ANW: Mid-South Regional Qualifying Round

Hosts Matt Iseman (L) and Jonny "Just Out of Bed" Moseley (R)

...And we're back with the next round of American Ninja Warrior -- the Mid-South Regional Qualifying Round brought to us from, once again, Dallas, Texas With 60 athletes already headed to Mt. Midoriyama in Las Vegas, the bar has been set high for this year's hopefuls.

Tonight's obstacles include:

1. The Quad Steps
2. The Log Grip
3. The Bridge of Blades
4. The Jump Hang
5. The Rope Junction, seen for the first time this year
6. The Warped Wall

Some memorable moments from the Qualifying Round:

Paul Kasemir: The returning veteran (and Jonny Moseley favorite) is very confident about this Qualifying course. “It doesn’t look too difficult today.” If you’re new to ANW, Kasemir had a crazy story from last year. Two weeks before he set off for Japan, his girlfriend (and her father) fell off a cliff while hiking and died instantly. He honored her with a great run at Mt. Midoriyama, falling just short on Stage 3. Wearing his trademark jeans, Paul dominated the course, finishing in under 54 seconds.

Erin Flowers: Former collegiate tennis player from Grapevine, TX stripped clothes with each obstacle she passed until a poor jump on the trampoline failed her on The Jump Hang.

Angel Flores: This 25-year old gymnastics coach had an inspiring story. A day before he was set to leave for boot camp, some up-to-no-gooders threw  a brick through his window, striking him in the abdomen destroying his liver. He spent some time in a coma and, while he was recovering, trained with a colostomy bag. He is the first to conquer the Rope Junction but came short on the Warped Wall. His quick time through the first five obstacles ended up being quick enough to earn a trip to the Regional Finals.

Risa Scott: One of the best female parkour athletes in the country, Scott is a longtime ANW enthusiast. High hopes for her run; Smooth thru the Quad Steps, Log Grip and Bridge of Blades; got her hands on the cargo net, but as Moseley said, “gravity got the best of her…”

Miguel Gonzalez: From Fort Worth, this gymnast left behind gangs and drugs to train disabled kids. At 5’4”, Gonzalez made great time, despite a few early errors. A great foot grab helped him through the Rope Junction and he got up the Warped Wall on his second attempt capping a run dedicated to his students. A great story.

Click below for a recap of tonight's best ninja warriors:

Brandon Douglass: The parkour instructor from Boulder, CO was another of Moseley’s favorites – and for good reason as he breezes through the course in under a minute.

Arnold Risvik: This extreme unicyclist was pretty good on his feet as well; showed great technique and strength as he was the first to finish the course.

Todd Stair: Former Oklahoma mascot; “During the three years I was the mascot, we gained a lot of fan support.” Bold claim. A ”textbook run” according to Iseman, as he climbs the Warped Wall on his second attempt.

David Cabrera: A 24 year old mobile phone salesman and avid rock climber, this former semi-pro soccer player showed good footwork early on. Very smooth on the Rope Junction, but had no idea how to get up the Warped Wall. Advanced with his time through the first five obstacles.

Miguel Gonzalez: From Fort Worth, this gymnast left behind gangs and drugs to train disabled kids. At 5’4”, Gonzalez made great time, despite a few early errors. A great foot grab helped him through the Rope Junction and he got up the Warped Wall on his second attempt capping a run dedicated to his students. A great story.

Ahmed Toure: Toure had his dream of getting into West Point realized, but had to drop out after a year to assist his mother in her battle with breast cancer. A very strong athlete, Ahmed got up the wall on his second attempt.

Rich King: Having gone to Mt. Midoriyama three years ago, it has been all disappointment since. His motivation is to be reunited with old ANW friends. It was not meant to be, as he got caught up on the Rope Junction and fatigue ultimately put him in the water.

Jake Smith: Came out of nowhere to earn a trip to Japan a year ago; since going out on the Salmon Ladder, his training over the past year increased drastically. He had the technique to blaze through the course with second fastest time in Qualifying.

Tip for future ninja warriors: No matter how much momentum you have coming out of the third obstacle, DO NOT try to hit the Jump Hang without pausing first! We see it time and time again -- 9 out of 10 times results in failure.

What do you think of the Mid-South Region so far? Can Paul Kasemir become the first American Ninja Warrior? Share your thoughts below.