This Team Ninja Warrior run proves just how costly a small error can be

In the second match up of Team Ninja Warrior’s May 2 episode, team Think Tank faced the Superhero Squad.

Noah Kaufman, a member of the American Ninja Warrior training group the Wolfpack, was captain of Think Tank. Noah and team members Matt Wilder and Asya Grechka all have at least doctorate degrees, hence, their team name.

The Superhero Squad was led by American Ninja Warrior fan favorite Jamie Rahn. He had selected Sean Darling Hammond and Rachael Goldstein as his teammates.

The first heat of the match up put Noah Kaufman against Sean Darling Hammond. Their run proved that one mistake can be costly on Team Ninja Warrior.

Noah, a Team Ninja Warrior veteran, gained an early lead after the Ring of Fire.

He held the lead all the way down the course. At the Bar Hop however, Sean started gaining on him moment by moment.

Still, Noah completed the obstacle first and took off for the Warped Wall.

Sean was hot on his heels. But when Noah missed his first grab at the Wall by just inches, the door was opened for Sean to take the win.

And he did. By completing the Warped Wall on his first attempt, Sean nabbed the point for the Superhero Squad, wrenching the win away from Think Tank when it had looked like they would prevail.

He struck an appropriate pose to celebrate the moment.

On American Ninja Warrior, the athletes are given three attempts to the clear the Warped Wall. Noah most likely would have done this once he’d corrected his stride and gone for a second attempt. But on Team Ninja Warrior, there’s just no time for second chances.

You can read a full recap of the episode here.