American Ninja Warrior (2009–…): Season 9, Episode 14 - Las Vegas Finals Night 1 - full transcript

- Next up on the course,
she's a 24-year-old

former gymnast out of
San Antonio, Texas.

It's Kacy Catanzaro.

- It's gonna be my last year
here in Las Vegas,

and that's really tough
to think about.

- Oh!
- Yes!

- Oh!
- She's done it!

History has been made!

It's gonna be really hard
to say good-bye.

- ♪ Why you waiting on
the world for a favor ♪

♪ This is your life,
go ahead and change it ♪



- Kacy Catanzaro is
basically responsible

for introducing mainstream
America to "Ninja Warrior."

- Don't underestimate

the strength of gymnast
Kacy Catanzaro.

- How does she do that?
- Right?

- Look at all the women that
are here doing awesome things.

A lot of us are here
because of her.

- Wow!

- Did you see how high
she got?

- Everything I saw Kacy do,
I was like,

"Yes, like, I'm so doing this."

It was like my world
changed in an instant.

- ♪ You're the brightest star
in the sky ♪

♪ But no one's gonna know
if you never shine ♪



- I love you guys!
- Thank you!

- Kacy leaves a legacy
for all the girls

wanting to come compete.

Girls can go out there and do
just the same thing guys can.

- I feel like I've really shown
my fight over these five years,

and I just... I want to go out
the best that I can,

and, you know, I want to
continue to make people proud.

- ♪ You're the brightest star
in the sky ♪

♪ So go ahead and shine, yeah,
go ahead and ♪

♪ Shine ♪

- Well, we are seeing one
of the greatest competitors,

man or woman, we've ever seen
in "American Ninja Warrior."

♪ ♪

- It's going to be an
emotional night

here in Las Vegas

as we say good-bye
to Kacy Catanzaro.

She and the rest
of our athletes

will be taking
on this stage one course

and trying to keep
their season alive

on "American Ninja Warrior."

Hello, everyone,
and thanks for being with us

for night two of
the national finals.

I'm Matt Iseman.

- And I'm Akbar Gbajabiamila.
- Mat, I am all in.

We've got a crazy crowd
and some all-star athletes.

This is gonna be a big night.

- Now, remember,
in the national finals

you must hit the buzzer
to move on,

and last week we got off
to a hot start

with a big jackpot
of finishers.

- Yeah, and I expect
that streak to continue

with the all-star athletes
we're gonna see tonight.

- Oh, my goodness.

- Let's start with the guy
who went further

than anyone in Vegas
last season, Drew Drechsel.

- Yes!
- Whoo!

- We got the woman
who made history

on stage one, Jessie Graff.

- The first woman
to complete stage one!

- We're also gonna see
the Philly Phoenix,

Najee Richardson.

- Yeah!

- And finally, Kacy Catanzaro

is retiring from
ninja competition.

This could be
her final run tonight.

- Oh, my goodness.
- As we saw last week,

there are lots of new twists
and turns on stage one.

For a look at the course,
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 starts with Snake Run,

which last week
took out veterans

including Brian Wilczewski.

- You can't take any obstacle
for granted.

- Up next is
the Propeller Bar,

which ended the season

of familiar faces like
Brazi Bro Lucas Gomes.

- Oh!
- Oh!

- Boy, he just did a flip.

- This new obstacle,
the Double Dipper,

knocked out the most
on night one,

including big-name
competitors like Lorin Ball.

Oh!

- The Jumping Spider was
another dangerous obstacle,

eliminating top names
like Anthony DeFranco.

- No!
- No! Speed kills.

- The fifth obstacle,
Parkour Run,

is where many top ninjas,
including Jesse Labreck,

got hung up
and lost valuable time.

- But she's through.
- With tired legs,

competitors will then have
to run up the Warped Wall.

- Gets through it.

- And then dash across this
new balance obstacle,

the Domino Pipes.

- One more to go!

- Finally, it's
the Flying Squirrel.

If competitors can swing
across to the cargo net

and climb to the buzzer
before the clock hits zero...

- Allyssa Beird!

- They're advancing
to stage two.

Guys?

- And we're gonna
kick things off

with one of the craziest
characters from the season.

This is North Carolina's
Rigel Henry.

- Whoo!
- A construction worker

who looks like a movie star.

- People say I totally look
like Spicoli, which is cool.

- You talk about fast times.

- On the Daytona qualifiers...

Boom,
had a little collision.

- Looks like he might have
banged that nose.

- The pain's part of progress.

No pain, no ninja gain.

Yeah!

- Come on, Rigel.

- After Daytona
it was nonstop,

four competitions,
four different states.

So this one competition,

I had to wear
a number on my shirt,

but I don't like
running with a shirt.

- Is that really
in your stomach?

- Boom, it went on the skin.

- Dude, you're a wild man.

- As a rookie I believe

I can make it to the top
of Mount Midoriyama.

I don't drink, I don't smoke,
and I don't stress.

All I need are
some tasty waves,

stage one buzzer, and I'm fine.

- Well, he looks like Spicoli,

but he's definitely
not in high school.

He's married, and his wife

and four-year-old daughter
are on the sidelines.

- Okay, now,
that's a little crazy,

putting pins through his skin?

- First up is Snake Run.

Remember, just 2:35
to complete the course,

and he bounds right through.

- And goes right into obstacle
two, the Propeller Bar.

Has to grab the rope
and swing over

to the landing pad.
Gets through.

- Okay, but here's where it
gets real, the Double Dipper.

- This took out more athletes
than any other obstacle

in night one.

Has to ride that bar down,
then jump to that second bar.

- Oh, my.
- Yeah!

- And he makes it through.

He's going at
a breakneck pace

and going right into
the Jumping Spider.

- Oh, get it...
- Oh!

- Well, it was fast times,

but not the ending Rigel Henry
wanted,

and his season is over.

- Timing is key
on the Jumping Spider.

You want to have your arms
and legs hit at the same time,

but look at his right foot.

He just missed
and couldn't recover,

and his season is over.

- Well, Rigel Henry
had some great hair;

our next athlete
cuts hair for a living.

This is 23-year-old
Benjamin Humphrys,

a hairstylist
from Los Angeles.

- Look at that, signing his
hat and giving it to a fan.

He's big-time now.

- We told you his story
this season.

Humphrys came out to compete
for his brother,

who's autistic,

and this competition has
really brought them closer.

- My brother, Miles,
he just got diagnosed

with having autism.

My brother's now growing up
and being made fun of

just 'cause he's different.

I want to show my brother

that you can accomplish
anything you want

if you try hard enough
and push hard enough.

- Ooh-ooh-hoo, my goodness.

- On the qualifiers,
every time I was like,

"I'm a little tired.
I'ma little stressed"...

- He's fully extended.
- All I could hear

is my brother screaming.

- Yeah!
- It helped.

- Yes! He's done it,
as his brother watches.

- He hit the buzzer,

and I was a whole entirely
emotional after that moment.

- Miles, what's making you
so emotional? Come on over.

- Come on, Miles.

- I really am proud of him.

- After the episode aired,

he's a lot more
confident in himself.

- I may even want
to do it someday.

- I see that he wants more,

wants to go places,
meet people,

just get out
of his box a little.

- I can't wait to see
my brother

take on the course in Vegas.

- I have to hit the buzzer.

Miles, my stage one
run's for you.

- There's Miles on
the sideline with mom.

- Miles looks nervous.

Humphrys, one of the many
impressive rookies

from this season,

gets through Snake Run.
Miles is happy.

- Yeah, he still
looks nervous though.

- Now it's obstacle two,
the Propeller Bar.

- Oh!
- Shoot! Whoa!

- A hard fall for Humphrys.

Luckily he's okay; and Miles,
heartbroken, but what a run.

Unfortunately, an abrupt end
for Benjamin Humphrys.

- Let's watch this again
in real time.

You know, he got twisted
around

and really smacked
the water on the fall.

And then when you watch it
in slo-mo,

you can see he got
his arms over the bar

but just couldn't hang on,

and that's an 18-foot fall
from up there.

- We're just getting started
on night two

of the national finals,

and it's gonna be
an all-star shootout.

- Get your popcorn ready.
- She made history last year.

- Ooh!
- Yes!

Can Jessie Graff conquer
this course once again?

This woman redefining strong.

- And the top two competitors
from last season,

Daniel Gil and Drew Drechsel,

dual to be the fastest
on stage one.

- Whoo!

- And it's a going-away party
for Kacy Catanzaro

as the ninja world says
good-bye to a legend.

- There will never be
another Mighty Kacy.

- When "American Ninja
Warrior" returns.

- Welcome back to night two

.of the national finals
in Las Vegas.

While we were away, three more
ninjas took on stage one.

Oceanside, California's
Steve Seiver

was fired up for his
first time

on the course in Las Vegas.

- Yeah!

- But his big group
of supporters

had little to cheer about

as he lost his balance
on Snake Run.

No!

The first obstacle,
Steve Seiver.

Atlanta musician Craig Richard

had his own problems
on Snake Run.

- Ooh, get out of there.
- And though he recovered,

his run ended seconds later
on the Propeller Bar.

- Ooh!
- Oh!

- Boom, he does a backflip!

