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The 2020 American Ninja Warrior All-Stars special brought the Team Competition back to our TVs. Akbar Gbajabiamila, Matt Iseman, and Zuri Hall each selected three Ninjas who then competed relay-style on the stages of the National Finals.
One of the shining moments of the competition was Matt’s team on Stage Three. Michelle Warnky, Karsten Williams, and Ryan Stratis put on great performances individually. All together, the brought home the championship win.
Michelle, a seven year veteran of American Ninja Warrior, handled the first three obstacles on Stage Three. Grip and Tip, Iron Summit, and Crazy Clocks are all upper body gauntlets. Michelle may not have made it to Stage Three yet during the regular season, but this made a strong argument that she’s ready for it.
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Ryan Stratis, an 11-year veteran of the show, handled the next two obstacles, the Ultimate Cliffhanger and Pipe Dream. When things got a little dicey on the Pipe Dream, Ryan showed the true value of that experience when he stayed calm, recovered, and tagged in his team member.
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Karsten Williams, who also has seven years of Ninja experience, handled the last leg of the course, tackling Cane Lane and the Flying Bar. Team Akbar had already completed their run, so Karsten knew that for his team to win, he had to complete Cane Lane. Just when it seemed like he had nothing left to give, Karsten dug deep and grabbed the bar that marked the end of the obstacle. He then celebrated the win by completing the Flying Bar and hitting the buzzer.
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You can learn more about the All-Stars special with our Team Competition and Skills Competition recaps.
Season 12 of American Ninja Warrior debuts on Monday, September 7 at 8pm EST/PST on NBC.