yes!

- I don't really think
it hit me

that I had sort of joined

this elite group of women
that...

I think there's only six of us
now that have hit buzzers.

Now that I've got a buzzer
under my belt,

it is time to step up my game.

- I mean, Allyssa, she's fast
and crazy strong.

I think she can do
just about anything.

- Allyssa Beird
I train with all the time,

and we're constantly
pushing each other,

and she is one of the strongest
women I have ever seen.

- She's always impressing me
with how motivated she is

and how hardworking she is.

Done.

- Find a good stopping point
for today, please.

Being a teacher, my day
is really busy at work,

but I've just been focusing
on whole-body training,

making sure that there's not
a single obstacle

that I'm going to have
a big weakness on.

I want to prove to myself
as well

as to everyone watching
that I can do this.

I can hit the buzzer.
I know I can beat stage one.

♪ ♪

- Boyfriend James McGrath
on the sidelines,

along with Allyssa's family,

and so many others
will be watching,

including the three
who joined Allyssa

in the fantastic four
from last season,

Flex Labreck,
Rachael Goldstein,

and Michelle Warnky.

Last season, Jessie Graff
showed us what was possible

when she finished
this stage one course,

and already tonight,
we've had two women

make it to the final obstacle.

- They get stronger
every season.

- But this is where Beird
fell last time

in Vegas, the Propeller Bar.

Good jump tonight.
Gets through it quickly.

- All right, yeah. Yeah.

- But now the Double Dipper,

already taken out about
a dozen competitors tonight.

- Double Dipper is a tough one,
but so is Allyssa Beird.

She's got it.
What did I say?

What did I tell you?
What did I tell you?

- And Ms. Beird now
at the Jumping Spider.

- Matt, I'm telling you,
if she gets through

Jumping Spider,
it's all game for her.

Nice.

- At just 5'4",
that was truly impressive.

Before this season,
only two women had ever

made it through this
in ninja history,

and now Beird could be
the third one tonight,

and she's got it.

These women doing
big things tonight.

Now on Parkour Run.

- All right, get this thing
going with Parkour Run.

The angles here are steep.

- A cautious approach but it's
working out for Ms. Beird.

- This rope
is where Flex Labreck

got into some trouble.

- Unlike Labreck, she needs
to stick her legs out

and catch the landing area.

- Get it, get it, get it.
- Ooh.

And look at that, 1:15 left.

- She's got a good time going,

but she's got to get up
the wall on her first try.

- Taking a moment
to catch her breath.

Well, until Jessie Graff
got through it,

no woman had gotten up
this Warped Wall.

We've seen two already
get up it tonight.

The clock is ticking,
a minute left.

- Come on, now.

- Got it!
- Oh! Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- She's done it, and this crowd
is losing their minds.

Just two more obstacles to go.

First up, the Domino Pipes.
Now about 45 seconds left.

- Go, go, go, Allyssa!
- Go, yes.

- Now just
the Flying Squirrel remains

between her and the buzzer.

And she makes the grab.

- Oh, my. Can your
fifth grade teacher do that?

- Allyssa Beird,

can she be
the second woman

ever to get through stage one?

- Matt, it's about to go down.
- It's about to go down right now.

- I got to say,
there are a lot of students

in her fifth grade class

who are clapping
their hands right now.

- Okay!

- Just needs to climb
the cargo net.

And this crowd
is on their feet.

The elementary school
teacher can add her name

to the history books.

Allyssa Beird,
the second woman ever

to hit the buzzer
on stage one.

- Oh, my God!

- Stage one!

- What a run out
of Allyssa Beird.

- We're gonna make that our

POM Wonderful Crazy Healthy
Run of the Night.

Allyssa Beird was just flying
on the Propeller Bar,

on the Double Dipper,
up the wall,

and finally onto the cargo net
and up to the buzzer.

- She's standing by
with Kristine.

- Allyssa, only the second woman

ever to complete stage one.

How does that sound to you?

- It sounds pretty good.
- It's what I came here to do,

and I hit that buzzer,
so I'm happy.

- All the women standing here
around you

are very happy for you tonight

and that you are representing.
How does that feel?

- It feels amazing.
- These ninjas are my family,

so it just means so much
to have them here by my side.

- The second woman ever
to complete stage one.

Congratulations.

We cannot wait to see you
on stage two, Allyssa.

- Thank you so much
- Guys, back to you.

- Well, no American has ever
run stage one faster

than Joe Moravsky.

What's the Weatherman
gonna do tonight?

We'll see his run

when "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

- Welcome back to "American
Ninja Warrior" in Las Vegas,

.where it's night one
of the national finals.

While we were away,
three more athletes

took their shot on stage one.

Ben Baker is a logger
from a small town in Georgia,

and he came up
with some big saves,

like a one-handed grab
on the Double Dipper.

- Wow.

- And another close call
on the Jumping Spider.

- Save yourself, homey.

- After getting all the way
to the Flying Squirrel,

he made another
one-handed grab.

- Oh, man, that's got to be
the best recovery of the night.

- But seconds later,
he was waterlogged.

- Oh!
- Oh, no.

