Home ANW American Ninja Warrior Season 10 Vegas Finals Power Rankings

American Ninja Warrior Season 10 Vegas Finals Power Rankings

by Ian

This year marks the 10th season of American Ninja Warrior competition and only twice in the entire nine prior seasons has an athlete completed all four stages at the National Finals in Las Vegas.  Both of those occurred in Season 7 when Geoff Britten and Isaac Caldiero achieved Total Victory. Over 600 athletes took part in qualification this season at six different cities around the country. Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis were the host cities. The Top 30 (those who finished the course or made it the farthest the fastest) from each city qualifier moved on to the City Finals. The top 15 finishers plus the top 2 women from each City Finals advanced to the National Finals in Las Vegas. The National Finals, also called the “Vegas Finals” will kick off on Monday night at 8:00pm.

The City Finals courses this season proved to be a bit easier than in previous years. Season 10 saw 28 athletes complete the City Finals courses. This was a dramatic increase from prior years. Season 9 had only 9 finishers and both Seasons 8 and 7 had 11 ninjas complete City Finals courses. Season 10 had the most City Finals finishers since Season 6 when 31 athletes hit the buzzer.

Last year, I devised a scoring system to rank the competitors on American Ninja Warrior based on their current and past performance. The scoring system is intended to rank athletes based on their past accomplishments and is not a predictive metric for future success. The three ninjas who reached Stage 3 in the Vegas Finals last year were ranked 2nd, 26th, and 50th in my 2017 pre-Vegas Finals Rankings. As we have seen countless times in Ninja Warrior competitions, sometimes even the top athletes can get derailed by a slight mis-step or a slip of the hand. If you are interested in the math behind the rankings, check out some of the prior rankings posts.

Season 10, like the previous seasons, has seen some surprising early exits from the competition. Notably, JJ Woods (preseason #17), Jody Avila (#44), Dan Yager (#52), Lorin Ball (#62), Brandon Mears (#69), Jonathan Horton (#101), and Sam Sann (#104) did not qualify for the City Finals. All told there were 70 athletes that completed City Qualifying courses. However, 15 of those fell early in the City Finals and failed to qualify for Vegas. The biggest names that will not be going to Vegas are Isaac Caldiero (the first American Ninja Warrior Champion, preseason #10), Andrew Lowes (#22), firefighter Mike Bernardo (#25), Tremayne Dortch (#57), and Michael Torres (#58). The “Island Ninja” Grant McCartney (#31) was this year’s bad beat recipient. McCartney is the only ninja this season to reach the 9th obstacle in the City Finals and not make it to Vegas. In fact, McCartney was the first ninja since Season 4 (in 2012) to complete 8 City Finals obstacles and not qualify for the National Finals.

Since the metric weights the last three seasons, it does not give an accurate value for rookies. Therefore, ninjas who made their ANW debut this season and qualified for Vegas appear at the bottom of these ranks because they have fewer data points in the formula. Here is a look at the Power Rankings of the 97 athletes that have qualified for the Vegas Finals. (Updated with Stage 1 results from the first night of the Vegas Finals. You can watch the episode here.)

Vegas Finals Power Rankings

97. Brittany Hanks
Ninja Points: 24.30

Brittany is in her second year of Ninja Warrior competition. She reached the City Finals in Season 9 but failed to make it to Vegas. She finished as the second woman in the Dallas City Finals this year to earn her first trip to the National Finals. She also competed on Three Wishes with Thomas Stillings in the last season of Ninja vs Ninja.

96. Logan Kreglow
Ninja Points: 54.00

Logan is a rookie this season who competed in Philadelphia. He is one of just 4 ninjas to qualify for Vegas without scaling the Warped Wall this season. He fell on the 5th obstacle, the Lightning Bolts, in both the City Qualifiers and City Finals.

95. James Bartholomew
Ninja Points: 63.00

Like Logan Kreglow, James competed in Philadelphia and was taken out by the Lightning Bolts in both the Cuty Qualifiers and City Finals. Unlike Logan, he is not a rookie and competed in Season 9 but fell in Qualifiers.

90t. Zach Day, RJ Roman, Lucas Reale, Gavin Ross, Angel Rodriguez
Ninja Points: 84.00

All 5 of these athletes were rookies this year who had similar paths to the Vegas Finals. They all fell on the 5th obstacle in City Qualifiers and on the 8th obstacle in the City Finals. Zach, Lucas, Gavin, and Angel all competed in Philadelphia and where sent for a splash by the Captain’s Wheel. RJ competed in Miami and fell on the Crazy Clocks in the City Finals.

89. Matt Strollo
Ninja Points: 85

Matt is another rookie this season who competed in Philadelphia. He completed the City Qualifiers course and made it through the first 6 obstacles again in the City Finals, only to fall on the Salmon Ladder.

88. Elliott Jolivette
Ninja Points: 90

Elliott is making his first appearance in the Vegas Finals. He previously competed in Season 8 where he did not reach the City Finals. He barely made it this season, finishing 30th in the Dallas Qualifiers, but made the most of his opportunity and placed 9th in the Dallas City Finals, falling on the Nail Clipper.

Stage 1 Result: Fell on the Double Dipper

87. Abby Clark
Ninja Points: 91

In her second year of ANW competition, Abby became the 10th woman to scale the Warped Wall and the 6th this season to complete a City Qualifiers course. Unfortunately, she could not repeat the feat in the Minneapolis City Finals and failed in 3 attempts to make it up the Warped Wall. Her completion of 5 obstacles was still enough to send her to Vegas.

