American Ninja Warrior Season 17 Episode 11 Recap: Who Won Finals 2?

In Season 17 episode 11 of NBC’s ‘American Ninja Warrior,’ the competition moves on to the second night of the Finals. Last week, six groups of four athletes faced two grueling courses, resulting in 12 ninjas securing their place in the next round. Tonight, they will be joined by a fresh lineup of challengers, each determined to claim the $250,000 prize. With Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila on the podium as usual and Zuri Hall on the sidelines, the night is set to deliver some heart-pounding, nail-biting, and unequivocally inspiring moments.

The Second Night of Finals Kicks Off With Some Incredible Races

For the second night of the Finals, just like the previous week, the finalists are placed into groups of four and will race each other for three rounds. The two with the most wins in each group will move on. The first three groups are going to face the following obstacles for the night: #1 Shrinking Steps, #2 Swinging Frames, #3 Pole Grasper, #4 Salmon Ladder, #5 Floating Monkey Bars, and #6 Piston Plunge. The first group of the night is Group 2, with the ninjas: Jay Lewis from Orlando, Florida, Joe Moravsky from Monroe, Connecticut, Lucas Reale from Kingston, Massachusetts, and Rachel Degutz from East Brunswick, New Jersey. For the first round, the first to take the stage are Joe and Lucas. The former is a father of three and has more buzzers than anyone in the show’s history.

Lucas began his ninja journey the day his father passed away by suicide about nine years earlier. The athlete reveals that since then, he has wanted to make sure he was doing everything to bring joy into his life. Although he lost a significant part of his family, the experience of being a ninja helped him gain another family. In the first few seasons, he competed for his father, and now he competes for the students who support him wholeheartedly. Lucas and Joe’s run on the course begins with neck-to-neck precision, but the former reaches the final obstacle first with a slight edge. However, Lucas falls into the water on Piston Plunge, and although Joe catches up to him, he too faces the same fate as his competitor. Since Lucas reached the last obstacle first, he is the one to win the round.

Next up is Group 6, with the players: Kai Beckstrand from St. George, Utah, Isabella Folsom from Dorsey, Illinois, Donovan Metoyer from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and Jessie Graff from Redondo Beach, California. The first two competitors to run from their group are Isabella, the highest-seeded woman in the Finals after becoming the fourth woman to complete a 10-obstacle course, and Donovan, a 10-year ninja veteran known as the ‘Classy Ninja’ because he always runs the course in his suit. Explaining his choice to always wear a 3-piece suit, he said he wanted to bring style and dignity to the course because most men competed shirtless. He also added that his inspiration is James Bond, so his mission tonight is to hit a buzzer. Once their run begins, surprisingly, Donovan falls into the water on the second obstacle, and Isabella grabs the win by overcoming it. However, she moves on only to fall on the Floating Monkey Bars.

Determination is the Highlight of Round 1 as Veterans and Rookies Clash on the Course

For the first round, it is now the turn of the Science Teacher Rachel and University of Central Florida student Jay, from Group 2. Although the latter is back on the course after recovering from his injuries, he pulls ahead in the run to press the buzzer at 01:16.24 and win the round. However, his competitor falls into the water on the Floating Monkey Bars. Next up is 19-year-old Firefighter Kai and 40-year-old Stuntwoman Jessie. Although the latter hit a Qualifier buzzer for the second straight year, she now faces one of the fastest ninjas in the world. From the beginning, Kai takes the lead with his speed and hits the buzzer at 57.66 seconds. However, Jessie succeeds in overcoming the first five obstacles only to fall on the next, leading to her loss in the round.

This episode, the hosts are continuing with their count down of the most memorable moments in ninja history, and in #15 is Katie Bonee in the 2023 Women’s Championship. She is a type-1 diabetic who wears an insulin pump while she competes. Although it seemed impossible for her to overcome the Stage 2 course, the rookie became the only competitor that night to reach the final obstacle and conquer it. She also became the winner that year at just 16 years of age. The hosts then announce that the female athletes have often been inspired by the ninja, Kacy Catanzaro, who now joins them on the podium. The following athletes to run the course are from Group 8, containing Ben Behrends from Cedar Falls, Iowa, Jason Behrends from Cedar Falls, Iowa, Jamie Rahn from Troy, Missouri, and Abby Clark from Bedminster, New Jersey.

