Tonight on NBC their obstacle course competition American Ninja Warrior returns with an all-new Monday, June 13, 2022, episode and we have your American Ninja Warrior recap below! In tonight’s American Ninja Warrior season 14 episode 2 “Qualifiers 2,” as per the NBC synopsis, “The qualifying rounds continue in San Antonio with ninjas from across the country taking on the world’s most challenging obstacle course.
Competitors are as young as 15 return to take on seasoned veterans in this first round of competition from the Alamodome. New obstacle Piston Plunge makes its debut on the course that ends with the iconic Warped Wall.”
Tonight’s episode looks like it is going to be a great season 13, so be sure to tune in for our coverage of NBC’s American Ninja Warrior at 8 PM – 10 PM ET! While you wait for our American Ninja Warrior recap make sure to check out all our American Ninja Warrior news, spoilers, recaps & more!
Tonight’s American Ninja Warrior recap begins now – Refresh Page often to get the most current updates!
In tonight’s American Ninja Warrior episode it was Night Two of the Qualifiers! There were Olympians, Pageant Queens, and Superheroes tonight. The ninjas faced new challenges and that included a new obstacle, Piston Plunge. Up first was Ace Goodson. He worked for the US Chamber of Commerce. He was also super shredded. He had muscles everywhere and everyone could see them and enjoy them once he took his shirt off. But Ace didn’t have any ninja training. He didn’t go to the gyms. He didn’t prepare for tonight’s obstacle course and it showed. He stumbled on the first obstacle. He somehow made it through the newest obstacle and he met his match on the balance obstacle in Split Decision. He managed to also lose his hair pick while he was at it too.
Next up was a self-proclaimed nerd. Ryan Hermstein admitted he was a computer nerd and so he was the Nerdie Ninja. He was also the ninja that prepared for this as best he could and he didn’t look too bad without his shirt either. Ryan raced through the course. He struggled a little on the Serpent after he chose that in Split Decision. Only he managed to save himself several times. He would almost fall and if it hadn’t been for his upper body strength then he would have fallen into the water on multiple occasions. Ryan was doing pretty good until he got to the fifth obstacle. He ran out of steam and you could see it in his eyes.
He just gave up. That’s the only reason he fell and now he has to see if he went far enough fast enough to make it into the next round. Next up was Bryan “Muscle” Mendez. He was celebrating his Latin heritage as well as his college graduation when he, unfortunately, fell prey to the Serpent. People tend to choose that option in Split Decision because they thought it looks easy and what they didn’t know was that it spins underneath you and so more than one person fell into the water on that obstacle. Next up Robert Moffit. He had the MC Hammer’s pants on. He owns a restaurant he works at with his wife and he actually brought some food for the judges. They really enjoyed it.
They were still eating while Robert had his run. Robert says that ninja training saved his life because he was overweight and it helped him to take off the excess and get fit. He decided his run to his family who has always remained supportive. He also blew kisses to them once he managed to take on each obstacle. He fell on Carnivale because his left hand just slid right off. But Robert is proving himself a fan favorite. He can come back next year. In the meantime, Lyndsey Littlefield went next. Shed was a former pageant queen turned science teacher. She got interested in ANW after a ninja gym opened up in her neighborhood and not only did it help her to stay fit, but it won her points with her students.
Her students watched her run via their screen back home. They were all rooting for her when she sadly fell a little too early in the competition and there’s little chance she’ll be going to the next round. Next up was Jacob Arnstein, He was the youngest competitor there tonight. He was fifteen. A teenager. A baby, really! He was also wearing a shirt highlighting he was originally from Guatemala. He was adopted from an orphanage there. He was actually running tonight in the hopes of raising money for that same orphanage and so any little bit helps. Look up his name, look up his causes. Jacob was a delight to watch.
He had his family cheering him on from the sidelines. He had the kids from the orphanage also cheering him on. it was with the thoughts and prayers of so many that Jacob raced through the course. He made it to the Warped Wall. And he went after Minor Warped Wall. Jacob happens to be one of the shortest ninjas there tonight and so Minor Warped Wall was still a major accomplishment, but nothing beat when he became the first ninja of the night to hit a buzzer. Next up was Stewart Mahler. He was a doctor. He was a Primary Care Physician. He was a family man with a wife and three kids. His kids were watching his run via a screen.