- Jeri D'Aurelio, a captain
in the Army JAG Corps,

made it past those first
two obstacles... good

leap there... but like many
of our athletes last week,

she couldn't quite grab

that second bar
on the Double Dipper.

- Nice speed, good.

Oh!

- Up next is another ninja
serving our country.

This is Coast Guard rescue
swimmer Robin Pietschmann.

He's a five-time veteran
back in the national finals

for the third time.

As usual, he's got his wife,
Ashley, on the sidelines,

but he'll also have his dad,

who's come from
the Czech Republic

to watch him compete
for the very first time.

- My dad's coming from
the other side of the world.

He's coming from right
in the middle of Europe

and flying to Vegas,

and he's gonna cheer me on.

It's gonna be awesome
to see his smile,

and I know he'll be
proud of me,

and he'll be excited for me.

Well, his dad

doesn't speak English.

Robin moved to America
with his mom when he was 13.

His dad stayed behind
in the Czech Republic.

- Pietschmann based in Hawaii
for the coast guard,

so he's used to this
hot Vegas weather.

- He's never made it past the
fifth obstacle on stage one,

up quickly
on the Propeller Bar.

- This guy jumps out
of helicopters

as a rescue swimmer.

- Now facing this epic new
obstacle, Double Dipper.

This actually came from our
obstacle design challenge

and nine-year-old Hannah W.
from Concord, California.

- Nice, nice, perfect.

Boy, he's got dad with
a big old smile on his face.

- And goes right into
the Jumping Spider,

and sticks the mount,

now needs to stay wedged

between the walls for
20 feet to the other side.

- And he's got a fast pace
going,

just under 2:00 left
to finish the course.

- Pietschmann the first
to get through

the Jumping Spider tonight.

Now our first look tonight
at Parkour Run.

Five steeply angled steps
which lead to a rope swing.

- Ooh, watch yourself.
- Good recovery.

- All right, good.
- He knows about saving people.

Now he's just got
to save himself here.

- Oh!
- Nice.

- Got it. Good time left too.

This is the farthest he's
ever made it on stage one,

and he'll be the first tonight
to face the Warped Wall.

This curved run-up
makes it more difficult.

- Ooh.

- The legs look real
heavy there, Akbar.

- Yeah, you can see
he's breathing heavy. Yeah.

- He's looking gassed but gets
up, and he'll give us

our first look tonight
at the Domino Pipes.

- Yeah, those pipes will fall
over like dominos

as you run across
the top of them.

- Got to have
precise foot placement.

- Whoa!
- Yeah!

- He's through, just one
more obstacle to go,

the Flying Squirrel;
has to use those handles

to swing all the way over
to the cargo net.

- You got to get the
big swing, big swing.

Oh!

- Had plenty of time left.

Pietschmann just misses
on the final obstacle,

and the rescue swimmer
ends up wet.

- He got past the fifth
obstacle, Parkour Run,

for the first time,

and Pietschmann looked like
he was cruising to buzzer,

but watch his left hand.

He just missed on the second
set of handles

at the Flying Squirrel,

and his season is done.

- Up next, one of our
most exciting athletes.

It's the Muscle Ball,
Tyler Yamauchi.

- Wow, look out.
- This 5'1" former gymnast

is making his
second straight appearance

on stage one.

Last year he had a memorable
run, but came up just short.

- Well, you're gonna need some
Jean-Claude Van Damme

type of splits here.

- Ooh!
- Wow, just like that.

- And the Muscle Ball
makes history.

- At stage one last year,

I set the new record for being
the shortest person

through the Jumping Spider.

- Keep it Gucci, Yamauchi!

- Got to the Warped Wall.

My steps were a little bit
off my first attempt.

- Oh, just misses.

As he just seems spent.

- And I paid for it.

I had no...
nothing left in the tank.

I gassed out
on the Warped Wall.

This year it's different.

I'm doing a lot more squats,
doing a lot more

leg conditioning, circuits,

and a lot more
Warped Wall runs.

I'm gonna make history again.

I'm gonna be the shortest man

to ever hit the buzzer
tonight.

- Tyler's wife is back in
Chicago with their two kids.

But he has his parents and
his brother and sister-in-law

on the sidelines.

Well, he's our shortest
male competitor.

Even the steps of Snake Run

can be a little more
challenging,

but he gets through.

- Now he needs a big bounce up
to the Propeller Bar.

- But no problem for
the former colligate gymnast.

He was an All-American
at the University of Illinois.

- And check this out, Matt.

He can barely reach up to
the bar on the Double Dipper.

Remember, 5'1",
let that body fly.

Nice and light, look at him.

- Wow! He just floated
through the air.

- Whoo!
- I want to see that again.

Look at how high he gets.
His knees almost hit the bar.

He nearly caught that
with his underarms.

- Now the Jumping Spider.
- Can he do it again?

- Matt, he's got to stretch
his 61-inch frame in

Wow.

- Look at that, all 61 inches.

- And Tyler Yamauchi
is rolling here,

plenty of time for
these final four obstacles.

Up first, Parkour Run.

- He's got to open his gait
here on Parkour Run.

5'1", yes, stretch it
all the way out.

- Great control.

Great athleticism,
the gymnast,

so good at body awareness,

and now the slow roll,
gets the dismount.

Making it look easy,
but now the moment of truth.

It's the Warped Wall,

the same one he couldn't
get up last season.

Beat that wall!
Beat that wall! Beat that wall!

- Take another five or ten.
- You got plenty of time.

- One of his training
partners, Ethan Swanson,

yelling out the time.

- Yeah, he's taking a minute
to regroup,

but you can't wait too long.

- Down to a minute.

- Come on, go. Nice!
- And he's got it!

Oh, and gives it a kiss!

Now two more obstacles to go.

Up next, the Domino Pipes.

- He's got to take
big strides.

Ooh, barely even moved it.

- Right into Flying Squirrel,

Yamauchi leaving nothing
to chance.

- Matt, you could see he saved
all of his energy for this.

- Got it, and this is where
the gymnast has such

- excellent body control.
- Are you kidding me?

- The man known
as the Muscle Ball

is rolling through stage one.

- Once he got past the Warped
Wall, he turned on the jets!

- He's the shortest athlete
to ever complete stage one,

and he's our first
finisher tonight.

- I'm dry still, baby.

- And a message to his
three-year-old daughter,

daddy's still dry.

- What a difference
a year makes.

Tyler conquers the Warped Wall
and seals it with a kiss.

After that, he cruised
through the final obstacle,

and the Muscle Ball
is rolling to stage two.

- Coming up,
she's been close before.

- Oh, just an inch.

- Now Meagan Martin wants
to get a buzzer in Vegas.

- I'm gonna do everything
in my power to get there.

- Plus Jessie Graff's gone off
and joined the circus.

- It was just so amazing
to get to finally do it.

- See what's behind her latest
high-flying adventure

on the national finals
of "American Ninja Warrior."

- Jessie Graff!
- She's gonna make history!

. - Herstory!

- The first woman ever
to complete stage one!

That was one year ago
when Jessie Graff

became the first woman

to finish
this stage one course.

Tonight she'll try
to do it again.

Right now
she's with Kristine.

- Jessie, you were the first
woman ever to clear stage one,

and then you cleared stage two
in USA Versus the World.

You've done quite a lot
of things out here.

How does it feel
to be back in Vegas?

- It's so exciting.

I was actually really nervous
a couple days ago,

but being here
with all my ninja friends

and seeing... this course
looks so fun,

and I think I've gotten into
the right headspace,

and I'm just really excited
to hit the course.

- Well, I'm so excited to see
what you're gonna

do this season.
Good luck to you.

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

- Well, up next is another
woman who's made history

here in Vegas.

This is Boulder,
Colorado's Meagan Martin.

She's a rock climber, a model,
and an all-star ninja athlete,

and she gets her strength
from her parents.

- Tight feet, here we go.

- Hit it, hit it, hit it,
hit it, hit it, hit it.

- It's great to be able
to look over

and have my dad and my mom
cheering me on in every run.

I'm obsessed
with both my parents.

I think they're so much fun.

Like, I would totally hang out
with them all the time,

but they're, like, busy, like,

being in love and, like,
doing their own thing.

Because my dad has
a gymnastics background,

he definitely understands
and respects what I do.

What my parents have instilled
in me is to always work hard,

so whether it's for
a rock climbing competition,

my modeling career, or
for "American Ninja Warrior."

- Wow, what return there.
- I'm excited both my parents

will be on the sidelines
for me in Vegas

because it gives me strength.

- But makes it through.
- The last three years

I've failed at stage one.

- The log is sliding,
and... shoot!

- But I'm gonna hit
the buzzer tonight.

- Come on, Meagan!
- Come on, Meggy!

- There's Meagan's mom and dad
back on her sidelines,

and almost all
the other competitors

will be watching this run.

A couple of years ago
Meagan went farther

than any other woman
on stage one,

but she hasn't been able
to get past the Warped Wall.

She believes this
will be her year.

Now stepping up
to the Propeller Bar.

- She's being very careful
early on.

She needs to get moving.

- A good jump up, oh,
but misses the rope;

has to go around again.

- Ooh.

- Meagan Martin, though,
has to take another pass.

- Oh, boy.
- Oh, boy, that's a lot of time.

