2020 All-Stars special: Team Competition recap and results

American Ninja Warrior kicked off its two-week lead into to season 12 with the new All-Stars special! It’s about time, too. Fans have been waiting for this one with baited breath. The All-Stars special generally is filmed in Vegas following the National Finals and usually leads into the summer season of American Ninja Warrior. When season 12 was initially delayed, this All-Stars special was held on to as well. But now, the wait is over and we dare say it makes the reunion all that much sweeter!

LET’S TALK ABOUT NINJA WARRIOR! The All-Stars special consists of two different competitions. This is a recap of the Team Competition. A recap of the Skills Competition can be found here.

The teams:

Team Akbar

• Grant McCartney
• Jake Murray
• Allyssa Beird

David Becker/NBC

Team Matt

• Karsten Williams
• Ryan Stratis
• Michelle Warnky

David Becker/NBC

Team Zuri

• David Wright
• Seth Rogers
• Mady Howard

David Becker/NBC

How it works:

Each stage was run as a relay with all three team members. The team that finished Stage One with the fastest time advanced straight to Stage Three. The remaining teams battled it out on Stage Two, with the winner advancing. On Stage Three, if no team completed the course, the team that completed the most obstacles in the fastest time would be the winners.

Stage One:

Each team member ran three obstacles, with the final Ninja running two obstacles and completing the climb up the cargo net to the buzzer.

Obstacles:

• Archer Alley
• Spin Your Wheels
• Double Dipper
• Jumping Spider
• Tire Run
• Warped Wall
• Diving Boards
• Twist and Fly

Team Akbar

Run order: Grant McCartney, Jake Murray, Allyssa Beird

Grant and Jake are both reliable competitors who delivered on their skills. After the Warped Wall, Jake tagged in Allyssa. She had a good pace going but misstepped on the Diving Boards.

Team Zuri

Run order: David Wright, Seth Rogers, Mady Howard

Zuri had a team of rookies, but they didn’t act like it. After a good run from David, Seth took his time in the Jumping Spider. He ran into a bit of trouble on Tire Run that ate up seconds, but he did reach Mady. She cleared the Diving Boards and stayed focused on the Flying Squirrel. She locked up the run for the team with a time of 2:31.48.

Team Matt

Run order: Karsten Williams, Ryan Stratis, Michelle Warnky

On the other hand, Matt’s team was about as veteran as it gets. Karsten opened the run with a pace slightly slower than Akbar’s team. Ryan made a small slip on the Jumping Spider but managed to still close the time gap. He needed that advantage when he executed a very careful save on Tire Run. Michelle then brought it all together and secured a win at 2:29.16. They would get a chance to rest as the Team Zuri and Akbar headed to Stage Two.

Winner: Team Matt

David Becker/NBC

Stage Two

Here, each Ninja took on two obstacles.

The obstacles:

• Giant Walk the Plank
• Extension Ladder
• Snap Back
• Swing Surfer
• Grim Sweeper
• Water Walls

Team Zuri

Run order: Mady Howard, Seth Rogers, David Wright

For someone who hasn’t touched Stage Two before, Mady handled her obstacles well. That allowed Seth to take his time on Snapback. David, who is a lifeguard, went swimming on the last leg of the run, hitting the buzzer at 2:34.11.

Team Akbar

Run order: Jake Murray, Allyssa Beird, Grant McCartney

Jake was quick to reach Allyssa, who became the first woman to complete Snapback. Things were looking good for the team as Grant launched into his obstacles. He stopped the clock at 2:00.71. That sent team Zuri home regardless of their strong runs. Team Akbar was off to Stage Three.

Winner: Team Akbar

David Becker/NBC

Stage Three

The first leg of this relay was three obstacles, followed by a middle leg and anchor leg of two obstacles each.

The obstacles:

• Grip and Tip
• Iron Summit
• Crazy Clocks
• Ultimate Cliffhanger
• Pipe Dream
• Cane Lane
• Flying Bar

Team Akbar

Run order: Grant McCartney, Jake Murray, Allyssa Beird

Grant was slow and steady on his obstacles, understanding there was no point in rushing this brutal course. Jake picked up the pace on his leg. Allyssa has us all holding our breath as she edged so close to completion on Cane Lane. She lost her grip, leaving Team Akbar with five obstacles completed. A good showing.

Team Matt

Run order: Michelle Warnky, Ryan Stratis, Karsten Williams

Never doubt Michelle, who made steady work of all three of her obstacles. Ryan cleared the Ultimate Cliffhanger, but the pace was behind Team Akbar. Ryan struggled on Pipe Dream, but recovered and brought in Karsten who HAD to complete Cane Lane to win. He added a little drama to the process when it looked like he wouldn’t reach the finishing bar. But he did it! Team Matt had won, but Karsten had his eyes on the buzzer. With Michelle cheering him home, Karsten completed the Flying Bars and hit the buzzer.

Champions: Team Matt

The team celebrated with a “refreshing” dip into the Vegas pools!

You can find a recap of the Skills Challenge portion of the special here. Season 12 of American Ninja Warrior debuts Monday, September 7 at 8pm EST/PST on NBC.