The twelfth season of American Ninja Warrior premiered on September 7, 2020, and wrapped up on November 6, 2020, on NBC. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, all eight episodes were filmed in St. Louis, Missouri from June 29 to July 25, 2020, behind closed doors in the America's Center convention center and stadium. Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila returned for their respective eleventh and eighth seasons, while Zuri Hall returned for her second season on the show.
The course returns with the Mega Wall and Power Tower, and the fifty most popular athletes from previous seasons returned with two other ninjas (mostly rookies) of their choosing, like their ninja training partners or someone they have a special connection with. The top twelve competitors moved on to the semifinals after each qualifying episode, as well as the top three women. In this season, the player who won the Power Tower would get to bring their chosen rookies with them to the semifinals, even if the rookies had not made it into the top twelve finishers (or top three women). With the knockout tournament format, there were changes to the semifinal courses as well — unlike the past seasons, a competitor that completed the course would not automatically move on; they would have to be in the top 12 or have made it up the Mega Wall. One contestant, Nick Hanson, did not move on to the semifinals because of COVID contact tracing despite making it up the Mega Wall. Because of the format change to a knockout tournament and a team format instead of the traditional Sasuke format, the winner's prize has been decreased to only $100,000, which was awarded to the winner of the knockout tournament final.
Obstacles
St. Louis Qualifying EventObstacles Finishers Night 1Shrinking Steps Weight for ItRing ChaserRib Run SlingshotWarped Wall/Mega Wall 8 Night 2Lunatic LedgesFerris Wheel 14 Night 3BeehiveSpinning Bridge 9 Night 4 Off the Hook Sideways 15
St. Louis Semifinals EventObstacles Finishers Night 1Shrinking Steps Off the HookClockworkBurn Rubber SidewaysWarped WallSalmon LadderCorkscrewThe DungeonSpider Trap 5 Night 2 Spring Forward Slingshot 6
St. Louis Finals EventObstacles Finishers Finals Shrinking Steps Spring Forward Falling Shelves Diamond Dash Spin Hopper Warped Wall Salmon Ladder Slam Dunk Dragonback Spider Trap 7
St. Louis Qualifying +Key Italics means that this competitor was also in the top 3 women.Underline means that this competitor won the Power Tower.Bold means that this competitor made it up the Mega Wall.
Night 1
The first qualifying round featured three new obstacles, Weight for It, Ring Chaser, and Rib Run. Notable ninjas running the course were school teachers, medical professionals, and ICU nurses who were all making a difference on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, former NFL linebacker Kamerion Wimbley returned after his record-setting season in 2012, being the biggest man (240 pounds) to complete a course. Jody Avila won the Power Tower round, which was unaired as a result of a legal situation involving his opponent.
+RankCompetitorTimeFurthest Obstacle1Jody Avila* 1:44.41Finished2Tyler Gillett1:45.20Finished3Nate Hansen1:53.09Finished4Jon Alexis Jr.2:20.02Finished5Julius Ferguson 3:07.16Finished6Mike Wright3:45.41Finished7Grant McCartney4:01.16Finished8Allyssa Beird4:15.10Finished9Flip Rodriguez1:13.08Slingshot10Jonathan Horton1:20.75Slingshot11Ryan Lashoff1:25.63Slingshot12Taylor Johnson 2:21.53Slingshot +RankCompetitorTimeFurthest Obstacle1Allyssa Beird4:15.10Finished2Taylor Johnson2:21.53Slingshot3Sandy Zimmerman2:25.07Slingshot
As a result of United States v. Drechsel, which was announced after taping for the season had ended, significant edits were made to this episode. Drechsel's run did not air. The 13th-place contestant also failed Slingshot but did not advance. Johnson, who finished behind other contestants but was the second-place female ninja, was given credit as the 12th-place finisher. Johnson and Ferguson were rookies selected by Drechsel. Also, the Power Tower Playoff, which was Drechsel and Avila, was not broadcast because of the ongoing legal issues. According to sources, Avila won the round.