86. Danny Bergstrom
Ninja Points: 93

Danny is a rookie who made it through the Minneapolis Qualifiers by the skin of his teeth in 29th place. He came back with a stronger run in the City Finals, reaching the 9th obstacle (the Iron Maiden) before falling.

Stage 1 Result: Fell on Double Dipper

85. Phillip Hucke
Ninja Points: 94

Beards became a big theme this year on American Ninja Warrior (more on this later as well). The most notable one was Hucke’s who went with an American-flag themed beared with red and blue stripes with white stars. He completed the Indianapolis City Qualifiers course and repeated his conquering of the first 6 obstacles in the City Finals, but fell on the Salmon Ladder.

84. Rachel Goldstein
Ninja Points: 97.47

This is Rachel’s third season of competition and will be her second trip to the Vegas Finals. This year she became the 13th woman to scale the Warped Wall when she made it all the way to the 8th obstacle in the Miami City Finals. Her last trip to Vegas was in Season 8 where she fell on the Propellar Bar on Stage 1.

Stage 1 Result: Fell on Double Dipper

83. Josh Norton
Ninja Points: 97.5

Josh is in his second season of ANW competition and made it to Vegas after making it to the Nail Clipper in the Dallas City Finals.

80t. Mike Wright, Eric Nelson, Davyon Hancox
Ninja Points: 99.00

These are three more rookies who had identical performances this season. All three fell on the 5th obstacle of City Qualifying and the 9th obstacle of the City Finals. Eric and Davyon competed in Los Angeles while Mike qualified for Vegas via the Indianapolis course.

Davyon Hancox Stage 1 Result: Fell on Jeep Run

79. Mike Murray
Ninja Points: 100

Mike was one of 13 rookies to complete a City Qualifiers course this season.He repeated the feat and conquered the Salmon Ladder in the Dallas City Finals, which was enough to get him to Vegas.

78. Austin Gray
Ninja Points: 105

Austin is another rookie who is just one of 3 ninjas to fail at the Warped Wall this season. In the Minneapolis Qualifiers he attempted the Mega Wall and came up short then missed at his attempt on the regular Wall. He came back in the City Finals to scale the wall and make it all the way to the Iron Maiden, securing his spot in Vegas.

Completed Stage 1 

77. Andrew Swinghamer
Ninja Points: 109

Andrew has one of the best names on the ninja circuit. In his second year of ANW competition, he qualified for the Vegas Finals after completing the Dallas Qualification course and falling on the Nail Clipper in the City Finals.

76. Jeri D’Aurelio
Ninja Points: 111.72

Jeri is a Captain in the US Army JAG Corps who is in her 4th year competing on Ninja Warrior. This will be her second consecutive trip to Vegas. Both this year and last year she has fallen on the 5th obstacle in both the City Qualifiers and City Finals. Last year she fell on the Double Dipper on Stage 1 in Vegas.

Stage 1 Result: Fell on the Propeller Bar

75. Drew Hendry
Ninja Points: 113.25

Drew is in his third season and has made it progressively farther each year. In Season 8 he fell in the Atlanta City Qualifiers. In Season 9, he reached the Kansas City Finals but was unable to qualify for Vegas. This season, he will make his first trip to Vegas after falling on the Crazy Clocks in the Miami City Finals.

74. Thomas Kofron
Ninja Points: 115

Thomas is a rookie who completed the Los Angeles City Qualifiers course. In the City Finals, he made it past the Giant Cubes and fell on the Baton Pass.

Stage 1 Result: Fell on Jumping Spider

73. Kevin Jordan
Ninja Points: 118

Kevin is in his third season of competition and will be making his first trip to the Vegas Finals. He completed the Dallas Qualifying course for the first time. In the City Finals, he fell on the Nail Clipper and finished 15th which was good enough to get him to Vegas.

72. Spencer Clapp
Ninja Points: 130

Spencer is in the conversation for one of the top rookies of this season. He completed the Los Angeles Qualification course and in the City Finals made it through 9 obstacles before slipping up on the Spider Trap.

71. Trevor West
Ninja Points: 138

Trevor is one of just 5 rookies that were able to complete the City Finals course this season. The college student was a surprising finisher in the Indianapolis City Finals after falling on the 5th obstacle in qualifying. He was one of just 3 people to complete the course.

70. Kyle Schulze
Ninja Points: 139.5

Kyle is one of the best stories this season. The “Deaf Ninja” is making his first trip to the Vegas Finals after an emotional and inspirational run in the Indianapolis City Finals that went all the way to the 8th obstacle, Cane Lane.

Stage 1 Result: Fell on Archer Alley

69. Michael Bougher
Ninja Points: 139.75

Michael reached the Kansas City Finals last season, but an early fall kept him from Vegas. This year, he returned to compete in Indianapolis where he completed the qualifying course with the fastest time of the night. In the City Finals, he made it to Cane Lane which was enough to earn him his first trip to Vegas.

68. Anna Shumaker
Ninja Points: 141.93

Anna is in her second year of ninja competitions. She had an early fall in the City Qualifiers last year. Anna made the City Finals this season and made the most of the opportunity, becoming the 11th woman to conquer the Warped Wall, making it all the way to the Giant Cubes. She has also competed in Team Ninja Warrior and Ninja vs Ninja as a member of David Campbell’s “NorCal Ninjas.”