That thing is moving
in slow motion.

- And that is so frustrating.
- But she can't panic.

This is where having
her parents

on the sideline
can help keep her calm.

- Come on, Meagan!
- You've got it. You've got it!

- Well, we know
she's got strength,

but you have to get the timing
right

on this Double Dipper.

A little trouble getting it
started,

and the clock ticking.

Oh, no, uneven!

- Ooh, sideways, sideways,
correct your body.

oh, correct... yeah!

- How did she save that?
- What? Oh!

- Oh, my!
- What?

- But she's down to 1:28,
and she needs to get going.

Remember,
she was the first woman

ever to get through
the Jumping Spider.

We know she can do this.

- And got it again,
got it again.

- Locked in, the She-Wolf
needs to get rolling though.

- All right.
- She can still do this,

but she can't afford
any more mistakes.

No time to rest
for Meagan Martin.

Up next, Parkour Run.

And she's down to just
a minute left

with four obstacles
and a hesitation.

- Stay calm. Stay calm.

I got to stay calm
for Meagan Martin here. Nice.

- Bounding through it.
- Nice.

- Well, she's gonna have to
start to sell out here.

- Yeah, she's got to go
all-in.

She cannot miss this turn.
Ooh.

- Oh, my, missed
the landing area.

We saw this happen
with Jesse Labreck last week,

and the clock just
ticking away, so frustrating.

- Oh!
- 35 seconds.

Well, at this point
it would be great for her

just to beat the Warped Wall,
something she's never done.

- Come on!
- Now go!

- This is the third time
she's faced the Warped Wall

on stage one.
She's never completed it.

- Meagan, you got to hurry!
- Under 30 seconds.

This may be the best
she can hope for.

- Come on, come on, Meagan.
- Oh.

- Oh, no.
- Come on, Meagan!

- And a frustrating run
for the She-Wolf.

The Propeller Bar
is where it went wrong.

- I'd like to see her
just get up that Warped Wall.

- Yes, she's done it!

Well, the clock expires,

but Meagan Martin
got up the Warped Wall.

- Good job!
- Still a strong run.

Two years ago that would
have been history-making,

but tonight

it's a disappointment
for Meagan Martin.

- First she got hung up
on the Propeller Bar,

and then again on Parkour Run,

and it just ate up
too much time,

but on the positive side,
she made it past this

Warped Wall, further than
she's ever gone before.

- And she's standing
by with Kristine.

- Meagan, I know how badly
you wanted

to get up the Warped Wall.

You've gone out on that,
timed out on that twice.

Does that give you
any sort of satisfaction?

- Oh, definitely.

I'm definitely satisfied
that I got up the Warped Wall.

I mean, life's about little
progresses, and, you know,

I've known I could do that wall
for the last couple years,

so I was happy to get there.

- Well, you're always
so fun to watch,

and we're very excited
to see you back next year.

- Thank you.
- Guys, back to you.

- Coming up, she's
a 5-foot-tall gymnast

who became a huge inspiration
to a new generation of ninjas.

- I want to be like Kacy
when I grow up.

- But now Kacy Catanzaro's
saying good-bye,

and we're there for what
may be her final run.

And up next, he runs
for a higher cause.

- I spend a lot of time
in church, in prayer,

and a lot of time in the gym.

- The Papal Ninja, Sean Bryan,
hits the course

when "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

- Welcome back to
the national finals

.of "American Ninja Warrior"
here in Las Vegas.

"American Ninja Warrior"
is brought to you in part

by our friends at SB Nation.

And we had a nail-biting
finish here moments ago.

- Get it. Get it.
- Wichita Falls,

Texas barback
Brandon Pannell

had never made it past the
Jumping Spider until tonight.

The confidence
growing for Pannell.

The four-time veteran
looked like

he was finally going to get
a finish on stage one

until he ran into disaster
on the Domino Pipes.

- Oh!
- Oh, but saved.

- Ooh.
- Can he fight through it?

After losing almost 30 seconds

as he scrambled to get back
on the course,

it went down
to the wire... five seconds!

And Pannell came up
a few seconds short.

- Matt, that one hurts.
- Well, there's a sea

of yellow and white
in the stands,

and that can
only mean one thing.

It's time for the Papal Ninja.

This is Berkeley,
California's Sean Bryan,

a Catholic Church worker
who's rapidly becoming

a favorite among ninja fans

and Catholics
around the world.

And though he's a serious
athlete,

his faith comes first.

- I'm what they call a cradle
Catholic.

That's being baptized while
you're still in the cradle.

I guess you could say
the same thing

about my gymnastics life.

I started when I was a toddler,
and I went all

the way up through
NCAA championships

with UC Berkeley.

♪ ♪

I've always looked for ways
to express my identity

as an athlete
and as a man of faith,

and no other platform
has been better

than "American Ninja Warrior."

♪ ♪

I spend a lot of time
at church and in prayer,

but I also spend
a lot of time in the gym.

I work on my mind,
and I work on my body,

and it seems to be working.

I've been getting all sorts
of feedback on social media

saying, "You're a good
role model for my kids.

"You've inspired me
to lose weight.

You've inspired me
to go back to church."

And that's really encouraging.

I pray for strength.

I pray that I do my best
and I hit that buzzer,

and I pray that God
shines through all this

to inspire others
and to give them hope.

This is my calling.

♪ ♪

- Many of the priests
he works with

are on the sidelines,
along with parents

and almost 30 friends
and family in the stands.

Wearing the yellow and white,

those are the official
colors of the Vatican.

He's got to be such
an inspiration

to young Catholics.

- Very impressive
in the L.A. city finals. Wow!

- Wow, that's a big jump
right there.

And remember, he's an athlete.

He was a top gymnast
at Cal Berkeley.

- And quickly through, heading
up to the Double Dipper.

- Nice!

- Here's Najee Richardson
wearing the colors,

among the many on
the Sean Bryan bandwagon.

As a gymnast, expect him
to control that bar,

a little uneven.

- Ride with the stars, baby.
- Ride with the stars.

That was excellent work out
of Sean Bryan,

right into the Jumping Spider.

- Matt, it's a good thing
he's 5'10"

because he almost didn't
make it into that chute.

- Well, he was the fastest
in the L.A. city finals,

and he is looking strong

in his first attempt
on stage one,

as he's through
the Jumping Spider.

- Go!
- Catching his breath,

now has to face Parkour Run.

- Breathe, Sean!
- Najee helping his pal.

They've competed against
each other as gymnasts.

- Make that turn on
the Parkour Run now.

- So smooth.
- Rock that momentum shift.

- Getting low on the rope,

he just missed
the landing platform.

- Ooh, coming around
for another ride.

- Wow, but makes it through.
- Now the Warped Wall.

- Good job.
- That took up some time.

That's a decent amount
of time.

- Well, 1:13 left, and he is
looking a bit winded.

An aggressive start
seems to have caught up

with the Papal Ninja.

Beat that wall!
Beat that wall!

- But no problem, and his army
of followers getting excited

as he's getting closer
to the buzzer.

Just two obstacles left.

Up next, the Domino Pipes.

- He's got a physics degree
from Cal Berkeley.

He can figure this out.

Dancing dominos, oh,
he jumped over the last one.

- He's got one of the biggest
crowds of the night.

- And they are ready
to explode

as he takes
on the Flying Squirrel.

Control your breathing.
You're so close.

- He makes the first grab.

Look at the power
out of this gymnast.

High transition.

- Well, that gave him the time
that he needed, Matt.

- Well, his prayers
have been answered.

Sean Bryan, the Papal Ninja,
is moving on to stage two.

And he finishes off
with a handstand.

His faithful followers
are going crazy.

His mom, just grateful.

- Sean Bryan
started off strong,

skipped over steps
at Snake Run,

and went flying through
the Double Dipper,

and with this yellow
and white crowd on their feet,

he made it to the buzzer

and no doubt made
the Pope proud.

He's going to stage two.

- And gets a round of hugs
from the family.

Sean Bryan's making the most
of his first trip to Vegas.

Well, in the national finals

it's one great ninja
after another,

and Daniel Gil is one of them.

We'll see the Kingdom Ninja's
run a bit later,

and we've had some drama
in earlier runs.

- Big numbers in front of
his face. He's got to go hard.

- In his first time
in the national finals

Denver's Concrete Ninja,
Bart Copeland,

made it to
the Flying Squirrel...

- He knows it, Matt.
- He's gassed out.

- But ran out of time.

Oh!

Cypress, Texas, Grant Clinton
also cut it close,

but he made it just in time

to join the list
of finishers on stage one.

- That's it, baby.

- And Minnesota's
Hunter Guerard, a rookie,

turned in one of the fastest
times of the night.

- Matt, now, that's a guy

I can't wait to see
on stage two.

- But there's 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
took their shot at stage one.

California's Big Ben Antoine
got big support

from his pompom-waving mom.

- Go, Ben!

- But the engineer from Boeing

didn't have
the right aerodynamics

for the Double Dipper.

- Ooh, yow, so close.

- Ryan Souter was the only
member left

from Utah's Souter Seven
family of competitors.

- Yeah!

- With the rest of the family
on the sidelines

or watching on FaceTime,

the final Souter ended his
season in the Jumping Spider.