The first two players to run from that group are the 15-time ninja veteran Jamie and 15-year-old Jason. The latter is the smallest in the competition at 4’11” and is facing “Captain NBC.” Despite a good start, Jason falls on the Floating Monkey Bars while Jamie proceeds to win the round and hit the 21st buzzer of his career at 02:04.00. Gym owner and former college track athlete Abby and 18-year-old Ben follow suit right after. Ben locks in from the beginning, swiftly overcoming all the obstacles, and presses the buzzer at 01:40.25. Although Abby has lost the round, she proceeds to conquer the course and hit the buzzer at 02:37.47. By the end of the first round, Ben and Jamie are at the top of their group with one win each.

The Competition Continues With Inspiring Runs and Sibling Battles

For the second round, Group 8 athletes Jamie and Ben, are next to take the stage. While the winner of this run is going to be in a great position to move on, the loser has more work ahead of them. Ben again maintains his reputation with his incredible speed and presses the buzzer at 01:07.29. Although Jamie has lost the round, he overcomes all the obstacles to hit the buzzer at 01:51.48. Right after, the hosts shift the focus to the #14 of the memorable moments, which came from Jamie in season 10 when he lost his shoe mid-run. So, he took off one sock and conquered the next two obstacles before eventually going completely barefoot to hit the buzzer with just seconds to spare. Upon asking, Kacy takes the mic to express that it’s an honor to be a part of the ninja community.

While speaking about the 2014 Qualifiers, Kacy only remembers jumping in excitement, and it was also in that season’s Semifinals that she became the first woman to finish that course. The audience still remembers that run, and she has inspired several women. The next two athletes running on the course are 20-year-old Isabella, one of the top competitors, and Jessie, who, just like Kacy, has inspired many women. While the two players take to the course, Kacy notes that it’s tough not to keep track of your opponent in these cases, and although the athletes may need time to recover, it can’t be too long. In the meantime, Isabella moves ahead and presses the buzzer at 02:56.09, gaining the victory. Sadly, Jessie falls into the water on the final obstacle. After Kacy expresses her appreciation for the two women, it is revealed that she is now a professional wrestler.

Next up are Group 6 players, Kai and Donovan, and the former swiftly overcomes the obstacles and hits the buzzer at 53.93 seconds. Despite his loss, Donovan finishes his run by pressing the buzzer at 01:41.91. Following them are the Group 8 players, Abby and Jason, and since both of them lost their first matchups, they are in desperate need of a win. The latter pulls through first and successfully secures a win by pressing a buzzer at 02:09.34. On the other hand, his opponent finishes her run by hitting the buzzer at 02:23.13. As the game moves on to the third round for Group 8, Tori welcomes the brothers Ben and Jason on the stage, and if the latter wins, he is more likely to move on. The siblings disclose that they are pretty competitive, whether it be during ninja training or wrestling in the living room. Jason is confident enough to show his big brother he isn’t so small anymore.

A Mix of Triumphs and a Message From a Veteran Shocks the Audience

Once Ben and Jason begin their race, the former moves swiftly through the course to press the buzzer at 01:01.66, securing victory. On the other hand, Jason falls behind but eventually hits the buzzer at 01:19.49, 50 seconds faster than his previous finish. Group 8 athletes Jamie and Abby are the ones to race next. If the former can defeat his opponent, he moves on, but if he loses, there will be a tie between Jamie, Abby, and Jason. It is going to eventually come down to the fastest finish, and right now it’s Jason. If Abby wants to move on, she has to beat that time. Jamie gets a head start once the run starts, but Abby starts catching up to him. Although Jamie falls into the water on the 6th obstacle and Abby fails to beat Jason’s finish time, she wins the round by pressing the buzzer at 02:21.69. She becomes the second woman to finish all three of her runs in the Finals, but she is not going to be moving on.

By the end of this run, Ben and Jason move on to the next round. The next run is set for the Group 2 players: Lucas and Jay, both of whom won their first races. This time, Jay bags the win by pressing the buzzer at 01:02.73, but sadly, his opponent falls on the Floating Monkey Bars. Then it is the turn for Rachel and Joe from the same group. Both of them have lost their first races and are in desperate need of a win. Joe has more buzzers than any other ninja in history, and he soon takes the lead. While Rachel falls on the 5th obstacle, her competitor succeeds in hitting his career’s 36th buzzer at 01:28.46. While Jay is now at the top of the group, Joe and Lucas are going to run for the second position. As the third round begins for the group, Joe faces Jay on the course, whom he has coached.

Joe and Jay first met when the latter was 12, and he considers his mentor one of his heroes. However, Joe feels he has the upper hand in the run because of his experience and the fact that he has beaten Jay before on the course. They begin their run at a neck-to-neck pace, but Jay pulls ahead during the pole grasper. While his opponent falls into the water on the Floating Monkey Bars, he wins the round by pressing the buzzer at 46.08 seconds, helping him move on to the next round. As Zuri interviews Joe, he reveals that it is tough, and he has kept the secret that this is his last season competing in the show. Although this 12-time Ninja finalist and athlete with the most buzzers ever doesn’t refer to it as his retirement, he shares that he believes it is now time for him to be there for his family.

