American Ninja Warrior Season 17 Episode 10 Recap: Who Won Finals 1?

The countdown is nearly over as the moment every ninja has been training for finally arrives as season 17 episode 10 of ‘American Ninja Warrior’ kicks off the first night of the National Finals. After their victory through Qualifiers and Semifinals, 60 of the world’s top athletes are ready to take on the most gruelling course yet. From fan-favorite veterans to breakout newcomers, each competitor knows that they have a shot at winning the $250,000 grand prize at the end. Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila return as hosts with their unmatched energy, whereas Zuri Hall is on the sidelines, capturing everything from the triumphs to the epic falls.

The Finals Commence With Intense One-on-One Races and Iconic Obstacles

The first night of the Finals begins with Matt and Akbar announcing that the 60 athletes at this stage have been split into 15 groups of 4. They have to race three times, once against every member of their group, and the two with the most wins will get to move on. Then, we’re given a run-through of the first two-lane obstacle course for the night: #1 Shrinking Steps, which debuted in season 11, and #2 Swinging Frames, which was conquered by Kacy Catanzaro back in 2014 as the first woman to ever do so. She also went on to overcome Pole Grasper that same night, which is the #3 obstacle on the course. #4 is Salmon Ladder, followed by Floating Monkey Bars at #5, which debuted in 2015, and Piston Plunge at #6, last seen on Stage 2 of the National Finals in 2022.

After overcoming all the obstacles, the players have to hit the buzzer. A few ninjas from Group 1 are the first to take on the course, consisting of Nacssa Garemore from Ocala, Florida, Taylor Greene from Broomfield, Colorado, R.J. Roman from Jacksonville, Florida, and Zhanique Lovett from Visalia, California. The first race features the 17-year-old Taylor and the 28-year-old rock musician R.J. running against one another. Although the latter never lost a race in a ninja competition, the teenager sure knows how to compete against boys. In her confessional, she expressed that she feels lucky to be in the National Finals for the third time, and she has run in ‘ANW Junior’ multiple times, most of which were against boys. That fact doesn’t intimidate her, but she is impressed by her group and is excited to take on R.J.

Although R.J. gets a head start, leaving Taylor behind, he sadly falls into the water on the Floating Monkey Bars. Taylor needs to overcome the 5th obstacle to win, but steadily, she completes the course to press the buzzer at 02:57.83. Luckily for her opponent, he still has two more races to move on. The second race for the group is between 17-year-old Nacssa and 38-year-old Zhanique. While the former is the number one seed after the Semifinals, the latter is at 60th, which is indeed the lowest. Zhanique, the 7-time ninja veteran, got her first buzzer in the Qualifiers this year, and her opponent had the fastest time in the Semifinals. As they set on the course, it shocks everyone when Nacssa’s run is cut short on the 2nd obstacle, breaking his streak of overcoming 90 obstacles without falling. It makes his competitor the round’s winner, and although she continues, she falls into the water on the Salmon Ladder.

Inspiring Moments From Ninja History Set the Backdrop For the Competition

Zuri announces that throughout the finals, the hosts are going to count the 20 greatest moments in ninja history that made the biggest impact and inspired countless viewers. In number 20 is Kenny Niemitalo, who disclosed his daughter, Hazel’s, story in season 6. She needed a kidney transplant, only for a viewer, Amy Schlee, to decide to donate hers after coming across their story through the show. Since then, Kenny has proudly been using his platform and his appearance on the show to raise awareness about others in need of transplants. Next up for the first round is Group 4, which consists of Isaiah Thomas from Riverdale, New York, Sean Bryan from Concord, California, Enzo DeFerrari Wilson from Palm Harbor, Florida, and Anabella Heinrichs from Longmont, Colorado.