- Oh, no!

- And the Souter Seven
officially all done.

Ninja veteran Brian Arnold

came in
with an impressive streak

of five straight finishes
on stage one.

- And he's having fun.
- Look at him on Double Dipper.

- The Colorado native
made it six in a row,

the longest current streak
among ninjas.

He's done it!

- Yeah!

- Up next is the ultimate
walk-on warrior.

This is Casidy Marks,
and over the past three years

he's spent almost two months
in the walk-on line,

13 days in Orlando
two years ago,

24 days last year in Atlanta,

and 19 days this year
in Daytona Beach,

so he's thrilled
to be competing

in the national finals

and to be sharing
this moment with his mom.

- I was born in Hawaii.

My parents, you know,
weren't together all the time,

so, you know,
eventually they split,

and I left with my mom.

She started to struggle
with her own personal issues,

and eventually she actually
had to move my two brothers

and I in with my grandparents
where they then raised us.

- I was not doing well,

but thankfully
I have wonderful parents,

and they pushed me through.

- She wasn't able to raise me,

but she really turned
her life around,

and we both have
a really great bond now.

- He's got a wonderful fiancee,

and he's just got
a wonderful life ahead of him,

and I'm just so proud of him.

- Yeah.
- Yes.

- It's been a long journey,

and to have it
come down to this,

me competing in the finals,

having her cheer me on,
it means a ton.

- And there's mom in the
middle along with Casidy's dad

on the left and his fiancee
on the right.

It's always great to see
these walk-ons have success,

and wow, he just skipped
that last step.

Now moving on
to the Propeller Bar.

- Well, Matt, he's 5'11"...
oh, no!

- His first run in Vegas
is a short one.

Casidy Marks splashes down
on the Propeller Bar.

- He got good height
coming off the trampoline

and got his hands over the bar

but couldn't lock them down,
and watch this flip.

He goes completely upside-down
as he hits the water.

- Up next
is a ninja legend.

It's the Godfather,
Santa Cruz, California's

David Campbell.

He's competed on every season
of "American Ninja Warrior"

and was the first to build
a backyard ninja course.

He's truly revolutionized
training for this sport,

but in the last few years

stage one has
been a nightmare.

- So the last four times
I've been in Las Vegas

I've just made silly mistakes
on stage one.

Season four I failed
the Spinning Bridge.

- A stumble,
David Campbell out.

- Season five I ended up

timing out
just before the buzzer.

- Oh, no!
- Time's out.

- Season six I just slipped
right off the landing pad

of the Silk Slider.

- Unbelievable!

- And season seven I just made
a short step on the Coin Flip.

- Oh!
- Oh, oh, go...

- Oh, no!

- You learn a lot more
from your failures

than you do from winning,

so I have learned a lot
at this point.

- David Campbell's
stage one woes continue.

- Hopefully this time is an end
to that Vegas curse.

- Go, David.
- Go, David.

- He's got some ninja
heavyweights cheering him on.

From the right,
that's Jessie Graff,

Brian Kretsch, James McGrath,

and David's girlfriend,
Claire,

all wearing the Ninja
Godfather shirts.

- Campbell's now 39 years old.

He's trying to prove
he can still

run with the young fellas.

- Well, he really changed
how ninjas trained

with that first
backyard course.

Many of these athletes
truly look up to him.

This is a guy who once
set the standard

at "American Ninja Warrior,"

and now many are wondering if
the sport has passed him by.

- He's made it as far
as stage three,

but it's been a few years.

He's trying to make
a comeback at 39.

- And he's going
back and forth

on how to grip
the Double Dipper.

- You got it, David.
- There you go.

- Finally settling on
his hand placement.

- All right, here we go.

It's a new obstacle for him,
but he knows to adjust.

- Oh, and just makes it
to the pad.

- That was close.
- And he knows it.

A sigh of relief from Campbell
as he's moving on

to the Jumping Spider.

Godfather locks it in,
and you know deep down

it would mean so much to him
to make it back to stage two.

- Well, you can tell too.

He's not as intense
as he used to be,

I think realizing that
he's getting older and needs

to enjoy
"American Ninja Warrior."

- Pauses for just a moment
before taking on Parkour Run.

Great strategy,
great technique.

- Yup, yeah, that's probably
as clean

as we've seen anyone
go through Parkour Run.

- Perfect dismount.
- I want to say Campbell's

rediscovering
his confidence here.

- Godfather running through
stage one like a gangster.

- And right up the wall,

and now on to Domino Pipes,
a new obstacle,

but he's had his trouble
on balance obstacles

here on stage one.

- He went out at this point
two years ago.

- If he makes it through this,

it will be the farthest
he's been since season five.

- Don't think. Come on!
- Stay on top!

- Campbell two obstacles away
from lifting the curse.

- Here we go. Here we go.
- Here we go.

- Perfect!
- Nice.

- Oh, my, how much would this
mean to David Campbell

to get back to stage two?

- It ain't over
until it's over.

- Well, we saw
42-year-old Travis Rosen

finish the course last week.

Can 39-year-old
David Campbell join him?

Watch this transition,
both hands locked on.

- Nice.
- Got it!

- The 39-year-old, 39 seconds.
- Oh, he can smell it now.

- Well, how much
he's put into this sport,

how much he helped it grow,

how great is it
to see him once again...

- The Godfather.

- Hitting a buzzer
on stage one.

- About time.

- David Campbell going back
to stage two

for the first time
in five years.

- He had a little stumble at
the end of the Double Dipper,

but once through, he had
a smile on his face

and coasted the rest
of the way.

The streak is over,

and the Godfather
is going back to stage two.

- Coming up...
- Yeah!

- She made history

and inspired a new generation
of women and men.

- And I was like,
"You know what?

If she can do it, I can do it."

- Now we're saying good-bye
to Kacy Catanzaro.

Plus... oh, my goodness... he went
farther than anyone last year.

- That's a real ninja.

- And Drew Drechsel
wants it all this season.

- This is my fourth year
in Vegas.

I'm gonna hit four buzzers.

- And later, she's a cover
girl and a ninja superstar.

Yes!

But now Jessie Graff's trying
out a new career

in the circus.

- Ladies and gentlemen,
Jessie Graff!

- See her dream come true

when "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

- Welcome back to Las Vegas
and the national finals

of "American Ninja Warrior."

Well, right now, Akbar,
this is shaping up

to be a history-making night.

- Yeah, these are
the top ninjas,

and they are tearing up
this course.

Right now they are on pace for
a record number of finishers.

- He's gonna do it!

- Just in the last few minutes
we've seen veteran Jamie Rahn.

- Yeah!

- A fantastic run
out of Captain NBC.

- And nine-time ninja veteran
Ryan Stratis hit the buzzer.

- Ryan Stratis is going back

- to stage two.
- Yeah!

- And our biggest ninja, 6'6"
and 215-pound Jody Avila

also made it to the end,

bringing the total
to 30 so far.

- Howl, Big Dog.
- Whoo!

- And remember, we set
the record two years ago

with 38 finishers.

- Dropping the hammer
on the buzzer.

- That was the year
we had two athletes,

Geoff Britten,
and Isaac Caldiero,

go all the way to stage four,

and we crowned our first-ever
million-dollar winner,

so we may be setting up
for a big finale next week.

- And up next may be
the top rookie

among our women competitors.

This is Visalia, California's
Zhanique Lovett.

She had never competed
before this season,

and now she's one of the 12
women finalists here in Vegas,

and her rise in
"Ninja Warrior"

is part of a big comeback
in her life.

- At 17 years old I found out
I was pregnant

with my first child.

My daughter was 14 months old

when her dad
decided to leave me.

I developed an eating disorder
and became anorexic.

It was horrible.

I hit rock bottom, but then
I met my future husband.

- When I met Zhanique,
she had come through

some pretty traumatic
experiences.

That's one of the things
that kind of helped us

to bridge our friendship
into something deeper.

- My husband encouraged me
to go to counseling.

I slowly recovered,

and I started
putting that focus

on becoming a bodybuilder.

When I used to look
in the mirror,

I would see someone
that was fat and ugly.

Now when I look in the mirror,
I see someone strong,

healthy, fit, and beautiful.

- My wife has had mountains
in front of her

since she was a child.

She's gonna conquer this
because she's already conquered

a lot of hurts already.

- Whoo.

- I like the power
out of Zhanique.

- I always felt like,
when I was a kid,

that there was some type
of star in me.

- Look at this!
- Wow.

- But going through all that
hell, I couldn't see it then.

- Look at that.
- Oh, my!

- Oh, I like this!

- I feel like
"American Ninja Warrior"

is showing the world
that I'm a star.

- Zhanique magnifique!
- Incredible.

And there's Zhanique's
husband, Joseph,

and the whole family,

including their son,
Joseph Jr.,

who was doing flips all
through her runs back in L.A.

She's got a big group
of supporters in the stands.

Well, Zhanique Lovett,
such a te...

- Ooh!
- Oh, good save.

- Don't you go out early
on me.

Come on, Zhanique.

- Moving on
to the Propeller Bar.

Lovett... oh, a good one
on the Propeller Bar,

and now this mother
of three moves up

to take on
the Double Dipper.

- You got this, sis!
- You got it, babe!

