TV Recap: S13E09 – American Ninja Warrior Season 13 Semifinals Round 4 2021

American Ninja Warrior Season 13 2021: Semifinals Round 4 Season 13 Episode 9

It’s the last week of the Season 13 Semifinals. So, let’s get right to finding the 15 to 18 remaining ninjas who will head to the National Finals.

Here’s the format:

The top 15 and top 3 women advance to the Finals in Vegas.

And here’s tonight course:

Shrinking Steps, Lunatic Ledges, Barrel Roll, Diamond Dash, Drop Zone, Warped Wall, Salmon Ladder, Crazy Clocks, Split Decision (The Dungeon or Diving Boards), Spider Trap

And for the last time, there’s the redesigned Power Tower. The top two finishers on the night will race on the Power Tower with the winner taking a Safety Pass (a chance at a do-over should they fall in the National Finals) to Vegas.

Devan Alexander, 16-year-old High School Student

Devan’s mom, Pow, is on the sideline loudly cheering him on tonight.

Devan missed with his feet on Lunatic Ledges. But he held on with his hands and moved onto the third obstacle.

After that, Alexander ran the course with urgency setting a nice pace as he finished the first half (with his first ever Warped Wall) of the course.

And Alexander’s solidly paced run continued as he made it past Crazy Clocks.

But fatigue appeared heavy for Alexander as his arms finally gave out on The Dungeon.

We’ll see if that’s enough for Alexander to make it to Vegas.

During the break…

Sem Garay fell on Diamond Dash.

Lindsay Eskildsen fell on Barrel Roll.

Dan Polizzi fell on the Dungeon.

Nate Hansen, 20-year-old Business Student

Before his run, Hansen visited a young fan named Aiden (a young man who also has growth hormone deficiency) and did some ninja training with him.

Hansen took a measured approach as he worked his way through the first half of the course.

Attacking the back half of the semi-final course for the first time, Hansen pushed through Crazy Clocks making use of every inch of wingspan he had.

The need for big reaches continued for Hansen, but he kept powering through as he became the first ninja tonight to make it past The Dungeon.

And after hitting the buzzer, Nate Hansen secured his spot in Las Vegas!!!

Nate Hansen completes the course in 5:13.20.

During the break…

Jamie Ross fell on Barrel Roll.

John Mack fell on Crazy Clocks.

Dan Wentworth fell on Drop Zone.

Eric Middleton, 28-year-old Entomologist

Middleton provided a full plate of bugs for the guys in the announcing booth for each obstacle he completes on the 2nd half of the course.

So, when Middleton made it up the Warped Wall, it was time to feast!!!

Matt and Akbar started with rice and grasshopper (which they actually liked).

After Salmon Ladder, it was time for Korean Waxworm.

And after surpassing Crazy Clocks, Matt and Akbar ate bee bread made from bee pollen and honey (another favorite of the guys).

Last week, no one made it past Diving Boards.

But Middleton did it tonight…

meaning the guys feasted on cricket cookies.

And it was spider sushi after Middleton hit the buzzer!!!

Eric Middleton completes the course in 5:27.40.

During the break…

Sam Folsom fell on Crazy Clocks.

Jamie Rahn fell on Diving Boards.

Tyler Yamauchi hit the buzzer!!!!

Heather Weissinger, 28-year-old Heart Electrician

Weissinger has been a part of over 800 pacemaker operations.

Weissinger took some big leaps to get past Lunatic Ledges.

The big leaps (and one-armed saves) continued as Weissinger set a new personal best before falling on Drop Zone.

During the break…

Brian Beckstrand fell on Drop Zone.

Kai Beckstrand, 15-year-old High School Student


Joined in progress, Beckstrand moved quickly to the 2nd half of the course.

Beckstrand kept his solid pace going as he moved past Crazy Clocks.

Beckstrand’s grip looked to be in question on the ninth obstacle. But he fought through it and got even faster when the pegs got vertical on the Dungeon.

Beckstand had over a minute to get up Spider Trap with the night’s fastest time.

And as Beckstrand’s energy started to give, he fought through it and became the youngest to ever hit a Semi Finals buzzer!!!

Kai Beckstrand completes the course in 4:56.17.

During the break…

Mike Silenzi, Hunter Guerard, and Kyle Soderman all hit the buzzer!!!

Cal Plohoros, 15-year-old High School Student

“Ninja Cal” outperformed his hero Flip Rodriguez in qualifying.

But Plohoros’s run nearly ended on Diamond Dash.

However, Ninja Cal somehow kept his balance and moved onto the fifth obstacle.

Plohoros’s pace was well ahead of the rest of the ninjas.