65t. Matthew Day, Jonathan Stevens, Brian Rambo
Ninja Points: 154

These three rookies all completed the “double buzzer.” They all conquered both the City Qualifiers and City Finals courses. Matthew accomplished the feat in Dallas where he finished second behind Daniel Gil in both the Qualifiers and Finals. Brian posted the fastest time of the night in the Los Angeles Qualifiers and Jonathan competed in Minneapolis.

Matthew Day Stage 1 Result: Fell on Jumping Spider
Stage 1 Result:
Brian Rambo Stage 1 Result: Fell on Jumping Spider

64. Bootie Cothran
Ninja Points: 155.5

Bootie is in his 4th season of Ninja Warrior competition and completed a course for the first time in his career. After conquering the Miami City Qualifiers course (the first time in ANW history that the first runner shown on the broadcast completed a course), he made it through the first 6 obstacles again along with the Salmon Ladder in the City Finals. Reaching the 8th obstacle was the best run of his career and good enough to earn him his first trip to Vegas.

63. Derek Miyamoto
Ninja Points: 156

Derek is known as the “Ninja Ambassador” for his work supporting ninja events around the world. He competed in 3 seasons of Sasuke Vietnam before competing in American Ninja Warrior for the first time in Season 9. Despite falling on the Doorknob Drop in qualifying, he reached the City Finals for the first time this year. Derek made the most of the opportunity and completed the City Finals course to qualify for Vegas for the first time in his career.

62. Nick Patel
Ninja Points: 175

Nick qualified for the Vegas Finals last season but withdrew from the competition. He returned this year and completed the Miami City Qualifiers course. He earned a spot in Vegas by making it to the 8th obstacle in the City Finals and will get his first crack at the National Finals course.

Stage 1 Result: Fell on Propeller Bar

61. Todd Bourgeois
Ninja Points: 176

Todd has competed on American Ninja Warrior since Season 5 and will be making his third trip to the Vegas Finals. In both previous appearances he fell on the Jumping Spider on Stage 1.

60. Brian Kretsch
Ninja Points: 184.81

Brian is one of the few athletes who has competed on all 10 seasons of American Ninja Warrior. He has reached the Vegas Finals three times previously but this will be his first National Finals since Season 6. Brian completed the Los Angeles City Qualifiers course this season. He also competed in the last two seasons of team competition as a member of David Campbell’s “NorCal Ninjas.”

59. Casey Suchocki
Ninja Points: 188

Casey completed the Atlanta Qualifying course as a walk-on in Season 8. He had an early fall in Season 9 but made it memorable when he proposed to his girlfriend after splashing out. This will be his second trip to the Vegas Finals where he will look to get revenge on the Jumping Spider which knocked him out in Season 8.

Completed Stage 1

58. Tiana Webberley
Ninja Points: 193.1

“Sweet T” is in her 4th season of ninja competition and conquered the Warped Wall for the first time, becoming the 12th woman to do so. Her city finals run in Los Angeles carried her all the way to the 9th obstacle, the Baton Pass, making her the top female competitor on the course. Tiana will be making her second trip to Vegas, falling on the Propellar Bar in Season 8. She has also competed in team events, as part of Team Ronin with Flip Rodriguez and JJ Woods in Team Ninja Warrior 1 & 2 and with Daniel Gil and Mathis Owhadi as part of Iron Grip in Ninja Vs Ninja.

57. Michael Johnson
Ninja Points: 196.5

Michael qualified for Vegas for the second straight season. Like last season, he fell on the 8th obstacle of the City Finals. Last year he fell on the Double Dipper on Stage 1 in Vegas.

Stage 1 Result: Fell on Double Dipper

56. Reko Rivera
Ninja Points: 211.5

Reko has competed on American Ninja Warrior since Season 4 and is making his second appearance in Vegas. He reached the National Finals for the first time in his career last year but slipped up on the first obstacle, Snake Run.

55. Brian Burkhardt
Ninja Points: 218.53

Brian is another competitor who has gotten progressively better each year. In Season 8 he qualified for the City Finals then reached Vegas last year, falling on the Jumping Spider. He makes a return trip to Vegas this season after falling on the Nail Clipper in the Dallas City Finals.

54. Brad Spine
Ninja Points: 223

Brad is another second-year ninja who fell on the Jumping Spider last year in Vegas. This year he completed the Indianapolis qualifying course and fell on Cane Lane in the City Finals.

53. Mathis Owhadi
Ninja Points: 224.69

Mathis “The Kid” Owhadi is a 19-year old who exploded onto the Ninja scene this year. In Ninja vs Ninja he was a member of Daniel Gil’s team “Iron Grip.” He had impressive head-to-head wins over ninja superstars Grant McCartney and JJ Woods. The younger age limit in ANW this year gave him the opportunity to compete and he made the most of it, completing both the Dallas City Qualifiers and City Finals courses.

Completed Stage 1

52. Judas Licciardello
Ninja Points: 246.25

Judas is in his second year competing on Ninja Warrior. He has completed City Qualifiers courses in each of the last two seasons.  Last year he also qualified for the Vegas Finals and fell on the Jumping Spider.

51. Michelle Warnky
Ninja Points: 253.3

Michelle has been competing since Season 5 and has made four previous appearances in the Vegas Finals. Each of her prior appearances were made as a Wild Card and ended on Stage 1. She was one of 6 women to complete a City Qualifiers course this season. After catching a bad break last year in the City Finals when she made it to the 8th obstacle but was not fast enough to be in the Top 2 Women in Cleveland, she repeated her performance of making it to the 8th obstacle. That proved to be enough in the Philadelphia City Finals this year as she not only qualified as one of the top 2 women but was also 12th overall among all competitors in the Philadelphia City Finals.

