American Ninja Warrior Season 17 Episode 7 Recap: Semifinals 1

With the Qualifiers officially behind, the real race begins as season 17 of NBC’s ‘American Ninja Warrior’ storms into the first night of the Semifinals. The stakes are higher, the course is longer, and for the first time in three years, the obstacles push past the iconic Warped Wall. The ninjas now have to face the brutal extended course, where speed is everything because the fastest times determine who advances to the National Finals. With Matt Iseman, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, and Zuri Hall bringing the energy from the podium and the sidelines, the returning favorites and the fearless rookies are ready to take on some of the show’s most beloved obstacles.

The Semifinals Open With Ten Iconic Obstacles and an Extended Course

The night commences with Zuri announcing that apart from the six obstacles, #1 Quad Steps, #2 Log Grip, #3 Block Run, #4 Spin Cycle, #5 Battling Ram, and #6 Warped Wall (14½ feet), the athletes have to face four more iconic obstacles. These include #7 Salmon Ladder, the legendary and dreaded #8 Cannonball Alley, in which 14 ninjas fell into the water until rookie Kevin Bull overcame it. On #9 is Door Knob Arch, the upper body challenge that hasn’t been seen in 10 years. For the final obstacle #10, the ninjas are going to face the 35-foot Invisible Ladder for the first time in nine years. The game finally begins with the first athlete, 39-year-old William Brown, taking the stage. The Power Plant Manager from Palm Bay, Florida, had last competed a decade ago.

Inspired by his favorite film, ‘300,’ William has powered through the course from seasons 4 to 7. In his confessional, he reveals that he is still in good shape like he was 10 years ago and has his eyes set on the buzzer. Although he overcomes seven obstacles, he falls into the water on Cannonball Alley. After reminding that only 20 athletes from tonight are going to move on to the finals, Matt and Akbar pass the spotlight to Zuri, who reveals that for the night, they are counting down the top five ninja sidelines moments. The second player of the night is Joseph Rouse from Fayetteville, Arkansas. The high school student begins his run by showing off his robot hand. However, he is knocked out by the Log Grip. Right after is the College Softball player Karen Potts. Despite a good start, the college student falls on the third obstacle.

The budding filmmaker Aidan Gonzales from Houston, Texas, begins his run by asking Zuri to capture the moment on his camera. Unfortunately, the film student from Texas State University falls into the water on the Battering Ram. The next athlete is Caitlyn Bergstrom-Wright, with her husband, David, and her brother, Caleb, on the sidelines. They are also going to be running later. Although she never made it past the fifth obstacle, this time, she overcomes seven of them before falling short on the Cannonball Alley. Not only does Caitlyn climb her first Warped Wall, but she also becomes the first-ever woman to attempt the Cannonball Alley. Right after, it comes time to relive the number fifth spot on the list of the best sideline moments. It is from Enzo DeFerrari Wilson’s cheering section, full of fingers, lightning bolts, beanies, and even grandmothers.

A Blend of Dance and Ninja Moves Keep the Energy Alive

The 18-year-old high school graduate, Enzo, from Palm Harbor, Florida, is the next player to take the stage. After indulging everyone with Line Dancing moves, he reveals that he has recently taken the dance form as his hobby. He is often accompanied by his family in his practice sessions and believes that it has brought him to the beginning of his ninja career. Learning the dance is like learning his first obstacle, and his eyes are on the top of the tower at the buzzer. Enzo has made it to the National Finals every year but has never overcome all 10 obstacles. Although he successfully overcomes the first nine, he falls short on the Invisible Ladder. The high schooler, Hunter Odgen, follows suit, but his run is cut short on Cannonball Alley. The eighth athlete of the night is 19-year-old Circus Performer Cicilia Bogle.

To her dismay, Cicilia falls on the Battering Ram. 15-year-old Grace Gordon from Florida is the next player and also the night’s youngest female athlete. Unlike the Qualifiers, where she made it to the fifth obstacle, this time, she falls on Log Grip. Right after is 28-year-old R.J. Roman, who is a Heavy Metal Musician from Jacksonville, Florida. He is also one of the top ninja coaches in the country, but lately, he has been taking care of his father, Ronald Roman. In his confessional, R.J. discloses how his father battled kidney cancer but overcame it after losing one kidney. However, the cancer has spread to his lungs. So, the athlete has moved in with him in the past few months to help him around the house. R.J. has nothing but respect and love for his father. Two years ago, he had almost reached Stage 4 but came short.