Fast Times and Key Wins Shape the Leaderboard as the Third Round Continues

The third round for Group 6 players, 40-year-old Jessie and 37-year-old Donovan, takes place right after. They are two of the oldest athletes to reach the Finals this year, and their only chance to move on is to become the fastest third-place finisher compared to the last top time of 54.46 seconds. However, Donovan comes up a few seconds short as he hits the buzzer at 01:00.63. Jessie also finishes the course at 3:39.83, but both of them have been eliminated. On the other hand, Kai and Isabella from their group are guaranteed to move on. So, now they are going to run to get the fastest times and improve their seeds for the next round. During their run, Isabella falls on the 2nd obstacle and Kai hits the buzzer at 44.09 seconds, breaking the fastest record of Isaiah Thomas at 44.17 seconds. Both competitors are moving on, with Kai gaining the top spot in the group.

The next race is for Group 2 players, Lucas and Rachel, and if the former wins, he can get the second spot in the group after Jay. However, if he loses, they have three ninjas tied with one win and 2 losses, and only the fastest finisher is going to move on. Although Lucas pulls ahead, he falls on the Floating Monkey Bars. If Rachel overcomes this obstacle, Joe will move on to the next round. So, when she succeeds in doing so, it means that Joe’s season will continue on. Rachel proceeds to complete running the course and pressing the buzzer at 03:06.88. By the end of the third round, Jay and Joe are in the first and second spots, respectively. Right after, the hosts announce #13 memorable moment, which is from Joe. Although Joe collected multiple buzzers, he never fulfilled his dream of climbing Stage 4. Although in season 16, the goal seemed to be in reach, it ended in a heartbreaking fall.

The Second Course Sees an Entire New Batch of Matchups

The game has now switched to the other race course, where the obstacles #2 and #3 have changed to the iconic Devil Steps and Ring Jump. However, the other obstacles are the same as those in the first course. The hosts then introduce the three groups that are going to compete in the second course. Group 12 consists of Evan Lavallee from Lancaster, Massachusetts, Daniel Gil from Houston, Texas, Carter Ray from Cottonwood, California, and Karsten Williams from Fairview, Texas. Group 13 has the players: David Bergstrom-Wright from Pinellas Park, Florida, Colt Elder from Altavista, Virginia, Grant Kiningham from Houston, Texas, and Alex Nye from San Diego, California. Last but not least, Group 15 has Hans Hertz from Castle Rock, Colorado, Sam Folsom from Dorsey, Illinois, Evan White from Hudson, Wisconsin, and Bray Weinacker from Auburndale, Florida.

For the first round, Group 15 players, eldest of the group Sam and 17-year-old Evan are the first on the standing line. It turns out that Evan trains at Sam’s gym all the time, and and he has been just like a mentor since he began competing. Both of them are training partners. However, the fact that they train together can be an advantage since they know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. As the race begins, Evan gets a head start, but Sam follows suit soon after. However, the former ends up winning and presses the buzzer at 01:24.58. Despite the loss, Sam overcomes all the obstacles to press the buzzer at 01:28.72. It’s now time for the #12 in the countdown, which came from then-52-year-old John Stewart in the 2014 Semifinals. On that night, no players could get past the 9th obstacle until the father of five did it.

John then proceeded to conquer the final obstacle, becoming the oldest person to finish a 10-obstacle course. The game commences with the Group 15 athletes, Bray and Hans, taking the stage. The former is the tallest one in the Finals at 6’4”. Despite this advantage, Hans wins the round and presses the buzzer at 01:39.39. On the other hand, Bray falls into the water on the Floating Monkey Bars. Next up are the athletes from Group 13, among whom 24-year-old school tutor David and 33-year-old photographer Alex are the first ones to race. While Alex falls on the Swinging Frames, David wins and hits the buzzer at 01:31.01. 16-year-old Chicken farmer Colt and 22-year-old ice sculptor Grant follow suit right after. Although the former gets an early lead, his feet touch the water on the Pole Grasper, ending his run. Despite his fall on the Floating Monkey Bars, Grant gains the victory.