- 5'6" and just solid muscle,

but you got to get the timing
right on the Double Dipper.

Finesse, finesse, finesse.

- Oh!
- No!

- Can't make the transfer,
and unfortunately,

the incredible run of Zhanique
Lovett comes to an end.

- It's okay, babe.
- Let's take another look.

Zhanique was gripping
that first bar a little tight

and doesn't get a good launch,

so she can't quite reach
that second bar.

- I guess I gripped it wrong
or didn't let off soon enough.

Shoot, that sucks.

- Up next is one of the most
impressive rookies

from this season.

This is Newnan, Georgia's
Tyler Gillett.

He's a sandwich delivery
driver and ninja super fan

who dreamed of competing,

and when he turned 21
this year,

became old enough
to compete,

he made the most of it.

Look at this rookie.

- Running the course
in Daytona was amazing.

I've been waiting such
a long time for that moment.

- The 21-year-old, a run
seven years in the making.

- I started training
for "American Ninja Warrior"

when I was about 14.

Here we have me and my friend
Seth's "Ninja Warrior"

training grounds.

It didn't really take me
too long to where I realized,

you know, I think I can make
this into something serious

and really, really
start training for it.

- Staring down the Warped
Wall.

Yes! He's done it!

- Was it everything you'd
hoped it would be?

- No, it was better.

I'm so excited right now.

This is the best day
of my life.

After competing in Daytona,
I had a storm come through

and destroy my backyard course.

There's nothing here anymore.
It's all gone.

And then I had a terrible
outbreak of poison ivy

and then, to top it all off,
chicken pox.

All of my bad luck

I had to get out of the way
before I got here.

After watching "American Ninja
Warrior" for seven years,

to be here in Vegas,

it's like I'm a kid
in a candy store.

I may be a rookie, but I see
myself on top of that mountain.

- There's his number-one fan,
his mom on the sidelines

along with his sister
and some friends,

and he's got a big crowd
in the stands from Georgia.

It's been awesome to watch

this new generation
of athletes

who've grown up watching
this sport, training for it,

just waiting to turn 21

so they can come out here
and compete.

- And a lot of these guys

didn't play
traditional sports.

They've only been
ninja training,

and Tyler Gillett is a part
of that new generation.

- You got it!

- And now the Double Dipper.

We've seen a lot of
more experienced athletes

go out on this obstacle.

- Keep it sharp, clean,
and crisp.

- Tyler Gillett,
a confident run

right there through
the Double Dipper.

5'10", 165.

- Ooh.

- Locks in on
the Jumping Spider.

- Can you imagine?

This guy was delivering
sandwiches a few days ago,

and now he's in Vegas
under the bright lights,

and he doesn't look
worried at all.

- And moving on
to Parkour Run.

Two years ago it was Daniel
Gil and Thomas Stillings

as the outstanding rookies.

Last year it was
Josh Levin and Adam Rayl.

Tyler Gillett trying to lead
this year's freshman class.

- Some of the rookies can be
intimidated by stage one.

I don't see that
intimidation in Tyler Gillett.

- And he gets through.
- Come on!

- You got this!
- Now the Warped Wall,

always much tougher
with tired legs

and this shorter,
curved run-up.

- First time, first time.
- But no problem.

- Started watching
when he was 14,

and now just two obstacles
away

from completing stage one.

- Well, he's just breezing
through this

very difficult course.

- But now
the Domino Pipes.

- Wow.
- Right through!

Only one obstacle left.

His family knows how much
this means to him now.

Just needs to survive the
Flying Squirrel,

and he's up.

- Look at him!
- He doesn't even look tired.

He's not panicking.
Who is this guy?

- And he's got it!
- Nice!

- Seven years ago he dreamed
of competing,

and now he's living proof
that dreams come true,

from his backyard

to hitting a buzzer
in the national finals.

- Oh, boy, he's gonna do it.

- What a run by Tyler Gillett,

this young gun.

- Seven years of training
and dreaming,

got your first buzzer
in Las Vegas.

- Yeah! Whoo!

- Yeah!

- What emotion out of Tyler.
- He is moving on to stage two.

- He was pumped!
- It's his first year competing,

and he's never been
on stage one,

but Tyler Gillett had
no problem with any of this,

and he was lit
when he hit that buzzer.

I love the emotion
out of the rookie.

- He's standing by
with Kristine.

- Tyler, congratulations.

You've been training
for this for how long?

- Oh, seven years about.
- Oh, it's incredible.

I mean, I'm just
so blessed to be here.

Like, it's insane,
dream come true,

and I know that I could do it.

I know everybody here's
capable of doing it,

but you got to be on point,

so I was just praying

and hoping that tonight
was my night, so...

- When you started watching
"American Ninja Warrior"

seven years ago, did you ever
think that this might happen?

- Yeah. I mean, I envisioned
it since the first day

I turned it on the TV.

I was like, "I'm doing that.
I'm gonna be there,"

but it's all, like,
coming to fruition.

- Well, we're really excited
for you,

a rookie,
an amazing performance.

- Congratulations.
- Thank you.

- Matt and Akbar, back to you.

- And there's Mighty Kacy,
Kacy Catanzaro

warming up for what
could be her final run

on "American Ninja Warrior."

It'll be a big moment,

and that's coming up
in just a bit.

Plus, Adam Rayl's lifting up
more than slabs of concrete.

- There you go.
- This rising ninja star

has a new number-one fan.

- I hope that everything that
I'm doing can keep continuing

to inspire kids like him.

Knuckles.

- When "American Ninja
Warrior" returns."

- Welcome back to night
two of the national finals

.of "American Ninja Warrior."

While we were away,
three more athletes

made their debut on stage one.

Tucson's Rebekah Bonilla
came out with confidence.

- Whoa! Boy, she turned
on that Snake Run.

- But the real estate agent
couldn't get her hands

on the Propeller Bar
and went out in style.

Oh!

- San Antonio's Brian
Burkhardt was going so fast

he nearly tumbled off the
course at the Double Dipper.

- Oh, wow.
- Good save.

Seconds later,
the law student's season

ended at the Jumping Spider.

- Oh!
- Oh!

- No! What?

- After four seasons,
Massachusetts' Dave Cavanagh

was making his first
appearance

in the national finals.

- Oop, stop it.
- Nice.

- And the firefighter
absolutely torched the course,

finishing with one of
the fastest times so far.

What a moment,
how sweet it's got to be.

- Whoo! Yes! Yes!

- Well, our next competitor

is one of the rising stars
of ninja competition.

It's Phoenix concrete worker
Adam Rayl.

He's one of only nine athletes
to hit a buzzer

in a city finals this year,

and while he's known
for his huge arms,

he's also got a big heart.

- So let's do a little bit
of jogging, okay?

- Okay.
- High knees, high knees.

A lady reached out to me
through Instagram.

She has a nephew,
and his name is Cole,

and he's a super fan
of the show.

Just keep moving.

She asked if I'd be willing
to train him for just an hour,

and so we pretty much
hit it off

and had a great connection
right from the start.

You ready
for the big-boy stuff?

- Yeah.
- Pull and go. And go.

- I like that
he's really strong,

and he performs really good,
and he's really fast.

- Cole has autism and has
anxiety issues at times.

Push, push, push.

But when it comes
to "Ninja Warrior,"

somehow this sport
brings out

this focused,
motivated, happy,

excited kid who just wants
to just do his best.

That was good. That was
the best one yet.

Knuckles.

- And right up it.
- Oh, ho, ho.

- He actually came
to Los Angeles,

and he got to meet some
of his favorite ninjas,

and I'm proud to say that now

I'm actually
his new favorite ninja.

- Yes!

- It's been a pretty cool
experience,

and I hope that everything
that I'm doing

can keep continuing
to inspire kids like him.

- And there's Cole
along with Adam's family,

and that's his mom, Vicki.

She's always a bundle
of nerves when he runs.

And he's got his fans
from Phoenix,

the Rayl Roadies,
here to cheer him on tonight.

It's his second year on stage
one, bounding through it!

- Matt, this is a top-tier
guy. He's got a background

as a gymnast with incredible
upper body strength.

- Last year, Adam made it to
stage two as a rookie walk-on.

- Oh, mama looked nervous.

Mama, don't worry. Adam Rayl
is on the next rail.

- Good!
- Perfect.

- Good.

- 5'11" and 175, ready to take
on the Jumping Spider.

He's locked in.

Rayl looked dominant in L.A.,

and he's coming out strong
tonight.

- Sometimes you got to,
when you have that it factor,

and we believe that Adam Rayl
is a strong competitor

and could make it
all the way to stage four.

- Steps down to Parkour Run,

and this one's got mom
a little nervous.

Agility obstacles can take out

even the strongest
competitors.

- Whoo. The Parkour...
- Oh, no! What a save!

Oh, my, that upper body
locked around

that fourth stand
and flirting with disaster.

- Whoo.
- But he survives.

Gave his buddy Cole
a scare there,

but now it's the Warped Wall.

Beat that wall!

- Rayl, though, the clock
continues to tick,

three obstacles left,

but now he's up.

Oh, and look at the gymnast
just roll through it.

- Mama can feel it.
- He's only two obstacles away.

- And that's his aunt.

She's as stressed out
as mom is.