For the night, R.J. maintains his reputation of going fast and calmly overcomes the first nine obstacles. However, he falls on the last one after reaching the final few feet. 43-year-old Pediatric Physician Steven Bachta from Chicago, Illinois, takes the course right after. He got his first buzzer this season in the Qualifiers, but for the Semifinals, his run is cut short on the first obstacle. The next athlete is Todd Bourgeois, who has a PhD and is a professor of Physical Therapy. Despite his good start, the “Cajun Cowboy” ends up falling into the water on Battering Ram, just like the Qualifiers. The hosts then announce the number four sput in the list of the best sideline moments. It is from Mike Silenzim, who always rides into the course with style with his stallion on the sidelines, whether it be stick horses or wearing horse costumes.

As the Night Goes On, Even More Athletes Tackle the Course with Resilience

The game continues as a 19-year-old Ninja Coach, Isaiah Thomas, from Riverdale, New York. He has the fastest finish in this season’s Qualifiers, when he overcame the Warped Wall in 42 seconds. Isaiah expresses how he began his ninja training when he was just 13 years old, and is looking forward to being the number one. This is his fifth season, and true to his reputation, he swiftly flies through the course to overcome all 10 obstacles. He presses the buzzer at 03:38.79, becoming the first finisher of the night. The next athlete to take the stage is 43-year-old Karsten Williams from Fairview, Texas, who is also the oldest athlete of the night. He is a 7-time National Finalist who reached Stage 3 in Season 11. As Ninja Coach begins his run, he hits the area above his eyes while changing bars on Battering Ram.

Instead of letting go, Karsten powers through the first eight obstacles with his swollen eye but falls into the water on the ninth one. When Zuri interviews him, he honestly confesses that he has had better days. However, he promptly adds that his mother has raised no quitter, so he powered through his pain. Right after, the hosts announce the third on the countdown list. It is dedicated to all passionate mothers who can’t help but get emotional watching their kids on the course. The 15th athlete of the night is the high school student Emma Pereyra from Bradenton, Florida, who made it to the Finals in her rookie season two years prior. However, tonight, she falls into the water on Block Run. Tiana Webberley, a Stuntwoman and a 9-time Veteran, runs on the course next, but her run is cut short on the Battering Ram.

Following this, Filmmaker Isaiah Wakeham takes his chance at the course. Although he has made it to the National Finals twice, this time, he literally goes off the course on Log Grip. His sister, 20-year-old Isabella Folsom from Dorsey, Illinois, is the next player to take the stage. It is revealed that she tied the knot with her fellow Ninja, Sam Folson, at a big ninja wedding reception, where several of the athletes attended the ceremony. Sam is also set to run the course after her. Isabella had reached the 2021 Semifinals, which was her rookie season, and this time, it is her 5th season running. As she begins her run and overcomes the obstacles one by one, she becomes the first woman to conquer the Cannonball Alley and attempt the Door Knob Arch. She successfully overcomes 10 obstacles to press the buzzer at 05:16.73.

With Record Buzzers and Sweet Sideline Moments, the Night Makes a Lasting Impact

Isabella is the fourth woman ever in the show’s history to finish a 10-obstacle course. She also becomes the second finisher of the night. Sam Folsom follows suit just like his wife and presses the buzzer at 04:30.18. Right after, a Technology Student from the University of Colorado, Leo Heuring, runs the course, but not before showcasing his robotic dog. However, he falls into the water on the Battering Ram. Following this, the hosts welcome the WWE superstar Chad Gable to the podium to cheer the performers. He is quite elated as 30-year-old Stuntman Kyle Soderman from Austin, Texas, arrives on the stage. It turns out that the player is originally from Minnesota, much like Chad. As Kyle begins his run on the podium, the hosts ask Chad how he manages to power through in the ring despite his short height.

Chad explains that his strength lies in his hips, which is his secret for success. Soon after, he focuses on cheering his fellow Minnesota brother, Kyle. Despite overcoming the first nine obstacles, the tiredness gets to the ninja on the 10th one, leading to his fall. Despite that, Chad expresses that he is quite proud of Kyle. The hosts then announce the number two spot on the list of the best sideline moments. It is none other than Jimmy Choi, who has Parkinson’s disease and has always had celebrity Michael J. Fox as his cheerleader. The 22nd athlete of the night is Caleb Bergstrom from Largo, Florida. He flies through the course only to fall short by around 5 feet on the last obstacle. His brother-in-law, David Bergstrom-Wright, from Pinellas Park, Florida, follows suit soon after.