His wife on the other hand was there on the sidelines. He continued to send his wife his love as he made it through the obstacles and this time he chose the Dominoes in Split Decision. Last year, he chose the other one and fell. This year, he chose the Dominoes. He managed to make it across and he got all the way to Piston Plunge before he fell. He now has to wait and see if he made it far enough, fast enough to make it into the next round. Next up was Sandy Zimmerman. She was the first mom to ever hit a buzzer. The ninja community loved her so much that after her backyard ninja course was ruined during a tropical storm – the community rallied to rebuild it. Akbar had even been there.
Sandy had the passion. She had the drive. She made it all the way to Carnivale before she fell and now she has to wait and see if she’ll make it into the next round. Next up was Abraham “Super” Nova. He was the current World Boxing Champion. He was physically fit while being new to ninja. He fell on the first obstacle. But up afterward was Steve “Big Daddy” Donnelly. He had on a shirt with his nickname on it. He was rocking a dad bod and had on dad shorts and dad shoes. His family watched his run via a screen and Big Daddy made it all the way to the fifth obstacle. And so he was another one that has to wait and see if he made it into the next round.
Next up was Josiah Pippel. He was one of the breakout teenagers last season. Since last year, he’s gotten into go-cart racing and he builds racing car simulations. It was his dream to be an F1 Racecar driver. Josiah loves to go fast. He even did so on the obstacle course. He raced through the obstacles and he went after the Mega Warped Wall. He was the second person to try the Mega Warped Wall tonight. But the first to hit a buzzer on the Mega Warped Wall! By this point, there were only three finishers in total. One managed to hit a buzzer on the Minor Warped Wall during the commercial break.
Next up was Jonas Harmer. He was married to an Olympian who was there to support him from the sidelines. He made it to the third obstacle when he fell. But Jeremy Waters was next. He was the Hip Hop Ninja. He was this skinny little white kid in glasses and still he dropped some bars for everyone before he began his run. He was twenty-one. He looked like he could still be in high school and yet he made it through the whole obstacle course without any mishaps. He even hit a buzzer on the Minor Warped Wall. He was the fourth person to hit a buzzer, but everyone was hoping he wouldn’t be the last.
There was another buzzer during the commercial break. The show picked back up with Najee Richardson. The audience last saw him during season twelve in 2020. He was training to be a part of season thirteen but he injured himself and he had to sit that one out. But he’s back now. He’s better than ever and he was ready to fly. He started his run by speeding off. He was ready for that buzzer and nothing could stop him. Not the balance obstacle. Not Carnivale. Not even the newest obstacle on the course. He made it all the way to the Warped Walls where he tried to go after the Major Warped Wall and failed. Again. And so he hit his buzzer on the Minor Warped Wall.
Next up was Jennifer Steffano. She was here with her boyfriend. He had his run first. She went second and she came back to the show to redeem herself. She fell on the second obstacle last time. She had had a panic attack right before competing last time and so she had something to prove to herself and she was in a much better headspace now to deal with it. She took her time on the course. She didn’t try to speed through it because she wanted to think about each step. She chose Dominoes in Split Decision. Her boyfriend suggested that she take that one. It was a good decision because she didn’t fall there. She fell on the new obstacle. She fell on Piston Plunge.
Jennifer made it far enough to get into the next round. Next up was one of the most popular ninjas of all time. Jessie Graff was back! She was the superhero. She was a stunt woman and she was in the Wonder Women films to name just a few on her impressive resume. But Jessie was likable. It was great fun. Everyone was cheering her on and that included other ninjas. She made it as far as the Serpent when she fell. It was her first balance fail in her history on ANW. Jessie had missed some seasons because of work and injuries. She had been terrified the whole time she had made her run and so this year just wasn’t her year.
Joe Moravsky went last. He was the Weatherman Ninja. He was also the favorite to win. He’s been on the show every season for the past ten years and everyone was hoping this would be his year. He was reaching for the fastest time and the Mega Warped Wall. He failed on getting the fastest time, but he won by making it to the Mega Warped Wall and being only the second person to conquer it tonight. And so that was a great way to finish the episode out.
THE END!