He nearly fell on Parkour Run,

and now he's got one
last agility obstacle,

the Domino Pipes.

- Domino dancing here,
domino dancing.

- Yes!
- Domino, yeah!

- And right into it,
no hesitation.

Watch this transfer.

The gymnast getting
good power.

- Get up. Get up high.
- Got it.

- And we may need a medic
for his family.

They are going crazy
on the sidelines.

- Look at these swings, Matt.
- Are you kidding me?

He may fly right over
the cargo net.

- Big transfer.
- Whoo.

- Adam Rayl, well,

near-disaster
on the Parkour Run.

Instead, he's going on
to stage two!

- You know what? He had
a close call on Parkour Run,

nearly gave his mom
a heart attack,

but then he rolled through
the final few obstacles,

and Adam Rayl is
going back to stage two.

- And the Rayl family
can finally relax;

Adam's moving on.

Well, get ready.
It's time for Jessie Graff.

The woman who made history

is about to make her way
to the start line,

and we'll see her run
right after this break.

And it's gonna be
an all-star finish here

on stage one
with Kacy Catanzaro...

- Whoo!
- Daniel Gil...

- Here comes
the Kingdom Ninja.

- Najee Richardson...

- That was crazy.
- And Drew Drechsel.

The fastest time
of the night.

When "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

- Welcome back to Las Vegas
and the second night

.of our national finals.

While we were away,
three more athletes tried

to keep their season alive.

Kansas City tuba player Alex
Carson

was cruising through
his first

run on stage one

until he reached
the Domino Pipes.

- Oh, go for a ride!

- The engineer managed
to save himself

but had nothing left
for the Flying Squirrel.

- He is gassed.
- Look at him. No!

- Four-time ninja veteran
Karson Voiles

ran into trouble on
Parkour Run.

- Ooh!
- Good save.

- But the Utah father
of two finished strong

and made it to the buzzer,

dedicating his run
to his two daughters.

- I love you, baby girls.
- That was for you.

- The Giant, Jon Alexis Jr.,

was gunning for the obstacle
that took him out last year,

the Flying Squirrel.

Waited a year for this moment.

And the 6'6" veteran
got his revenge

and hit his first buzzer
in Vegas.

Moving on to stage two.

- Hey, having fun with it.

- And hoping to keep
the winning streak

going on stage one
is Kyle Mendoza,

the FedEx delivery driver
from St. Charles, Missouri.

- Oh, he's spinning.
- Whoa!

- This guy's definitely
got some skills,

and it's moves like that
that have made him

a viral sensation.

- My nickname
is the FedEx Ninja.

- Wow!
- This guy is fun to watch.

- I've been working for FedEx

for about three years now,
and I'm always on the move.

Online I'm known as "Epic."

I have more than 140,000
followers on YouTube.

Recently I started a new series
on my YouTube channel

called Epic Family Adventures.

My wife does aerial silks.

Yeah. My daughter
loves to climb.

Good job, Briley.

I also turned my dog
into a YouTube sensation.

Jump up, and wall flip,
wall flip. Good girl.

And all my fans
and followers,

they're gonna be
very excited to watch.

You better buckle
your seatbelts.

I'm gonna have an epic run
out on stage one.

- Well, his daughter and
his dog

are watching from home,

but he's throwing his heart

out to his to his wife,
Ashley,

who's cheering
from the sideline.

It's his first time here.

But Mendoza always goes
all out.

- Wow, you see that beginning?
- He just cut right through it.

- And right onto
the Propeller Bar,

and directly to the rope.

Living
dangerously already.

- He's reckless.
- Good recovery, babe.

- But remember,
this is his first time

on all these obstacles,

may want to pause
and take a breath.

- Oh, well, you know,
FedEx's motto is... oh!

Air ball! Air ball!

- Well, he went all out,
and it cost him.

- It's all right, babe.

- Unfortunately, that delivery
is not gonna make it.

Kyle Mendoza out
on the Double Dipper.

- Watch this sweet move
on the Propeller Bar.

He jumps up
and doesn't swing around.

He immediately grabs the rope.

That's a risky move,
but it worked.

But on the Double Dipper
his timing was off,

only one hand out in front,

and he's not even close
to that second bar.

Jessie! Jessie! Jessie!
Jessie! Jessie!

- Up next is maybe the biggest
ninja star on the planet.

It's the stuntwoman
from Calabasas, California,

Jessie Graff.

And what a year she has had.

A year ago she became
the first woman

to finish stage one.

Then in our USA Versus
the World competition

she became the first
to finish stage two,

and she has become
an international celebrity.

In fact, she's on the cover
of this month's

"Women's Health" magazine.

And Jessie even got to fulfill

another lifelong dream
this year.

She ran away
and joined the circus.

- Ready, look up.
- Hup.

And tuck, one, two.

All right, all the way out.

- Ever since I was four
years old I had a bag packed

so that if I ever got
the opportunity

to join the circus,
I could do it.

- So she wrote a letter
to the circus...

- And they actually
wrote her back,

said that she'd have to wait
till she got older.

She was only about ten.

- It was a sad day.

- But Jessie never gave up
on the circus.

- This crowd is on its feet.

- And "American Ninja Warrior"
kept all that alive for her.

- Jessie has experience
on the trapeze bars.

- With all the swing
and the release

and the risk and the balance

and the sense
of accomplishment.

- Jessie Graff has done it!

- Hello, sir.
- Hello.

- I would like to join
the circus, please.

- All right, come on in.

- Okay!

That was way easier
than I expected.

- And now she got a chance

to actually perform
with the circus.

- Hup!

- I had a couple weeks
to prepare.

- Flat, hup. There you go.

- I wanted to try new tricks,

but they kept me focused on,
like, "Hey, you're performing.

This is the trick you're doing.
Let's get it clean."

- Ladies and gentlemen,
boys and girls, Jessie Graff!

♪ ♪

- I'd never performed
flying trapeze before.

It was that dream that I'd had
since I was four years old,

and it was just so amazing
to get to finally do it.

- Let's hear it for Jessie!

- Someday I still want
to travel

with the circus, but not today.

Jessie! Jessie!

- Well, you know, everyone
in Vegas

is gonna be watching
this run,

including Jessie's mom
and all the other ninjas,

including friend
Maggi Thorne...

- Let's go, Jessie!
- And there's Allyssa Beird,

who followed her and
became the second woman

to finish stage one last week.

Jessie will not overlook
this first obstacle.

She fell here in our USA
Versus the World competition,

so she's gonna be careful.
And it pays off.

- Well, now she can let loose.

- Now it's the Propeller Bar,
and what a strong jump.

- Strong grip too.
- She's got a smile on her.

Just look at that.

- We love watching
Jessie Graff compete,

but now it's the unforgiving
Double Dipper.

- Come on, Jess! Come on, Jess!

- This took out her friend,
Maggi Thorne, last week.

- And we just saw her flying
on the circus trapeze.

Needs to use
those skills right here.

- Look at this.
- Great job.

- Look at that, just flying
through the air.

- So easy.

- Yes!
- Yes! Yes!

- Now on to
the Jumping Spider.

Locked in!

This woman trains so many
different disciplines:

of course,
a pole vaulter in college,

stuntwoman, does parkour,
rock climbing.

- Matt, I think we're gonna
see her again on stage two.

Jess! 1:40, 1:40!

- Maggi Thorne shouting
the time to Jessie.

Up next, Parkour Run.

Meagan Martin got
hung up here earlier.

Jessie Labreck
struggled on it last week.

- She's a stuntwoman.
- She knows what she's doing.

- A little high on the rope.
- Get it. Nice.

- But locks it in.
- Boy, she sees it,

calculates it,
and just goes.

- Now the Warped Wall.
- Beat that wall!

- Jessie Graff, not many have
been faster to this point,

and that's what I love
about this woman.

She competes with
the best man or woman.

- Matt, I like to see her take
a rest on the top.

That's it.

- And right up it.

Now another agility test
in the Domino Pipes.

- I'm watching
that clock, Matt.

- Come on, Jessie!
- Come on, Jessie!

- Two obstacles away
from joining Allyssa Beird

on stage two.

- And she's got it!
- Whoo!

- This is why she is
big-time prime time.

- One obstacle away,
the Flying Squirrel,

and what an accomplishment
this would be.

Jessie Graff trying to finish
stage one two years in a row.

- And just like on the circus
trapeze, she is locked in.

- And look at the power
out of Graff.

- Ooh, get up there.

- One more swing to go,
about 25 seconds left.

- No! No! Oh, no!
- What?

- And a reminder that even
Jessie Graff is human.

- What happened?

- Looked like she was
on her way

to a second straight finish,

but even the greats
will stumble.

- Just like last year,
she's got a smile on her face.

Looked like she was home free,

but she came up a little
short on the swing.

Look at this.

She had her hands on the net
but couldn't hang on.

- And right now
Jessie's standing by

with Kristine for the POM
Post-Run Interview.

- Jessie, this is
really surprising.

- Can you believe
I just did that?

- No, I... because I know
that you can do it.

I've seen you do it before.

What happened?
What went wrong?

- You know, I was feeling
really good.

I think I could have pumped
more on that swing, obviously.

I just remembered last year
not being... that's what it was.

I got confident.