David is a 6-time ninja veteran who successfully overcame all the obstacles to press the buzzer at 04:21.55, becoming the fourth finisher of the night. It is now the turn of the 15-year-old High School Student, Kaden Forsha, from Littleton, Colorado. Also known as the “Chatterbox Ninja,” he is the youngest athlete of the night. In his confessional, Kaden reveals that he had begun rock climbing before learning to walk. His family has a rock climbing gym in their basement, and even his grandparents, Judy and Mike Forsha, still climb with him. They have taught him several rock climbing techniques and are quite proud of him. Kaden has his own TED Talk about his Dyslexia and is quite excited for his grandparents to see him compete in the Semifinals. The athlete has competed in three seasons of ‘ANW Junior.’

Ninjas Continue Their Runs on the Extended Course With Record-Setting Speeds

Kaden impressively overcomes all the obstacles with great precision and presses the buzzer at 04:05.85. Avery Glantz, a college student from Orlando, Florida, and Luke Dillon were the runners-up in the show’s most recent couple championship. Avery becomes the first one to run the course, but her flight is cut short as she fails to climb the Warped Wall three times. Luke follows suit and successfully flies through the course to press the buzzer at 04:03.93, becoming the second-fastest finisher of the night. The next athlete is a 40-year-old Stuntwoman, Jessie Graff, from Redondo Beach, California. She was the first woman ever to complete Stage 1 and the first woman to be invited to Team USA to compete against the world. However, she reveals that she has never hit a Semifinals buzzer and usually falls on the ninth obstacle.

Jessie has recovered from her injuries and is set on hitting the buzzer. Unfortunately, she falls into the water on Cannonball Alley. However, owing to her speed, she is still moving to the Finals. When Zuri interviews her, Jessie confesses that she truly hoped that it was her night to conquer the Semifinals Buzzer. Despite her disappointment, she is delighted because her moving on to the Finals means she gets to face more obstacles. Jessie also takes pride in the fact that she now leads a stronger, happier, and healthier life. The next athlete to take the stage is 22-year-old Ice Sculptor and 3-time Ninja Veteran Grant Kiningham. Although he falls on the 10th obstacle, luckily, he is moving on to the Finals. It is now the turn for 31-year-old Motivational Speaker Daniel Gill. The 10-time Veteran overpowers the course to press the buzzer at 04:40.83.

This marks the 31st Buzzer for Daniel, which is the second most of all time. The 30th athlete of the night is 17-year-old High School Student Nacssa Garemore from Ocala, Florida. He has a total of 11 career buzzers, has reached Stage 4 twice, and has never hit the water in two seasons. Although on the course, he likes to go fast, Nacssa doesn’t follow the same on the road. In his confessional, he reveals that he has recently gotten his learner’s permit and prefers to drive safely on the road. He believes that he is going to be a good driver in the future, and after he gets his license, he will be able to go to his friends’ places. Staying true to his reputation, Nacssa begins his run on the course, aiming for the fastest time of the night. He succeeds in completing the course and pressing the buzzer at 02:52.60, becoming the fastest athlete of the night to do so.

The First Night of the Semifinals Concludes With a Near-Complete Run

The buzzer also marks Nacssa successfully overcoming a total of 90 obstacles in his ninja career. The next player is a 15-year-old rookie, Bray Weinacker, from Auburndale, Florida. Despite his effortless fast start, he falls into the water on the ninth obstacle. However, his speed has earned him a spot in the Finals. He is followed by a Freshman College Student, Austin Baron, from Ashburn, Virginia. This is his second season, but the 18-year-old impressively overcomes all the obstacles to press the buzzer at 05:01.99, becoming the ninth finisher of the night. The hosts finally announce the number one sideline moment in the show’s history. It goes back to the 2018 Qualifiers (Season 10) when Gabe Stewart, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas (MSD) High School in Parkland, Florida. The school had witnessed a horrific shooting nearby.

Despite having no formal training, Gabe made it all the way to the fourth obstacle, with the school showing up to show him support on the sidelines. The final contestant of the night is 19-year-old Elijah Browning from Thompson’s Station, Tennessee. The Entrepreneur is often called “Boss” and has had the fastest time on his night of the Qualifier. He had made it to Stage 3 in the past 2 seasons. Elijah begins his run on a fast note, earning his place in the Finals right after he overcomes the ninth obstacle. He is about to overcome the 10th one, but unfortunately, he falls short of a few inches. By the end of the night, the ninjas moving on to the Finals are Nacssa, Isaiah, Luke, Kaden, David, Sam, Daniel, Austin, Isabella, Elijah, R.J., Enzo, Caleb, Kyle, Grant, Bray, Karsten, Hunter, Jessie, and Caitlyn.