But could he keep it up over the 2nd half of the course?

Turns out, he could not as he fell on Crazy Clocks.

During the break…

Ava Colasanti fell on Drop Zone.

Ben Martin fell on Crazy Clocks.

Cam Baumgartner hit the buzzer!!!

Austin Gray, 24-year-old Ninja Coach

Gray’s been advocating for Kidney donation for four years.

And that message reached Courtney, who donated a kidney to her dad that saved his life.

Joined in progress, Gray hit the second half of the course with relative ease.

As Gray attacked Crazy Clocks, he was on pace to get the night’s fastest time.

And Gray made the calculation he would need to complete Diving Boards to keep up that pace.

The calculation was correct!!!

Gray had 45 seconds to get the night’s top time.

And that’s exactly what he had when he hit the buzzer!!!

Austin Gray completes the course in 3:50.92.

Josh Richards, 19-year-old Social Media Influencer

7.3 million Instagram followers have their eyes on this run tonight.

They wouldn’t be watching long as Richards fell on Lunatic Ledges.

Come to think of it, Richards’s run lasted about as long as a Tik Tok video his 24 million followers there would view.

During the break…

Griffin Johnson fell on Shrinking Steps.

Flip Rodriguez fell on Crazy Clocks.

Joe Brown, 26-year-old Package Sorter

Brown’s leaps are quite impressive (72-inch box jump I believe!!!)

While receiving help from the sideline from ‘Flex’ LaBreck (who he trains with in Chicago), Brown worked through the first three obstacles.

Brown had to slide across the platform on Diamond Dash but held on as he made his way through the first half of the course.

Brown used a lot of energy on the first half of the course. And that showed as he slipped and fell on Crazy Clocks.

During the break…

Kyle Schulze fell on Crazy Clocks.

Matt Bradley hit the buzzer!!!

Ethan Swanson fell on Crazy Clocks.

Jake Murray, 33-year-old Ninja Coach


Murray believes skateboarding helps him with balance, a specialty of his runs on the course.

Joined in progress, that balance showed as Murray ran over Diamond Dash.

Murray always attacks the course seeking the fastest time of the night.

But Murray’s pace slowed a bit on Drop Zone.

After completing Crazy Clocks, Murray clinched his spot in Vegas.

But if Murray wanted a spot on the Power Tower, he needed to try Diving Boards.

Murray’s skateboarding skills showed on the ninth obstacle as he paused on the middle board to keep his balance.

And after hitting the buzzer, Murray was sitting with the night’s fastest time!!!

Jake Murray completes the course in 3:34.39.

During the break…

Donovan Metoyer fell on Diving Boards.

Taylor Amann fell on Drop Zone.

Jesse ‘Flex’ LaBreck, 31-year-old Gym Owner


LaBreck is looking for her third buzzer on a ten-obstacle course.

After completing Diamond Dash (and it wasn’t the smoothest run on it), LaBreck clinched her spot in Vegas.

On the 2nd half of the course, ‘Flex’ had little issue with Crazy Clock.

On Split Decision, LaBreck bet her arms still had what they needed as she chose the Dungeon.

LaBreck looked to be laboring at this point. But she fought through it and pushed past the Dungeon once again (she completed the same obstacle during the Women’s Championship).

And for the third time, LaBreck hit the buzzer on a semifinals course!!!

Jesse ‘Flex” LaBreck completes the course in 6:44.85.

The Power Tower

Jake Murray vs Austin Gray

Gray took the early lead, but Murray caught up quickly.

Gray was the first to the Salmon Ladder, but the lead was slight.

And in the final leg, Murray fell.

Gray hit the buzzer and claimed the Safety Pass for Vegas.

Top Ninja Qualifiers from Season 13 Semifinals 4 advancing to the Las Vegas Finals for 2021:

Completed Course

  1. Jake Murray
  2. Austin Gray (Safety Pass)
  3. Cam Baumgartner
  4. Kyle Soderman
  5. Kai Beckstrand
  6. Hunter Guerard
  7. Nate Hansen
  8. Tyler Yamauchi
  9. Matt Bradley
  10. Eric Middleton
  11. Mike Silenzi
  12. Jesse LaBreck

Fell at Split Decision (The Dungeon or Diving Boards)

  1. Devan Alexander
  2. Donovan Metoyer
  3. Jamie Rahn

Top 3 Women advancing to the Semifinals:

Completed Course

  1. Jesse LaBreck

Fell at Drop Zone

  1. Ava Colasanti
  2. Heather Weissinger

The National Finals are upon us!!! American Ninja Warrior returns to Las Vegas next week!!!

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