Stage 1 Result: Fell on Archer Alley

50. Kenneth Niemitalo
Ninja Points: 254.5

Kenny had a fantastic story this season as he was running to raise awareness for organ donations. In 2016, Kenny’s family was blessed when an American Ninja Warrior fan donated a kidney to his newborn daughter, saving her life from a rare kidney disease. He has competed since Season 6 and will be making his first trip to Vegas since his rookie season, which ended on Stage 1. Kenny completed both the Miami Qualification and City Finals courses this season, making this the best year of his career.

49. Barclay Stockett
Ninja Points: 265.88

Barclay will be making her second appearance in the Vegas Finals. Last year she made history in Vegas, becoming the shortest competitor to complete the Jumping Spider and the Warped Wall. She was rolling through Stage 1 but took too much time to clear the Warped Wall and timed out before being able to attempt the final obstacle. This season she was the top female competitor in the Dallas City Finals, falling on the Nail Clipper, and the only one to make it past the 5th obstacle Crank It Up. Barclay has also made a name for herself in team competition, as part of Daniel Gil’s Iron Grip in Team Ninja Warrior 2 and as part of Party Time with Brian Arnold and Jake Murray in Ninja vs Ninja.

48. Alex Carson
Ninja Points: 278.25

Alex made it to the Vegas Finals for the first time in his career last season. He made it all the way to the final obstacle of Stage 1, the Flying Squirrel, before falling. This year he was the only ninja to fall on The Clacker in the Indianapolis City Finals, but got there fast enough to earn a return trip to Vegas.

47. Rigel Henry
Ninja Points: 285.25

Rigel made the Vegas Finals last year as a rookie but fell on the Jumping Spider. This year he completed a Qualification course for the second straight season. He followed it up by conquering the City Finals for the first time in his career, one of just 3 athletes to complete the Indianapolis course.

Stage 1 Result: Fell on Double Dipper

46. James McGrath
Ninja Points: 343.59

James “The Beast” McGrath has competed in 9 of the 10 seasons of American Ninja Warrior. His best year was in Season 5 when he reached Stage 3. He has not made it past Stage 1 since then, but reached the Vegas Finals 5 times in his career. Last year was the first time he did not qualify for Vegas when his time in the Cleveland City Finals left him just shy of the Top 15. This year he completed the Philadelphia Qualification course and in the City Finals made it to the last obstacle before losing traction with his shoes and falling on the Spider Trap. The Beast looks ready to get back to Vegas and take another run at the Jumping Spider which knocked him out in Seasons 7 and 8.

Stage 1 Result: Fell on Jumping Spider

45. Dan Polizzi
Ninja Points: 344.56

Dan is a firefighter from Chicago who is one of the “Towers of Power” along with fellow firefighter Brandon Mears. Dan has competed since Season 5 on American Ninja Warrior and is continuing his streak of strong performances in even-numbered seasons. He previously reached the Vegas Finals in Season 6 and Season 8 but has yet to conquer Stage 1. This season he completed the Indianapolis qualifying course and made it to the final obstacle in the City Finals but couldn’t reach the summit of the Spider Trap.

Completed Stage 1

44. Mike Meyers
Ninja Points: 357.99

Mike is one of the most popular ninjas on Twitter, known for leading “couchless commercials” and encouraging viewers to do small mini-workouts during breaks in the show. His best season came as a rookie in Season 7 when he made it to Stage 2. This will be his third trip to Vegas after falling victim to the Double Dipper last year. Mike completed the Minnesota qualifying course and reached the 9th obstacle in the City Finals.

43. Meagan Martin
Ninja Points: 366.93

Meagan has been one of the top female competitors on American Ninja Warrior for quite some time. She burst onto the scene in Season 6 when she became the third woman ever to conquer the Warped Wall. She repeated the feat in Seasons 7 and 8 as well. This will be her fifth straight appearance in the Vegas Finals. Last year, she conquered the Vegas Warped Wall for the first time in her career but timed out shortly after. Meagan also has been a noteworthy competitor in team competitions. She was undefeated in head-to-head races until she lost to Jesse LaBreck in the Finals of Ninja vs Ninja this season.

42. Karsten Williams
Ninja Points: 372.72

Karsten is in his sixth year on American Ninja Warrior. Karsten had a nerve-wracking Qualifiers this season when he slipped on the Tuning Forks, but was fortunate that only 26 athletes made it farther. In the City Finals, he made it to the Nail Clipper to clinch a spot in Vegas for the fifth straight season. He has yet to conquer Stage 1 but had his best run at it last year when he reached the penultimate obstacle.

41. Brett Sims
Ninja Points: 380.57

Brett has been competing since Season 2 and is making his second trip to the Vegas Finals. In his last appearance in Vegas, he timed out at the Warped Wall. This has been his best ANW season to date, completing both the Miami Qualification and City Finals courses. He has a bet with Ryan Stratis regarding their beards and whoever falls first in Vegas will have to shave.

40. Ethan Swanson
Ninja Points: 382.36

“The Swan” is in his 5th year of competition. He is also known as “The Daredevil” for his stunts on buildings and bridges around Chicago. His best year was in Season 8 when he made it all the way to Stage 2 in Vegas. He came up short in Season 9, one of the “Windy City Warriors” to be taken out by the Broken Pipes in the City Finals. His fall on the Spin Hopper in the Indianapolis Qualifiers this year was the first time he failed to complete a City Qualifiers course. He made up for it in the City Finals by punching his ticket back to Vegas and hitting the first City Finals buzzer of his career.