I was so high and had
so much distance last year,

and so I thought I had enough
swing and went for it,

and I was like, "There it is.
Oh, there it goes."

But it's... like, you know, what
I always say is overconfidence

is the number-one
ninja killer.

I thought I had it,
and that's why I didn't.

- You're always so much fun
to watch. Thank you.

- Thank you.
- Guys?

- Coming up, no one flies
like the Phoenix.

- He's all the way turnt up!

- Now Najee Richardson wants
to fly even higher in Vegas.

- The Phoenix is going to fly
to the top of Mount Midoriyama.

- Yeah!
- We'll see his run

when "American Ninja Warrior"
returns.

- Welcome back to Las Vegas
and night two

of the national finals.

While we were away,
three more athletes

got their chance
to take on stage one.

Rookie Sara "Beastin'" Heesen

had one of the largest
cheering sections.

- Come on, Sara!

- The Minnesota bartender
made it to the Propeller Bar,

where she added
a splash of water.

- Ooh!
- Oh, no!

- The Science Ninja,
University of Kansas

grad student Mitch Vedepo,

went farther than anyone
in the Kansas City finals.

- Get it! Get it!

- Whoo!
- Real slow.

But tonight,
for the second year in a row,

his season ended
with the Jumping Spider.

- Come on. Stick it.
- Oh, no!

- Oh, again?

- Three-time ninja veteran
Nicholas Coolridge

was making his third
straight appearance

in the national finals.

- He's working it like a boss.

- And the Venice, California
acrobat made it look easy,

becoming the 36th finisher
here on stage one.

- I can't wait to see him

- on stage two.
- Yes, whoo!

- Coolridge is acrobatic,
but our next athlete

can really fly.

This is the Phoenix,
Najee Richardson.

The former gymnast really
blew up last season,

making it to stage two.

This year he's taken
his training

to a whole new level
and a whole new city.

- Stop.
- Come on, don't eat one!

- This season I had a talk
with my girlfriend,

and we decided to move
in together

five minutes from the gym

so that I could really
focus on my passion,

which has become
"American Ninja Warrior."

- Yeah, man.
- I train in the morning,

and I teach classes
of ninja warrior.

Yeah!

And then I train
a little bit again.

- It's slippery.
- Nice. Good, man.

- I watch how hard
he works every day

and how many hours he trains,

and I've never seen
anything like it.

To see him get what
he's been working for,

I can't wait to see it.

- Ooh, come on, Najee warrior.
- He sticks it.

- I'm running for everyone
who has just stood by me

throughout my life,
my parents, my girlfriend.

- Here we go.

- I just want to say
thank you,

and this is my way
of doing it.

Tonight the Phoenix is gonna
rise to the top of stage one.

Yeah!

- And there's McKenzie.
- She'll be on the sideline

along with Najee's parents
and his granddad.

Well, Najee made it
to stage two last season,

and he feels
even better this year.

- Well, that's right, Matt,
and this is my pick to make it

all the way to stage four.

- And look at the big air

he gets going on
to the Propeller Bar.

He showed off
that explosiveness

in our all-star
skills challenge,

going head to head
with Drew Drechsel.

- Get it, Naj! All you!
- And there's Drew.

We'll see him run in a moment,

but right now Najee
facing the Double Dipper.

- We talked a lot about
Najee's gymnastics background.

He's used to working
on the high bar,

and we've seen
how high he can fly.

He's gonna get this.

- Got it. Oh, my!
- Did you see that?

He went right into
a front handspring.

- That was awesome.
- Well, it impressed Drechsel.

Now staring down the Jumping
Spider.

He's locked in.

- He's been training six days
a week to get ready,

and he just looks a lot more
confident than last year.

- Such power here,
setting up for Parkour Run.

- Light on your feet, Naj!

- He's got over 1:30 left,
plenty of time here,

just needs to avoid a mistake.

- Goes for the rope.

- Uh-oh.
- Oh, boy, that's not good.

- A little misstep here.

- Come on, now.
- Good recovery.

Plenty of time
for the Phoenix.

That's the good thing about

flying through this course
the way he has.

- Beat that wall.

- Come on, get up there,
big, big up.

- He gets it.
- Nice.

- No one gets their arms up
above the wall like he does,

and now just
two obstacles to go.

Up next, the balance obstacle,
the Domino Pipes.

- Come on.
- All right, Naj.

- Home stretch, let's do this.

- Watch that foot placement.

- Watch him dance.
- Dance, domino, yeah.

- Perfect, and right into it,
and the gymnast should be

right at home here
on the Flying Squirrel.

- Nice transfer.

- Najee Richardson, how far
can he go this year?

Showing why he's called
the Phoenix, this guy can fly.

- Look at that,
almost to the top!

And all that extra training
is paying off.

- And Najee Richardson's
going back to stage two

for the second year in a row.

Add his name to that growing
list of finishers.

- Yeah!

- Najee Richardson
destroys stage one.

- Whoo!
- This guy is smooth.

Watch this move again
on the Double Dipper.

Slides down and goes right
into a front handspring,

and as always, he skies high
on the Warped Wall,

and then almost flew
to the top of the cargo net,

and Najee's moving on.

- He's standing by
with Kristine.

- Najee, you were
so awesome tonight

that you actually added
another element

to one of the obstacles,
a front handspring.

Did that just happen
by accident or it was planned?

- It's pretty natural.
- I'm a gymnast,

so whenever I have too
much momentum going forward,

a flip seems to be
the best way.

- It's just natural,
flip around.

- Oh, yeah, absolutely.

- Congratulations, Najee.
- Thank you so much. Thank you.

- Matt and Akbar, back to you.

- Coming up...
- she's only 5 feet tall.

Wow!

But she's had a huge impact
on a generation of ninjas.

- I can look back and know

that I made a difference
in this sport.

- Kacy Catanzaro takes
the course for what may be

her final run

when "American Ninja
Warrior" returns.

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

- Get it! Get it!

- Whoo!
- Oh, no! What?

- These national finals have
already produced heartbreak...

- I thought she was
home free.

- And heroes.

The second woman ever to hit
the buzzer on stage one!

And next week we take on
the rest of the mountain.

It starts with
a high-flying stage two.

Whoever gets past that test

takes on the even more
grueling stage three,

and if anyone survives,

they'll climb stage four
for a million dollars.

It all goes down next week
on the season finale

of "American Ninja Warrior."

- Whoo!

- So we may break
our all-time record

for finishers on stage one.

Our next athlete
will try to be

the 38th to hit the buzzer,

and he's someone
we expect to do it.

This is Daniel Gil.

The Houston worship leader
went further than everyone

but Drew Drechsel last season.

He's a favorite to go far
again here in Vegas.

As always, his wife, Abby,
is on the sidelines.

- Whoo! Come on!

- Along with Daniel's mom and
other members of his family.

Daniel Gil, the only finisher

out of the San Antonio
city finals,

a brutal course.

- And he was the fastest
in San Antonio,

and he wants to be
the fastest on stage one.

- Whoo!

- Lance Pekus still has
the top time set last week.

That's what Gil
is gunning for,

but first needs to get past
this Double Dipper.

- Look at that hair again,
flying all over the place.

- And right through.

Only about 30 seconds gone,

and he's ready
for the Jumping Spider.

No problem for Gil.

Look at that flexibility,
5'9", 155.

- Wow, good job.
- Well, here's Lance Pekus,

and his time is in jeopardy.

Gil is the fastest
to this point.

- Look, Daniel Gil's a dancer,

so he should have the footwork
for Parkour Run.

- Bounding through it.

- This has just been
an Olympic sprint so far.

- Ooh! Good recovery there.

A minor slip-up,
but now the Warped Wall.

- And this is where the legs
start to get a little tired.

- But no problem for Gil.

Daniel! Daniel!

- Michelle Warnky
and this crowd

just starting up
the Daniel chant.

He's still just ahead
of Pekus's time.

- All right, just don't mess
up on these Domino Pipes.

- And he's through,

going right
into the Flying Squirrel.

- Whoo, and he's gonna be
close to beat Pekus's time.

It's gonna go
down to the wire.

- Well, he's already hit
two buzzers this year.

Trying to hit four more
here in Vegas

and win that million dollars.

- And he needs a big swing
here up onto the cargo net.

- Look at that swing,

lands him high up
on the cargo net.

That's gonna save him time.

- Still got to hurry though.
- This is gonna be close.

- And he's done it!

Daniel Gil puts up
the fastest time so far,

and he's moving on to
stage two

for the third year in a row.

- One stage down,
three more to go.

- Daniel Gill
had one minor hiccup

on Parkour Run,
but it didn't slow him down.

He flies high up on the
cargo net to save seconds

and give him the fastest time,

and he becomes our 38th
finisher on stage one,

tying the old record.

- But now the moment
has arrived,

and this crowd knows it.

You can hear the Kacy chants
because at the starting line

right now is Kacy Catanzaro,
and as we've been telling you,

unless she hits the buzzer
and moves on,

this will be her final run on
"American Ninja Warrior"

to end an unbelievable career.

No one has been a more
inspirational figure to women,

men, and the entire
ninja community.

Mighty Kacy will be missed.

Go, Kacy, go!
Go, Kacy, go!