The first two competitors to take on the course from Group 4 are the “Fly Boy” Isaiah, who has the top seat in the group, and Hairstylist Anabelle. The former maintains his signature speed and flies through the course to press the buzzer at 01:04.95. While it provides him with the win for the round, his opponent falls on the Floating Monkey Bars. Right after is the turn of 40-year-old Sean Bryan and the teenager, Enzo. Both of them are big on social, and the teenager reveals that his YouTube channel has recently blown up since people love to watch fails. On the other hand, Sean helps his friend Anton make YouTube videos, and although they get a lot of views, he hopes that his run is going to break the internet. As the run begins, both go head-to-head, and Enzo mistakenly kicks off one of his Floating Monkey Bars while climbing the salmon ladder.

Despite the predicament, Enzo pushes through while Sean falls on the 6th obstacle. His opponent succeeds in pressing the buzzer at 01:11.60, securing the victory. Following them in the first round is Group 3 with the athletes Luke Beckstrand from St. George, Utah, Elijah Browning from Thompson’s Station, Tennessee, Jonathan Godbout from Sterling, Massachusetts, and Caitlyn Bergstrom-Wright from Pinellas Park, Florida. The first two contestants to take the stage are College student Jonathan, who is in his fourth season, and the teenager Elijah. The latter discloses that he has torn down the course in his house over the past year and built a huge one right at his grandpa’s farm. He coaches kids there, and some of them are good enough to take on a speed course. He is confident and excited for the race since he has trained for this his whole life.

Close Races and Pivotal Wins Magnify the Intensity of the Competition

As Jonathan and Elijah begin their run, they seem to compete completely neck-to-neck, but the latter takes a lead and grabs the win when he presses the buzzer at 01:09.80. On the other hand, Jonathan falls into the water on the 6th obstacle. Caitlyn and 17-year-old high school student Luke are next on the starting line, both of whom have a ninja family legacy. Luke has been among the fastest all season, and he maintains this reputation by first pressing the buzzer at 01:01.39, winning the round and marking it as the best time of the night. As for his opponent, she falls into the water on the Floating Monkey Bars. Right after, the hosts waste no time in going into the number 19 most memorable moment, which came in the 2016 Qualifiers.

Before season 8, only a handful of women made it to the Semifinals. However, that changed when four women —occupational Therapist Rachel Goldstein, School Teacher Allyssa Beird, Jesse Labreck, and game Gym Owner Michelle Warnky — successfully moved on to the Top 30 and advanced to the Semifinals. They are often referred to as the Fantastic Four, and they paved the way for future female competitors. Then comes the start of round 2, where ninjas from each group will have their second race. The first run is from Group 1 members, Zhanique and Taylor, and it is crucial because whoever wins this one is going to have two wins and a better chance of moving on. Although they begin at a similar pace, the former falls on the 3rd obstacle. Taylor has not fallen till now in the season, and she continues on the course to ultimately press the buzzer for a record fourth time at 02:37.20, which is an incredible feat.

Taylor’s fourth buzzer and her win in this round result in the hosts announcing that she will be moving on as one of the final 32 athletes, who will compete to be this year’s champion. The next race is for Group 4 contestants, Anabella and Church Worker Sean. Since both of them lost their first races, they are both in desperate need of a win. Sean, the 8th-time National Finals Participant, takes the lead and snatches the win by pressing the buzzer at 01:41.93. Although Anabella closed in on the buzzer and never gave up, she falls into the water on the final obstacle. The following two players to take the stage are from the same group: Enzo and Isaiah, both of whom won in the first round.

Friendships, Rivalries, and Romance Heat Up the Course as the Night Goes On

While Isaiah got three buzzers and $10,000 on the Mega Wall this season, Enzo got a new girlfriend, fellow ninja Emily Gardner. The latter excitedly divulges that he is usually a loud and energetic person, and his partner is the only one who matches his energy. They have been in a long-distance relationship since she is from New York, but they manage to meet at least 3 times every month, each of which feels like a celebration to them. As Enzo and Isaiah begin their neck-to-neck race, the latter gains more speed and presses the buzzer at 46.40 seconds, making it the fastest of the night. Although Enzo loses the round, he follows his fellow athlete and hits the buzzer at 55.28 seconds. Zuri then calls forth the remaining Group 1 contestants, R.J. and his former student Nacssa, on the stage for their second run. R.J. met him almost a decade ago when Nacssa was about nine or ten years old.