Completed Stage 1

39. Allyssa Beird
Ninja Points: 409.77

Allyssa is a school teacher who became the second woman to complete Stage 1 last year. This is her third straight trip to the Vegas Finals and she is looking for another shot at Stage 2 after falling on the Criss-Cross Salmon Ladder last year. She has been a strong competitor this season, completing the City Qualifying course for a second straight season and reaching the 8th obstacle in the Philadelphia City Finals.

Stage 1 Result: Fell on Archer Alley

38. Neil Craver
Ninja Points: 429.36

Neil “Crazy” Craver is back this year after missing last season while recovering from a shoulder injury. This will be his third trip to the Vegas Finals and he has completed Stage 1 in both prior appearances (Seasons 7 and 8). He has had a strong season returning from injury, completing the City Qualifiers course. In the Miami City Finals, Crazy Craver was knocked out by the Crazy Clocks. Neil also competes as part of the Golden Hearts team (with Natalie Duran and Grant McCartney) in team competition.

Stage 1 Result: Fell on Double Dipper

37. Jeremiah Morgan
Ninja Points: 438.97

Jeremiah has been a strong competitor on Ninja Warrior. This is the fourth time he has qualified for the Vegas Finals. He unfortunately had to withdraw last year due to an accident he suffered before the National Finals. The best season of his career came in Season 7 when he made it all the way to Stage 3 and fell on the Ultimate Cliffhanger. This year he came out strong, completing both the Dallas Qualifiers and City Finals courses.

36. Dave Cavanagh
Ninja Points: 442.34

Dave is known as the “King of the Walk-Ons” after competing from the Walk-On line in all five of his competitive seasons. He qualified for Vegas for the first time in Season 9 and made it to Stage 2. This year he cleared the Qualification course for the fourth time in his career. In the Philadelphia City Finals he fell on Spinball Wizard and earned a second straight trip to Vegas.

35. Chris DiGangi
Ninja Points: 456.77

Chris has been competing since Season 4 and is making his third trip to Vegas. In Season 4 he fell on the Jumping Spider and in Season 9 splashed out on the Jumping Spider. Over the last two seasons, he and his girlfriend Jesse Labreck have had identical runs. This year they both completed the Indianapolis Qualifiers and fell on Cane Lane in the City Finals. He was also a part of the “Labreckfast Club” team that won Ninja Vs Ninja.

34. Chris Wilczewski
Ninja Points: 464.95

Chris has competed since Season 2 and has had an excellent year after taking Season 9 off due to a near-death experience where he almost drowned in Lake Michigan. In the Philadelphia City Qualifiers he finished with the fastest time of the night AND won $10,000 by scaling the Mega Wall. He kept up his speed in the City Finals and once again completed the course with the fastest time of the night. This will be his fourth trip to Vegas where he has completed Stage 1 in every prior appearance.

33. Tyler Gillett
Ninja Points: 489.85

Tyler was one of the top rookies in Season 9, completing Stage 1 and making it to the Wave Runner on Stage 2. Tyler continued his success in his sophomore campaign, completing the Minneapolis Qualifying course then falling on the Iron Maiden in the City Finals. Though Tyler is only in his second year competing, he has been a Ninja Warrior fan for a long time and has been posting videos online of himself doing obstacle courses since he was 14 years old.

Completed Stage 1

32. Jesse Labreck
Ninja Points: 507.69

Jesse “Flex” Labreck is in her third season of competition and making her third appearance in Vegas. She has yet to complete Stage 1, coming up just short on the Flying Squirrel last year. For the second straight season she completed a City Qualifying course. In the Indianapolis City Finals, she became the first woman to get past the Clacker but fell on Cane Lane. She carried her team, “Labreckfast Club” to the Ninja Vs Ninja Championship this year. That title run included a notable head-to-head victory over fellow undefeated racer Meagan Martin and anchoring her team’s relay run in the final.

Stage 1 Result: Fell on Twist and Fly

31. Josh Salinas
Ninja Points: 520.27

Josh was one of the top rookies of Season 9, completing the San Antonio Qualification course and Stage 1 in Vegas. On Stage 2, he was one of many ninjas to fall victim to Wingnut Alley. This year, he repeated the feat of completing the Qualifying course in Dallas and took it one step farther by conquering the City Finals course as well.

30. Karson Voiles
Ninja Points: 522.21

Karson has competed since Season 5 and is making his fourth appearance in Vegas. He has reached Stage 2 in his prior appearances in Vegas in Seasons 7 and 9. Both times he fell on the penultimate obstacle, Roulette Row in Season 7 and Wingnut Alley in Season 9. This season he fell on the next-to-last obstacle in both the Minneapolis City Qualifiers and City Finals.

Completed Stage 1

29. Drew Knapp
Ninja Points: 528.19

Drew had an emotional Season 9, competing with his younger brother Dalton who had recently overcome cancer. Drew qualified for Vegas and completed Stage 1, making it all the way to Wingnut Alley on Stage 2. This year, he fell in a City Qualifying course for the first time ever, but was good enough to make the Minneapolis City Finals. He made it to the Iron Maiden and qualified for Vegas for the second straight season.

28. Hunter Guerard
Ninja Points: 528.45

“The Lizard” was one of the top rookies in Season 9, making it all the way to Wingnut Alley on Stage 2. This season, he fell on the penultimate obstacles in the Minneapolis City Qualifiers and City Finals. His team the Lizard Kings had an impressive run on Ninja Vs Ninja.