Experience Meets Fresh Talent in a Round Full of Dramatic Turns

The next athletes to run the course are from Group 12, with 43-year-old Karsten and 18-year-old rookie Evan being the first. The former is the oldest competitor in the Finals and is an 8-time National Finalist. Despite his experience, Karsten falls on the Devil Steps, while Evan falls on the final obstacle but bags the win. It is now the turn of the 9-time National Finalist, Daniel Gill, and tree trimmer Carter from the same group. Daniel and his wife, Abby, wrote a kids’ book together, which he followed by writing his second book, a graphic novel titled ‘How to be a Kingdom Ninja.’ Most recently, he wrote his autobiography, ‘Kingdom Ninja,’ and he is proud to create content that encourages and uplifts others. As they begin their run, Carter pulls ahead, but Daniel quickly catches up and moves ahead of him.

Daniel unfortunately falls on the final obstacle, and he is followed by Carter moments later. Since Daniel reached the obstacle first, he ends up securing the victory. The second round begins with Group 13 players, Grant and David. Their nail-biting race ends as David bags the win and presses the buzzer at 01:22.97. On the other hand, his opponent falls into the water on the last obstacle. Alex and Colt follow suit, but sadly, the former fails to overcome the Floating Monkey Bars. Colt bags his first win by pressing the buzzer at 01:18.91. Next up are the Group 15 athletes and high schoolers, Hans and Evan. They met 6 years ago at the competition and train together whenever they get a chance. Since then, they have maintained a friendly rivalry. It comes into action during their race, as they continue going ahead of one another.

During the time of the dismount on the final obstacle, Evan snatches the victory by a mere fraction of a second as he presses the buzzer at 01:12.60, while Hans hits it at 01:12.80. It is now the turn of the other two Group 15 competitors, 21-year-old Sam and 15-year-old Bray. The latter grew up in the waters thanks to his parents’ professional expertise in wakeboarding. He hit his first buzzer during his debut this season and feels that it gives him an adrenaline rush. He and Sam both lost their first race, and if they fail to win, their chances of moving on may be slim. Sam swiftly overcomes all the obstacles and presses the buzzer at 01:09.40. Unfortunately, Bray falls into the water on the Floating Monkey Bars.

The Night Goes On With Intense Races as Four Ninjas Secure Spots For the Next Stage

The third round begins with Grant and Alex from Group 13. The former pulls ahead in the very end to gain victory by hitting the buzzer at 01:56.75. Alex finishes his run when he presses the buzzer at 02:02.66. Although David and Grant are at the top of their group with two wins each, Colton has the fastest time and can move on if he succeeds in winning now against David. Unfortunately, he falls on the Swinging Frames, but David proceeds to conquer the course and presses the buzzer at 57.89 seconds. By the end of the round, David and Grant are moving on to the first and second positions, respectively. Right after is the turn for the Group 12 athletes, Daniel and Evan, who are facing off in the third round. In the previous round, they proved to be formidable competitors.

While Evan took on Carter by pressing the buzzer at 01:26.14, Daniel won against Karsten by hitting the buzzer at 01:50.38. Now, for the third round, Daniel and Evan begin their race, and the latter bags the win as he successfully hits the buzzer at 01:13.64. On the other hand, Daniel finishes neck-to-neck with him at 01:14.79. Ultimately, Evan takes the first position while Daniel achieves second place in their group, meaning they are both moving on. The hosts then announce the #11 memorable moment, which came from Kyle Schulze, who is deaf and an inspiration for many deaf ninjas. Durinhg his initial few seasons, he sadly never finished the course and fell on the 5th obstacle six times. However, he changed the trajectory in season 16 as he finally got his first buzzer in the Qualifiers.

Emotions Run High as Some Athletes’ Swift Runs Keep Their Season Alive

The game moves on to the next third-round race for Group 13 with Karsten and Carter. Both of their hopes of being in the game depended on being the fastest third-place finisher. Unfortunately, Karsten falls on the Devil Steps, and Carter falls on the Ring Jump eliminating both of them. Next up are Bray and Evan from Group 15, but the latter’s run was cut short by the Salmon Ladder. Soon after, Bray falls on the Floating Monkey Bars, bringing his season to an end. However, Evan White is moving on, so the next race between Sam and Hans is for the second spot. Whoever wins the race is going to be the one to move on. In his confessional, Hans reveals that his brother, Harper, was diagnosed with Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome, and he is also non-verbal.

Ever since Hans was a little kid, he felt it was his responsibility to lead his brother. Harper always cheers for him in his ninja journey, and Hans considers his brother his biggest inspiration. As he and Sam begin their run on the course, Hans moves ahead with unbelievable precision on the Ring Jump and presses the buzzer at 59.88 seconds. Sam presses on despite his loss in the round and overcomes the course at 01:05.02, surpassing James McGrath’s time of 01:37.04 as the fastest third-place finisher. It means that Sam still has the chance to move on, provided no one succeeds in breaking his record. From Group 15, the players to proceed to the next round are Hans and Evans.