R.J. was Nacssa’s first ninja coach, and they hang out together outside of training and try out good food. The former feels that Nacssa went from being a student to a training partner, and now he teaches him a lot. Both of them are equally excited to compete with each other and need a victory. As the run commences, R.J. takes the lead with his fast speed, leaving Nacssa behind. Sadly, the Coach fails to make the final grab on the Piston Plunge and falls into the water. His former student moves forward and grabs the win as he presses the buzzer at 01:11.20. During Zuri’s interview after his second-straight loss, R.J. admits that he ran out of fumes before facing the last obstacle, which affected his technique. By the end of the second round for Group 1, Taylor is at the top, while R.J. is at the bottom.

On the other hand, Nacssa and Zhanique are in the second and third positions, respectively, with one win each. The focus shifts to Luke and Jonathan from Group 3, who next ran the course in round 2. While the former falls into the water right on the second obstacle while trying to make a big move, Jonathan presses on and eventually bags the win, pressing the buzzer at 01:40.50. Both of them now have one win each, and they have to win the next race to get a chance at moving on. Next up were five-time ninja veteran Caitlyn and Elijah from the same group, where the latter once again overcomes the obstacles with incredible speed and presses his second buzzer at 01:44.90. For Group 3, Elijah sits on the top with two wins, with Luke and Jonathan in the second and the third place respectively with one win each, leaving Caitlyn in the bottom.

With Eliminations on the Line, Buzzer Times Decide Fates

Round 3 for Group 4 finally commences with the run between Enzo and Anabella. The former wins the round as he swiftly flies through the course and presses the buzzer at 01:25.70. On the other hand, Anabella falls on the Floating Monkey Bars and is eliminated with zero wins across all three rounds. However, Enzo’s fate is now in Sean’s hands, who next takes the stage with Isaiah. If Sean manages to get a victory, he will advance; otherwise, Enzo will move on. As they begin their race on the course, both Isiah and Sean are quite close to one another until the former suddenly moves forward and presses the buzzer at an astounding 44.17 seconds, making it the fastest time tonight by breaking his own record. Although Sean loses the round, he finishes the course with an iconic flip. For this group, Isaiah and Enzo are moving on with three and two victories, respectively. It is now the turn for the third race of Group 3, in which Luke and Elijah are athletes to go first.

Unlike Luke, Elijah only has one win and hence needs to win this round; otherwise, it will come down to the fastest finish. After an intense run, Luke conquers the course to press the buzzer at 54.50 seconds, only to be followed by Elijah at 58.76 seconds. Although the latter is in a good position, he has to wait and see how well Jonathan will perform next. Right after is Jonathan and Caitlyn’s turn, and although the former tries his best to get to the buzzer faster than Elijah, he falls 5 seconds short when he presses the buzzer at 01:03.97. In the end, Luke and Elijah are moving on by being in the first and second positions based on their respective buzzer-pressing times. It is the end of the season for Jonathan and Caitlyn. The final race for Group 1 begins with Taylor and Nacssa, where the latter has to win the round to continue his journey this season.

While Taylor takes a slower approach, Nacssa moves ahead and presses the buzzer at 58.21 seconds, securing his victory. Although his opponent finishes the course despite losing the round, she is still in a good position to move on. R.J. and Zhanique are next on the course, where she can advance if she manages to press the buzzer faster than Taylor. R.J., who has no wins, has the chance to move only via the Wildcard, which will go to the ninja in 3rd place from all groups who finished the course the fastest. He has to beat Jonathan’s time by finishing the course in under 01:03.97 to win. Luckily for R.J., he manages to overcome all the obstacles and presses the buzzer at 54.46 seconds, eliminating Zhanique, who falls on the 6th obstacle. Ultimately, Nacssa and Taylor are moving on, with R.J. having a good chance of becoming the fastest 3rd place finisher.