27. Sean Darling-Hammond
Ninja Points: 539.65

Sean qualified for Vegas as a rookie in Season 7 and fell on the Jumping Spider. After an early fall in Season 8 he had a bounce-back Season 9 when he made it to Stage 2 and fell on Wingnut Alley. This year, he completed the Qualification course in Minneapolis and made it to the Iron Maiden in the City Finals. He has also competed on Jamie Rahn’s “Super Hero Squad” on Team Ninja Warrior and Ninja vs Ninja.

26. Brent Steffensen
Ninja Points: 547

Brent is a long-time competitor who has competed on the Japanese Sasuke and made his ANW debut in Season 2. He reached Stage 3 twice on Sasuke and once on ANW in Season 4. This will be his 6th trip to the Vegas Finals and he has only failed on Stage 1 once. He made it to the Wave Runner on Stage 2 last year.

Stage 1 Result: Timed out on the cargo net

25. Eric Middleton
Ninja Points: 553.94

Eric is a student at the University of Minnesota who has an affinity for insects. Memorably, he bet announcers Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila that they would eat a deep-fried tarantula if he completed the Minnesota Qualification course. Eric held up his end of the deal. Matt and Akbar followed through as well, with both making hilariously disgusted faces as they bit into the spider. Eric has been a very successful ninja in his three seasons. He has reached Vegas in each of the last two seasons, timing out on the Flying Squirrel in Season 8 then conquering Stage 1 and falling on the Wave Runner in Season 9.

24. Lance Pekus
Ninja Points: 564.88

The Cowboy Ninja has reached the Vegas Finals in five of his six seasons. He fell on the Jumping Spider in Seasons 5 and 6. He finally got through it in Season 7, making it all the way to the penultimate obstacle Roulette Row. Lance returned to Vegas in Season 9 and once again cruised through Stage 1 but fell on Wingnut Alley, the next-to-last obstacle of Stage 2. This season he completed the Minneapolis Qualification course but fell on the Iron Maiden in the City Finals.

23. Nick Hanson
Ninja Points: 572.37

The Eskimo Ninja hails from Unalakleet, Alaska and is known for his training videos where he does obstacles in sub-zero temperatures. Nick has been on the ninja circuit since Season 7 and will be making his third straight appearance in the Vegas Finals. He has done progressively better each season. In Season 8 he completed the Flying Squirrel but the buzzer sounded as he reached the top of the cargo net before he could hit the buzzer. Last season he completed Stage 1 and fell on the Criss-Cross Salmon Ladder. This year he earned $10,000 by scaling the Mega Wall in the Los Angeles City Qualifiers. In the City Finals he reached the 9th obstacle and fell on the Baton Pass.

Stage 1 Result: Timed out on the cargo net 

22. Tyler Yamauchi
Ninja Points: 592.79

Tyler is in his fourth year of ANW competition and is tied with Jonathan Horton as the shortest male competitor to conquer the 14’6″ Warped Wall. Tyler is only 5’1″ but he has been a very successful Ninja, reaching Stage 2 last year and falling on Wingnut Alley. This will be his third trip to the Vegas Finals after he made it to Cane Lane in the Indianapolis City Finals.

Stage 1 Result: Fell on Double Dipper

21. Ryan Stratis
Ninja Points: 644.67

“Straticus” has competed on every season of American Ninja Warrior and is known for his beard. This season, he has a friendly competition with Brett Sims to see who will make it the farthest and the loser has to shave his beard. Both Brett and Ryan completed both the Miami Qualification and City Finals courses. Ryan is making his 6th appearance in the Vegas Finals and has reached Stage 2 three times, including last season where he fell on the Giant Ring Swing.

20. Jake Murray
Ninja Points: 688.53

Jake is a fun-loving competitor who has pulled some crazy stuff on the course, such as doing a canonball into the water after completing Stage 1 as a rookie in Season 7 and biting into a corn dog after repeating his Stage 1 success in Season 8. After a shocking early fall in Season 9, Jake had a bounce-back year in Season 10, completing both the Minneapolis Qualification and City Finals courses.This will be his third trip to Vegas and he has reached Stage 2 both times. Jake has also competed in team events as a member of (not surprisingly) “Party Time” with Brian Arnold.

19. Abel Gonzalez
Ninja Points: 692.43

Abel started as a walk-on in Season 6 and made it all the way to Stage 2. He followed that up with a brilliant Season 7 where he made it all the way to Stage 3 and fell on the Ultimate Cliffhanger. An early fall ended his run in the 8th season but he came back strong in Season 9, making it to Stage 2 once more and falling on Wingnut Alley. This is his fourth trip to Vegas and he has conquered Stage 1 in each of his three prior appearances.

18. David Campbell
Ninja Points: 734.19

The Godfather has taken part in every season of American Ninja Warrior. He qualified for Vegas but fell on Stage 1 in Seasons 4, 5, 6, and 7. He barely missed qualifying in Season 8 but came back stronger than ever in Season 9. David completed Stage 1 and made it to Wingnut Alley in Stage 2. This year has been one of his best yet. He completed both the Los Angeles City Qualifiers and City Finals courses, the first time since Season 6 he hit a City Finals buzzer. David is also the team captain for the “NorCal Ninjas” on Team Ninja Warrior and Ninja vs Ninja.