- Ninja favorite Flip Rodriguez
was trying to get to stage two

for the third straight year.
Just so effortless.

And despite nursing
a hip injury,

the stunt man still put up

one of the best times
of the night.

- Flip Rodriguez.
- Yes!

We are the lions.

- Nothing can slow
this man down.

Then it was another top
veteran, Brent Steffensen,

who came out hot.

- He ain't wasting no time.

- The seven-time veteran
earned a ticket

to stage two with the fastest
run of the night so far.

- As strong as we've seen
Steffensen look in many years.

But if there's anyone who knows
how to go fast on stage one,

it's our next competitor.
He's one of the all-time greats.

It's the Weatherman,
Joe Moravsky,

the meteorologist
from Monroe, Connecticut.

Three years ago, in our USA
Versus the World competition,

he broke Brent Steffensen's
stage one record

by finishing in just 1:12.

- That was too fast.
- That was too fast. Wow.

- Here to watch how fast
Joe can go

is his wife Stephanie
on the left,

more than six months pregnant
with their second child.

She's joined on the sidelines
by Joe's cousins.

How fast will
the Weatherman go tonight?

Since he came on
in season five,

has established himself as
the most consistent performer.

And a nice, high leap
onto the Propeller Bar.

- Oh, wow, that propeller
almost took his head off.

- But he clears it.

Moravsky making his
fifth appearance in Vegas.

First time, though,
seeing the Double Dipper.

- If he likes speed,
he's gonna love this one.

- And he's through,

going right into
the Jumping Spider.

Well, he is barreling
through this course,

a reckless pace
out of Moravsky.

I think he wants
the fastest time.

- Oh, this dude is a banger.

- Well, Steffensen has
the time to beat.

He had more than
33 seconds left

when he hit the buzzer.

- Oh, man, just making
easy work of Parkour Run.

- Has to stick the dismount.

- Uh-oh, uh-oh.
- Good save.

- You got it, you got it.

- Having a little fun
out here.

Moravsky by far the fastest

we've seen anyone
to this point.

- He's still got a minute left
to beat Steffensen.

- And right up the Warped Wall
with ease,

now only two more
obstacles to go.

- All right, now he's
slowing down a little.

Just gonna have to
catch his breath

before Domino Pipes.

- Balance obstacles
always challenging

even for top veterans,

and right over the final pipe
and no hesitation.

- Well, we know Joe Moravsky
can fly on the Flying Squirrel.

- Well, in a loaded field,

Joe Moravsky
is making a statement.

- He's got nearly a minute
to finish the course.

Joe Moravsky
is a savvy veteran.

- And look how high he lands
on the cargo net, saving time,

and Joe Moravsky's
gonna top Steffensen's time

and be our 14th finisher
of the night.

What's he doing?

- He's gonna do
a Jake Murray cannonball.

- The Weatherman
making a splash,

moving on to stage two.

- He nearly got his head
taken off by the Propeller Bar,

but that didn't slow him down.

He just kept going and put up
the fastest time of the night

with a high dive
to top it off.

- But there is so much
talent here in Vegas.

That time may not last long

because one of ninja's great
speed demons is up next.

It's Colorado
gym owner Lorin Ball,

and he's has
an impressive résumé.

In city qualifying competition,

he's been the fastest
competitor four straight years,

and every year he's been
in Vegas and run stage one,

he's been the second fastest
on this course.

- Oh, look at him, he's
revving up his V12 engine.

- Well, there you see
Joe Moravsky's time to beat.

That's the number Ball
will be gunning for.

Lorin Ball only knows
one speed.

We've seen that speed haunt him
at times, and yet this season,

it looks like he has found
the best of both worlds,

using that speed
but finding the control.

- Well, if he wants to go fast,

he'll do it here
on the Double Dipper.

- Seems a little uncertain
about how to grip the bar.

- I know.
- That's not like Lorin Ball.

He doesn't usually stop
to think about things.

He just goes.

Oh!

- Wow, this crowd is stunned,
but Lorin Ball is a go fast

or go home type guy,
and tonight he's going home.

- That sucked.

- He couldn't decide
how to grip the bar,

and that may have
affected him.

He didn't get a good release
to that second bar.

You could see right there,

he got both hands on it
but just couldn't hang on.

- I grabbed it, and it
spun backwards on me,

super simple mistake.

- Well, the Cowboy Ninja
is up next,

and it's gonna be an emotional
run for Lance Pekus.

He and his wife will
share their story

when "American Ninja
Warrior" returns.

Oh!

- What was that?
- Did you see that?

- Come on.

The national finals
are off and running,

and next week,
the rest of the field

takes on stage one.

We'll see Jessie Graff...

She's done it.

- Drew Drechsel...
- Whoo!

- And what may be the final
run for Kacy Catanzaro.

History is made.
You don't want to miss it.

Some great athletes
on tap next week,

but we've still got one
athlete left to go tonight,

and he is one of our
all-time favorites.

It's the Cowboy Ninja,
Idaho rancher Lance Pekus,

and you can see right there,
he's pointing to his wife

Heather, who's watching
from back in Idaho.

She hasn't been
on the sidelines

for Lance's runs this year,

and now they're ready
to share why.