Three New Groups Take On an Entirely New Obstacle Course

Once all these match-ups are done, Zuri announces that for the next three groups of contestants, there is a change in the obstacles course. Instead of the Swinging Frames, obstacle #2 is Devil Steps, followed by Ring Jump at #3, which once took out 38 athletes in a single night. The rest of the obstacles are going to be the same as the first course. The game commences with Group 7 for the first round: Luke Dillon from Orlando, Florida, Ashton Myler from Draper, Utah, Caleb Bergstrom from Largo, Florida, and Paxton Myler from Draper, Utah. First up is Caleb and Ashton, between whom the latter belongs to a martial arts family. Ashton is excited to be in the finals with his younger brother, Paxton, and their family has been competitive since day one. On the other hand, Caleb runs one of the country’s top ninja gyms in Florida.

Although Ashton goes neck-to-neck with Caleb, he falls into the water on Piston Plunge. His opponent wins the round and presses the buzzer at 01:18.43. The second run from the group is between 22-year-old Luke and the 16-year-old, Paxton. Although the Myler brother rushes to the second obstacle with a fast start, while trying to jump to the second ring on Ring Jump, he falls into the water. Luke continues his run despite his victory and hits the buzzer at 02:09.11. It is now the turn for Group 5, comprising Jackson Erdos from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, James McGrath from New Bedford, Massachusetts, Christian Hart from Meriden, Connecticut, and Kenzie Hughes from Libertyville, Illinois. The first race is between James, AKA the Beast, and 17-year-old former ‘ANW Junior’ champion, Jackson.

Jackson overcomes all the obstacles and wins the round, pressing the buzzer at 01:19.48. Although James fails to gain victory, he finishes the course and presses the buzzer at 01:37.04. Two 16-year-old rookies, Christian and Kenzie, follow suit right after. Kenzie is also a high school football player, but as they begin the race, her competitor moves ahead of her and presses the buzzer at 02:08.19. On the other hand, she falls into the water on the Floating Monkey Bars and sadly loses the round. Following them is Group 9 with the players: Kaden Lebsack from Castle Rock, Florida, Austin Baron from Ashburn, Virginia, Nick Coolridge from San Diego, California, and Hunter Ogden from Church Hill, Tennessee.

Bold Moves and Emotional Moments Continue Defining the Rounds

The first race for Group 9 is between 18-year-old Austin and 36-year-old Nick, who has participated in the competition from season 7 to season 10. When Nick, the five-time ninja veteran, takes a risk on the Ring Jump, he falls into the water, missing the chance to win. On the other hand, Austin pushes through and presses the buzzer at 02:44.90. The next race of their group is between 17-year-old Hunter and ninja elite Kaden. The latter began doing ninja when he was just 10 years old, and since his parents noticed how good he was, they opened up a gym. Kaden acknowledges the sacrifices his parents have made for the same, where he now teaches many children and adults. The focus shifts to the course where both advance quite close to one another. Just before the 6th obstacle, Hunter takes a little break since his hands begin hurting.

Ultimately, Kaden utilizes the opportunity and finishes the course first before pressing the buzzer at 01:29.68. Despite losing the round, Hunter completes the course and hits the buzzer at 01:43.97. Right after, the hosts draw everyone’s attention to the number 18 on the list of memorable moments, which came from Travis Rosen, who began competing in season 2 and came to be known as the Ageless Wonder. Even at 43, he was conquering obstacles until, in season 10, Stage 1, he shattered his knee. He went through multiple surgeries and a lengthy rehab, wondering if he would ever be able to walk. However, he returned to the course one year later, gaining his 10th Qualifiers buzzer. Round 2 starts with Luke and Caleb from Group 7. Despite their neck-to-neck progress for the first three obstacles, Luke falls on the Salmon Ladder.