17. Nicholas Coolridge
Ninja Points: 742.58

The acrobat made his debut in Season 7 where he was the only finisher in the Venice City Finals course. He has qualified for Vegas in all four of his seasons and has made it to Stage 2 each of the last two years. He continued to have success in the early rounds of the competition this year, completing both the Los Angeles Qualifiers and City Finals courses.

16. Jamie Rahn
Ninja Points: 766.36

“Captain NBC” has been competing since Season 2. He is known for wearing a superhero outfit and donning bright green wigs. This will be his sixth straight appearance in the Vegas Finals. He has reached Stage 2 in the odd-numbered seasons (5, 7 and 9) but fallen on Stage 1 in the even-numbered years (Seasons 6 and 8). In Seasons 7 and 9 he reached the penultimate obstacle of Stage 2, falling on Roulette Row and Wingnut Alley respectively.

Completed Stage 1 (after losing a shoe on the Propeller Bar)

15. Adam Rayl
Ninja Points: 784.77

Adam is a concrete worker who has used his incredible grip strength to propel him to success on the ninja circuit. He made the most of his chance as a walk on in Los Angeles in Season 8, making it all the way to Stage 2. He made it back to Stage 2 last year but fell on Wingnut Alley. Adam dominated the Los Angeles Qualification course this year, including conquering the Mega Wall and earning $10,000. He finished the LA City Finals course for the second year in a row.

Completed Stage 1

14. Thomas Stillings
Ninja Points: 788.1

Thomas burst onto the scene in Season 7 when he made it to Stage 2 as a rookie. He repeated that success in the following two seasons, falling on the Down-Up Salmon Ladder in Season 8 and Wingnut Alley in Season 9. Thomas completed the Dallas Qualification course this year but fell on the new Fallout obstacle. He also captained the “Three Wishes” team on Team Ninja Warrior and Ninja Vs Ninja.

13. Jon Alexis Jr
Ninja Points: 795.68

Could this be “The Year of the Giant?” Jon is one of the tallest ninjas at 6’6″ and started the year by putting together dominant performances as part of Labreckfast Club on Ninja vs Ninja. After a slip-up in the Minneapolis City Qualifiers he completed the City Finals course with the fastest time of the night. This is his third straight year reaching the Vegas Finals. He fell on the Flying Squirrel in Season 8 but came back to complete Stage 1 in Season 9. Last year, he made it all the way to Wingnut Alley before splashing out.

Stage 1 Result: Fell on Twist and Fly on the transition to the cargo net

12. Flip Rodriguez
Ninja Points: 819.95

Flip started in freerunning and parkour, which he has turned into a career as a stuntman. His ninja skills were initially strongest in agility and explosion but since his debut in Season 3 his climbing and grip strength skills have improved.This will be his 6th appearance in the Vegas Finals and he has reached Stage 2 each of the last three years. In both Season 7 and Season 9 he did what he needed to do to get through Roulette Row and Wingnut Alley but fell on the dismount to the landing pad. This year he had a surprising fall in the LA Qualification course but came back to complete the City Finals. Flip was also a member of “Team Ronin” that came in second place on Ninja Vs Ninja.

Stage 1 Result: Fell on Double Dipper

11. Jessie Graff
Ninja Points: 830.66

Wonder Woman is real and her name is Jessie Graff. Jessie has set so many historic marks on American Ninja Warrior it’s hard to know even where to begin. She was the first woman to complete Stage 1 in Vegas in Season 8 and followed it up by becoming the first woman to complete Stage 2 during USA vs The World. Last year, she was cruising through Stage 1 and looked like she would finish again but came up just short on the transition from the Flying Squirrel to the cargo net and splashed out. She scaled the Warped Wall in the Miami City Qualifiers this season and fell on the incredibly difficult Stair Hopper in the City Finals.

10. Kevin Bull
Ninja Points: 842.16

Kevin was another walk-on who had one of the most memorable moments in ANW history. In Season 6 as a rookie he was the first ninja to beat Cannonball Alley by grabbing the third ball between his knees and swinging upside down to the landing pad. Since then, Kevin has used his platform as a well-known ninja to build awareness for alopecia. His best year came in Season 7 when he made it to Stage 3 and fell on the Ultimate Cliffhanger. This will be his fifth straight season in Vegas and he has conquered Stage 1 twice, reaching Wingnut Alley on Stage 2 last year. Like Flip Rodriguez, Kevin fell on Doorknob Drop in the LA City Qualifiers but came back to complete the City Finals course.

9. Travis Rosen
Ninja Points: 863.01

Travis has been competing since Season 2 and reached the Vegas Finals each of the last 7 seasons. His best year came in Season 5 when he reached Stage 3, falling on the Floating Boards. Travis has only fallen on Stage 1 once, a slip on Snake Run in Season 8. He rebounded from that fall to get back to Stage 2 last year, falling on Wingnut Alley. Since the current format of American Ninja Warrior competition was adopted, Travis has never fallen on a City Qualifiers course, a trend he continued this year. He is also the first American to complete the rope climb on Stage 4 when he did it as part of the USA vs The World event in 2014.

Stage 1 Result: Fell on Double Dipper

8. Ian Dory
Ninja Points: 1086.91

Ian is one of the “Wolfpack Ninjas,” a group of Colorado rock climbers who train together. The Wolfpack Ninjas have accounted for a number of success stories, including Isaac Caldiero, the first winner of American Ninja Warrior. Ian has been an incredibly strong competitor in his own regard. He has completed every City Finals course he has attempted, including this year in Minneapolis. He has only fallen on Stage 1 once, in Season 8 when he came up short on the jump to the Propeller Bar. His best year came in Season 7 when he reached the final obstacle of Stage 3 the Flying Bar. He made it to the fourth of five jumps but his grip gave out.

