Making it to Stage Three in just your second year of American Ninja Warrior competition is pretty darn impressive. For Mathis ‘Kid’ Owhadi, it was just one of his accomplishments this season. He also completed the Oklahoma City Finals course with the second fastest time, taking on his friend and mentor Daniel Gil on the Power Tower. Mathis left that race with the Safety Pass in his hand.

At the National Finals, Mathis finished Stage One with the fastest time. But the course bit back on Stage Two. Mathis slipped and hit the water from the Grim Sweeper. Luckily, he had that Safety Pass which allowed him to run again, clearing the course with a look of trepidation on his face.

Facing Stage Three for the first time is a daunting task for any Ninja. Mathis handled it quite well though. A slight misplacement of his hands ended his run on the Ultimate Cliffhanger. While navigating moving from ledge to ledge, Mathis placed one hand over top of another for just a moment, while at the same time, his body was swaying from the movement of the transfer. The resulting force and lack of a firm grip proved to be too much and he peeled off.

But look at this way, in Mathis’ first season, he made it to Stage Two. In his second, he made it to Stage Three. He could continue that upward trajectory in the years to come!