On the other hand, Caleb conquers the course to press the buzzer at 01:14.57, grabbing two victories in total. Zuri introduces the next two contestants from Group 7: Paxton and Ashton. Both of them are highly confident about taking on the course. While Paxton notes that they are the first siblings to race against one another, Ashton is delighted that his brother has made it to the Finals. Both of them lost their first round, and hence, at least one of them has to win to move on to the following round. Ashton is off to a good start as the race begins with Paxton just behind him. While the younger brother loses some time being stuck on Ring Jump, Ashton moves forward and presses the buzzer at 01:58.85. Unfortunately, Paxton falls into the water on the Floating Monkey Bars, which indicates his season is likely over. While Caleb is on top with two wins from their group, Ashton and Luke are in second and third position, respectively.

The First Night of the Finals Concludes With Rookies Delivering Standout Runs

The first round 2 athletes from Group 5 are 16-year-old Christian and 17-year-old rookie Jackson, also the season 3 champion of ‘ANW Junior.’ The players have previously competed against one another, and this time, Jackson turns out to be the faster one. While he hits the buzzer at 01:07.68 and gets the fastest time on this course yet, Christian falls into the water on Floating Monkey Bars. Hence, the latter will need to win the next race against James to move on. Right after, the audience is taken back in time with the number 17 moment on the list of memorable moments, which is Kelvin Antoine’s run in the 2012 Qualifiers. The 53-year-old father of two and grandfather of six was appropriately deemed “grandpa ninja,” but he did wonders. He became the oldest to conquer the Warped Wall. Then, coming back to the present, we are told that the next race is between 17-year-old Kenzie and 37-year-old 13-time ninja veteran James, one of the oldest Finalists. Unfortunately, Kenzie falls into the water on the fifth obstacle. However, James hits the buzzer at 02:18.07, earning him the win and the second position in his group.

After the second round, Jackson is on top while Christian and Kenzie are in the third and fourth positions. From group 9, the first two contestants are Austin and Hunter, but shockingly, the latter’s run is cut short right on the first obstacle. The Notre Dame student Austin carries on, hitting the buzzer at 01:52.75 and gaining the victory. Up next are 19-year-old Kaden and 36-year-old Nicholas, who is also known as the Dumpstar Diving Ninja. He is a 7-time veteran and remarks that he feels he has an advantage since several traditional obstacles are being brought back. However, he falls on the Salmon Ladder as his opponent moves ahead to press the buzzer at 01:14.79. Since Kaden and Austin have two wins each, they are moving on to the next round, almost eliminating Hunter and Nicholas, who have no wins. We say almost because Hunter does have a chance to get the Wildcard entry. Round 3 moves on to Group 7 contestants, Ashton and Luke, who have one win each. Ashton and Luke both needed a win to move on, but regardless of a good start, the former falls short on the Ring Jump, eliminating him.

Luke is moving as he presses the buzzer at 01:27.14. The hosts then announce the 16th memorable moment from Season 9, where Lance Pekus shared his wife, Heather’s, story of how she got diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. From running, she had to resort to a walker in 10 months. For Lance, she is an inspiration and the toughest person he knows, so they use the ‘ANW’ platform to raise awareness about the condition. The next race is between Jackson and Kenzie from Group 5, but she is defeated when she falls on the Ring Jump. However, Jackson wins the round and presses the buzzer at 01:47.42 for his third straight win in the National Finals. The final race is between James and Christian, who has been his opponent’s biggest fan since he was a kid. As he competes against his idol on the course, he successfully presses the buzzer at 01:45.63, eliminating James, who falls on the sixth obstacle. Jackson and Christian will move on from their group, but James still has a chance since he is at the top of the Wildcard list.