Stage 1 Result: Fell on Jumping Spider

7. Josh Levin
Ninja Points: 1210.74

Josh is a competitive rock climber who has been involved in speed climbing events since he was a kid. He has had a very successful ninja career so far. He made it the farthest of any rookie in Season 8, reaching the penultimate obstacle on Stage 2. In the 2017 USA vs The World event, Josh completed Stage 3.  Josh reached Stage 2 again last season. He has completed the City Qualifiers and City Finals courses in all three seasons he has competed. With the addition of Rock Climbing as an Olympic Sport for the 2020 Summer Games, Josh is continuing to pursue his speed climbing background in the hopes of making the Olympic team.

Completed Stage 1

6. Brian Arnold
Ninja Points: 1211.98

Brian has been a stalwart of American Ninja Warrior and a model of consistency and success. He is another of the “Wolfpack Ninjas” and was the Last Man Standing in Season 5 when he made it all the way to the Flying Bar on Stage 3. Brian became the first American to conquer Stage 3 during the USA vs The World special in 2014. This will be his 7th consecutive appearance in the Vegas Finals and he has never fallen on Stage 1. The last three seasons, Brian has reached the penultimate obstacle of Stage 2 but has been unable to get past Roulette Row, the Double Wedge, or Wingnut Alley.

5. Najee Richardson
Ninja Points: 1269.68

“The Phoenix” Najee Richardson is a former gymnast who suffered a career-ending injury and reinvented himself as a ninja superstar. Najee fell on Stage 2 in Season 8 and was one of just 3 ninjas last year to complete Stage 2. On Stage 3 he fell on the Ultimate Cliffhanger. He continued his run of success this year, winning $10,000 by conquering the Mega Wall in the Philadelphia City Qualifiers then finishing the City Finals course as well. Najee has been a mainstay in almost every ninja event, taking part in team competition as the captain of Phoenix Force and having two epic battles with Drew Drechsel in ANW All-Stars events.

4. Sean Bryan
Ninja Points: 1279.83

“The Papal Ninja” was one of just three athletes to complete Stage 2 last year. Like Najee Richardson, he fell on the Ultimate Cliffhanger on Stage 3. Sean has completed the City Qualifiers and City Finals courses in each of the last two seasons. Sean finished with the fastest time of the night in this year’s LA City Finals. Last year on the USA vs The World special, Sean completed the Stage 4 climb, making him the fourth American to do so.

Completed Stage 1

3. Daniel Gil
Ninja Points: 1479.12

Daniel has been one of the top ninjas since his rookie year in Season 7. He started as a trainer in Sam Sann’s gym and that experience has paid off. He has routinely put up one of the fastest times of the night on nearly every course he has taken on. As a rookie he completed Stage 1 and made it to Roulette Row on Stage 2. In Season 8, he completed both the Oklahoma City Qualifying and City Finals courses. In Vegas, he reached Stage 3 where he fell on the Ultimate Cliffhanger. Last year, he once again garnered two buzzers in San Antonio and completed Stage 1 again. On Stage 2, he was another victim of Wingnut Alley as he failed to reach the landing pad. Like the two previous seasons he conquered the Houston Qualifying and City Finals courses, capping an emotional qualifier off by scaling the Mega Wall and winning $10,000 in his hometown. Daniel also captained Team Iron Grip in Team Ninja Warrior and Ninja vs Ninja competition.

Completed Stage 1

2. Joe Moravsky
Ninja Points: 2163.64

“The Weatherman” Joe Moravsky has been the most consistent ninja in the competition. From his rookie year in Season 5 up through Season 8 he did not fall  anywhere other than on Stage 3 in Vegas. In Season 8 he gassed out in the City Finals on the Invisible Ladder and later fell on Stage 2 in Vegas. He came back and dominated Season 9, reaching Stage 3 once again and finishing as the Last Man Standing (for the second time in his career). All told, Joe has completed Stage 1 in all 5 of his seasons and conquered Stage 2 in all but one of those years. Joe also captained “Storm Team” which featured Josh Levin and Allyssa Beird that won the Team Ninja Warrior Season 2 competition.

Stage 1 Result: Fell on Double Dipper

1. Drew Drechsel
Ninja Points: 2340.6

The “Real Life Ninja” enters the Vegas Finals at the top of the power rankings. He has competed on American Ninja Warrior since Season 4 as well as on Sasuke in Japan. Drew has made it to the Vegas Finals in five seasons and has beaten Stage 1 every time. He fell on the Hang Climb on Stage 3 in both Season 7 and Season 8. On the 2017 edition of USA vs the World, Drew memorably put in headphones before his run and completed Stage 3.  Last season, he was cruising through the competition and looked like the odds on favorite but over-jumped on Wingnut Alley. The impact with the wingnut was like a stinger that briefly made his arm go numb and cost him grip strength. He fell trying to jump to the landing platform. This season, Drew completed the Miami qualifying course with the fastest time of the night but barely missed grabbing the top of the Mega Wall. In the City Finals, he fell on the Stair Hopper when the bar slipped off the back end of one of the stairs. Drew joined a host of elite ninjas including Najee Richardson, Jamie Rahn, Geoff Britten (and later on in the night Jessie Graff) that all fell on the Stair Hopper.

 

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