- Me and Heather met each other
my first year in college.

We just kind of both enjoyed
doing outdoor stuff and sports.

- He had never ridden a horse.

Threw him out there
and he did really well.

He never left.

- In her early 20s,
Heather got diagnosed

with an autoimmune disease

called multiple sclerosis,
or MS.

She was able to
get on medication,

and she went
eight or nine years

without having any
symptoms or problems.

- I was active. I ran.

I lifted weights.
I rode horses.

- But progressively over
the last 2 1/2, 3 years,

it's gotten bad.

She definitely struggles
to get around.

- I went from trying to run
to a walker in ten months.

We tried a whole bunch
of medicine and treatments.

My body just doesn't respond.

- It's hard to see the person
you love just fall apart.

She still works as
a high school counselor.

She's dedicated to me, the kids,

the things she does
for us every day.

I told her how inspiring
she is to me.

She said, "How can I be
an inspiration?

I'm sick. How..."

Sorry.

- I never imagined
having this,

but I've always been
a really positive person,

and I want my kids
to remember me that way.

♪ ♪

- I know how much she works

and how strong
of a person she is.

She's by far the toughest
person I know.

- Lance has stuck by my side.
- He's really been my rock.

♪ ♪

- When I hit the buzzer
on stage one,

and I can look down and see
Heather cheering me on,

I know it's gonna
mean the world.

♪ ♪

- Just unbelievable.

What a strong woman
Heather is.

She'll be watching
with their two kids.

Their good friend Maggi Thorne
holding the phone

and leading the cheers.

You know it's got to be
on Lance's mind as he runs.

- Absolutely.
- Now he's taking off his shirt,

taking off that hat too.

You know he means business.

- Well, Lance Pekus is happy
to be back in Vegas.

He missed out last year
after an early exit

in city qualifying.

- Only thing is, he's not
wearing tight jeans.

- He didn't wear jeans
two years ago in Vegas.

That's the last I remember.

But now this very dangerous
Double Dipper.

Took out
Lorin Ball minutes ago.

- The cowboy's got to ride
this one.

- Good transition.

- Nice tight movement.

- Heather's happy to see
that one behind him

but now the Jumping Spider,

which took him out
two years in a row.

But a good jump
and he's locked in.

- Well, he built his own
Jumping Spider

back at the ranch
out of hay bales.

He's not gonna fall
on this again.

- And already through
and headed for Parkour Run.

- And he's showing
strong cardio.

He's really not stopping
to take a breath.

- Bounding through it.

- The cowboy knows
how to handle a rope,

but he's got to stick
this landing now.

- And that's as fast as anyone
through Parkour Run,

and Pekus has
a blazing pace going here.

We thought Moravsky was fast,
but Pekus could beat his time.

- Look at this.

- Lance Pekus blowing away
this course,

and the crowd is
starting to take notice.

- Two more obstacles to go.
- Can he keep up this pace?

- Now the Domino Pipes.

A balance obstacle ended
his season early last year.

But he's through!
One more to go.

- Okay.
- Got about 30 seconds

if he wants
to beat Moravsky's time.

- Everybody here is going
crazy for the cowboy.

Lance! Lance!

- Makes that second grab.

What a run for Lance Pekus.

Now just needs to get
to the cargo net.

Oh, yes!

- Look at Lance.

- Well, Heather Pekus has
to be so proud of her husband.

He's turning
in the run of his life.

Can he beat Moravsky's time?

- Come on, come on,
hit the buzzer.

Hit it.

- And he's done it!

The fastest time of the night.

- What is he pulling out,
Matt?

What is he pulling out?

- And a little cowboy hat
for the buzzer.

- Way to go, Lance Pekus.
- I love it.

- Sending love to his family,

what a great moment
for the Cowboy Ninja.

- Lance Pekus was
absolutely flawless.

He barely paused
between obstacles,

and he ran his way to the
fastest finish of the night

and topped it all off
with a cowboy hat.

- Let's go down to Kristine,
who's standing by with Lance.

- Lance, it has got to feel
so great

to be back up there,
hitting a buzzer.

What's going through your mind?

- It feels good to be
back here in Vegas

and finally hit
another buzzer here.

It's feeling really good.

It's kind of an emotional
run for me,

so it feels good
to be able to hit that buzzer

and move on to the next stage.

- Your wife is usually here
on the sidelines, watching you,

but tonight
she's watching on Skype.

What does that mean to you?

- It means the world to me
to have something positive

something like my stage one run
and for her to watch it.

Heather's my inspiration
to keep pushing,

'cause I know what she
goes through every day.

It's just great.

- Lance, congratulations.
- Thank you.

- Matt.
- So the Cowboy Ninja

rides back onto stage one

and lassoes the
fastest time of the night.

Other veterans returning
to stage two are Travis Rosen,

Kevin Bull,
and Stunt man JJ Woods,

and with just half
the field running tonight,

we ended up with 20 athletes
who made it to the buzzer,

including Allyssa Beird,

the second woman ever
to finish stage one.

Well, that's it for tonight.

For Akbar Gbajabiamila and
Kristine Leahy, 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.