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| (Mid-South Top Qualifier Paul Kasemir) |
Andrew Karsen: A very likable competitor, this the single father and former Pistons cheerleader (DETROIT!) looked great until the Half Pipe Attack, where a bad approach on the ramp left him slipping into the water.
Luis Moco: The stuntman who lives out of his van is competing for his family. With a knee brace on his left leg, he quickly aggravated his injury but continued to fight through the pain all the way to the Warped Wall, where there was no hope. His fight was inspiring but he was clearly unable to climb the wall, he finally gave into the injury. Note: we learned after the run that he was running with a TORN meniscus. Ouch.
Drew Drechsel: Speaking of injuries, Drechsel has been battling back for the past year since he destroyed his knee in Japan. His remarkable comeback continued with a smooth run through the stage (outside of a slight scare on his dreaded Half Pipe Attack) and a finish with over twenty seconds on the clock.
Jesse La Flair: We learned that during the break, the notable "youtube sensation" failed on the Jumping Spider. A surprise, for sure.
Brandon Douglass: Also during the break, Douglass ran the course but, unlike La Flair, he was able to conquer Stage One and advance to the next one.
David Campbell: As Iseman said, no one comes into the competition with more expectations than Campbell. Not surprisingly, Campbell lives up to the hype through the first part of the course, but a stumble on the first ball of the Spinning Bridge doomed his run and sent him diving into the water. And just like that, the most experience ninja in the competition is out.
Now for the top finisher from each region:
Evan "The Rocket" Dollard: The former American Gladiator is competing in the competition for the third year, and his second advancing to Mt. Midoriyama. A few early stumbles (including a very close one on the Half Pipe Attack) proved insignificant as he got through the course with twelve seconds on the clock.
Matthew Derouen: Though we didn't see his run (well I guess we did), Derouen stumbled early and ended up in the water on the first obstacle, the Step Slider.
James McGrath: Another run that was not shown in its entirety, but we saw enough to know that it was a flawless run ending on the winner's platform.
Tim "Livewire" Schieff: The world champion free runner approaches the course with an electric energy. A very smooth run ended on the Spinning Bridge as his lack of experience on the obstacle sent him into the water, almost identically to David Campbell.
Paul Kasemir: This fan favorite with a heartbreaking story performed to expectations as his experience was very evident throughout the course. With only the slightest of stumbles on the Half Pipe Attack, Kasemir finished Stage One with over twenty seconds remaining on the clock.
David "Flip" Rodriguez: It was nice to see that Flip set his quest for the top time aside and, instead, focused on his technique on each obstacle. A strong, calculated run ended successfully with just under twenty seconds on the clock - the 24th and final finisher of Stage One.
It all comes down to next week as a 2-hour season finale will take us through Stages Two, Three and (hopefully!) Four. Will we find the first American Ninja Warrior? Who's your pick? Share your thoughts below.
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