- Tonight is gonna be
a big night for me.

It could possibly be
my last run ever.

I have a new,
exciting opportunity.

- All right, excellent.

- The WWE asked me to come
and work for them,

which has also been a dream
of mine since I was young.

- Nice, excellent.
- Learning to be a wrestler

will be challenging,

but I feel like my background
in gymnastics

and of course being a ninja

will definitely help me
with that challenge.

Yeah.

- There's gonna be a lot of
emotions going through my mind

on that starting
platform tonight.

This has been my home
for half a decade now.

- No woman has ever completed
the qualifying course.

- Yes! Yes!

- When Kacy made history
on season six,

she just inspired
so many different people.

- She's about to do the
impossible for a second time!

- Kacy is the reason why
I started with "Ninja Warrior."

- That's right, ladies. Whoo!

♪ ♪

I just...

I don't like to get upset,

but it's okay
to get upset, you know?

I really wanted to do it,
but I'm not gonna give up,

so that's what matters.

- Mighty Kacy indeed.

- She is leaving behind
a ripple effect.

She has inspired
so many people like myself.

Now we're inspiring
other people.

- I see you, Kacy!
- Here we go.

- I just... I want to go out the
best that I can and, you know,

I want to continue
to make people proud.

- There will never be
another Mighty Kacy.

♪ ♪

- Wow, I can't believe it.
- It's the end of an era.

- And everyone's gonna be
watching this historic run,

including her dad,
her business partner

and former boyfriend,
Brent Steffensen,

and so many of
the other athletes,

many of whom started
in this sport because of her.

This crowd on their feet as
she walks to the start line.

Kacy's still the only woman

to finish a city finals
course,

did it three years ago,

but hasn't had
much luck in Vegas.

- Now, this is the one
she wants revenge on.

The Propeller Bar has taken
her out the last two years.

Come on, get it.
Come on, get it, Kacy!

- Yes!
- Yes!

Had a huge jump up
to that bar

and now needs to rotate
around to the rope.

- Grab it. Hold on to it.
- There.

- Yes!
- That's it.

- And what a victory
that's got to be for Kacy,

the confidence growing,

but now it's
the Double Dipper,

another challenge for the
5-foot-tall former gymnast.

Kacy! Kacy!

- This crowd chanting
her name.

- She can barely reach up
to the bar,

but she's never let
her size stop her before.

- Here she goes.
- Come on, Kacy.

Less than 100 pounds
flying through the air.

Get it!

- No!
- No!

- She came close, had her
hands on the bar,

but that's it.

The ninja career of Kacy
Catanzaro comes to an end,

and she gives one final
wave to her fans.

- Let's start
with the positive.

Kacy got a good jump up

and conquered
the Propeller Bar

after falling there
twice before,

and on the Double Dipper,

she had her fingers
on that second bar

but just couldn't hold on,

and Kacy says good-bye
to her millions of fans.

- Let's go down to Kristine

for the POM Post-Run
Interview.

- Kacy, I can't even imagine

the feelings that
you must have right now

knowing that you've inspired
so many women

to come out on
"American Ninja Warrior"

and knowing that you just did
your final run ever.

I mean, what kind of thoughts
go through your mind?

- Oh, it's hard to think about.
- I can't imagine not being here,

and it's... I feel like

I've been through such
a big journey on the show.

You know, it's... I've had
my ups and my downs,

and you guys have been
there along the way,

so this has definitely
been my home,

and to think that, you know,

I've inspired people
to get out

and do something awesome
is the ultimate dream,

so I definitely couldn't
ask for anything better.

- Well, Kacy, it's so tough
to say good-bye.

You've been such
a great ambassador to

"American Ninja Warrior,"

inspired so many people
and so many women to come out,

but we wish you
the best of luck

in everything you have
going on in your future.

- It's really been
such an honor.

I wouldn't trade it
for the world.

Thank you so much.

The fans love you.

Kacy, thank you.

And Matt and Akbar,
back to you.

- Well, we'll all miss Kacy,

but we've still got
a few runners left tonight,

including that man,
Drew Drechsel.

We're closing in
on a record for finishers.

Can Drew be one of them?

We'll find out when "American
Ninja Warrior" returns.

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

where two of the
night's final runners

provided some
fantastic finishes.

First it was ninja veteran
Able Gonzalez

racing for a third trip
to stage two.

- That's fast.
- The Edinburgh, Texas

gym owner
not only finished the course,

he was the 39th to do it,

breaking the record for most
finishers set two years ago.

- Whoo!

- Then it was
another Texas native,

rookie Josh Salinas,
who put on a show.

- Man, all the way
to the top of the net.

- He not only became the 40th
finisher of stage one,

he did it faster than anyone,
with almost a minute to spare.

Are you kidding?

A rookie is gonna have
the fastest time of the night.

And that's gonna be
a tough time to beat,

but if there's anyone
who can do it,

even in this loaded field,

it's got to be
our next athlete,

Drew Drechsel.
Oh!

The Connecticut gym owner
likes to go fast,

and he likes to go far.

He went farther
than anyone last year,

but he's nervous for this run.

- I've beaten stage one
every year, and, knock on wood,

I don't want this
to be the first year I go down,

but it's definitely
something that every year

I get nervous about because
there's new obstacles.

It's exciting. It's big.

It's the first course
of the national finals,

and there's a lot of pressure.

- There's Drew's girlfriend,
April,

along with his good friend,
Jessie Graff,

and basically all the other
ninjas will be watching

along with a big group
of his students

that came from Connecticut
to watch him tonight.

And there's the time
to beat by Salinas.

Drechsel will have to be
flying to top that.

- Well, don't put it
past Drew Drechsel.

- Already on the Propeller Bar

but a little tangled up
with the rope.

Little mistakes like that
could cost him,

- but now he's through.
- He was the fastest finisher

in Daytona qualifying and city
finals.

He's only got one speed.

- And just glides right
through the Double Dipper,

and right into
the Jumping Spider,

and he's clearly going
for the fastest time, Akbar.

- Yeah, he is. Yeah, he is.
- Oh, my.

- Yeah, he's seconds ahead

of where Salinas
was at this point.

This is gonna be close.

- Drechsel always
great footwork,

so we don't expect
problems on Parkour Run,

but what's this?

Just skipping the rope
and hopping to the end!

- Wow, what? Well,
that'll shave off some time.

- He's not afraid
to take chances

and now heading right up
the Warped Wall.

Well, he is flexing
his muscles here,

reminding everyone why he is
known as the Real-Life Ninja.

- We've seen 99 others
run this course

over the past two weeks,

and Drechsel still makes
it entertaining.

Ooh, ooh, wow!

- Smooth, and right onto
the Flying Squirrel.

Has about 30 seconds
if he wants the top time.

- Whoo!
- He's got his tongue out.

Oh!

- Makes it to the last set
of handles.

I don't think
he's taken a breath yet.

Just needs
a couple more swings.

- He swings so high.
- Get it, get it.

- And he's got it!
- Nice!

- Drew Drechsel making
a statement with this run.

- Uh-huh, uh-huh,
another finisher.

- And Drew Drechsel,
the fastest time of the night,

the Real-Life Ninja showing
everyone this is his season.

Well, we are witnessing
something special.

The greatness is all around.

- Whoo!
- Drew Drechsel

conquering stage one

with the fastest time
of the night.

- You know how it goes down.

This is gonna be POM Wonderful

Crazy Healthy
Run of the Night.

Watch this move.

He ignores the rope on Parkour
Run and just hops to the end,

and the last runner on stage
one is the fastest runner.

Drew Drechsel leads the pack
into next week's stage two.

- And he's standing by
with Kristine.

- Drew, amazing job again,

and you had the fastest time
of the night

by five whole seconds.

Was that your goal?

- Well, I kind of had to finish
up before my song ended,

so I had to make sure
that I pushed a little bit.

As I was hitting the buzzer,
my song was closing out.

- Look at this crowd
behind you.

This is your...

is this your biggest
cheering section ever?

- It may be.
- I know last year was big.

This may be even bigger.

- Yeah!
- You're gonna need it.

I hope that we have a lot more
stages ahead of you, Drew.

- Me too, me too.
- This is just the beginning.

- This is just the beginning.
- Guys, back to you.

- So in the end we had
a record

41 finishers between
night one and night two,

and Drew Drechsel
is the fastest of them

all in this
star-studded field.

Among the others moving
on to stage two

are the Weatherman,
Joe Moravsky.

At 42, the Tennessee
trader Travis Rosen

will be the oldest
to take on stage two.

The Phoenix, Najee Richardson,
had a fast time

but still ended up in the 16th
spot in this talented field.

The Godfather, David Campbell,

will be going back to stage
two after a five-year absence.

Super fan Tyler Gillett,
at 21,

will be the youngest
competitor moving on.

Last year's rookie
sensation Josh Levin

is going to stage two
for the second year in a row,

and there's Allyssa Beird,

just the second woman
ever to beat stage one.

Rounding out the group of
finishers is the Eskimo Ninja,

Nick Hanson,
so we'll have more ninjas

than ever attacking
stage two next week.

For Akbar Gbajabiamila
and Kristine Leahy,

I'm Matt Iseman.

We'll see you next time
for the season finale

of "American Ninja Warrior."