Night 2 Ashley McConville became the twentieth woman in ANW history to make it up the Warped Wall and move on to the semifinals, and Jake Murray's teammates, former AHL hockey player Barry Goers of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Glenn Albright moved on to the semifinals due to Murray's win on the Power Tower. Also, the "Eskimo Ninja" Nick Hanson completed the course and made it up the Mega Wall but did not have a fast enough time to make it into the top 12, later to be revealed as contact tracing.
Also of note, second-place finisher Ethan "The Swan" Swanson did not compete in the semifinals after he came in close contact with another competitor who had tested positive for COVID-19.
+RankCompetitorTimeFurthest Obstacle1Jake Murray0:54.50Finished2Ethan Swanson1:04.14Finished3Jackson Twait1:13.57Finished4Daniel Gil1:18.57Finished5Cam Baumgartner1:20.60Finished6Abel Gonzalez1:36.75Finished7Donovan Metoyer1:43.56Finished8Jamie Rahn1:49.46Finished9Chris DiGangi1:56.40Finished10Gabriel Hotchkiss2:06.95Finished11Jesse Labreck2:10.54Finished12Roo Yori2:19.71Finished +RankCompetitorTimeFurthest Obstacle1Jesse Labreck2:10.54Finished2Ashley McConville4:26.34Finished3Caitlyn Bergstrom1:09.22Ferris Wheel
Night 3 Stuntwoman Jessie Graff once again completed the course, making it to the end to tie Jesse "Flex" Labreck for the most buzzers among women ninjas with five. Meanwhile, the teammates of drummer R.J. Roman of metal band Emuness, Ben Melick and Jessica Helmer moved on to the semifinals even though they did not complete the course because Roman won the Power Tower.
Despite finishing among the top three women, Rachael Goldstein was unable to compete in the semifinals due to a broken finger which she suffered while filming a special episode of American Ninja Warrior in St. Louis.
+Top 12 CompetitorsRankCompetitorTimeFurthest Obstacle1R. J. Roman1:10.07Finished2Sean Bryan1:28.81Finished3Thomas Stillings1:29.38Finished4Austin Gray1:34.38Finished5Tage Herrington2:06.99Finished6Dan Polizzi2:09.88Finished7Najee Richardson2:49.36Finished8David Campbell3:27.48Finished9Jessie Graff3:58.76Finished10Adam Rayl0:35.17Ferris Wheel11Devin Harrelson0:56.85Ferris Wheel12Lorin Ball1:06.59Ferris Wheel +Top 3 WomenRankCompetitorTimeFurthest Obstacle1Jessie Graff3:58.76Finished2Zhanique Lovett0:32.61Spinning Bridge3Rachael Goldstein0:30.43Beehive
Night 4 "The Weatherman" Joe Moravsky just edged out Michael Torres, who had the fastest time, and brought his teammates, Will Schlageter and Jeshuah Lewis back into the competition. Notable ninjas featured "Big Cat" Karsten Williams, rookie former MLB player of the San Francisco Giants Gary Brown who ran the course, making it to the fifth obstacle. Also, six-time ANW veteran Tiana "Sweet T" Webberley hit the buzzer for the first time, as well as ICU nurse Mady Howard who completed the course with the fastest time for the women. +Top 12 CompetitorsRankCompetitorTimeFurthest Obstacle1Michael Torres1:08.75Finished2Joe Moravsky1:13.95Finished3Lucas Reale1:17.09Finished4Mathis “Kid” Owhadi1:23.17Finished5Amir Malik1:26.15Finished6David Wright1:30.67Finished7Lance Pekus1:45.62Finished8Kevin Bull1:57.17Finished9Alex Nye2:04.69Finished10Brian Kretsch2:18.44Finished11Alex Carson2:19.92Finished12Verdale Benson2:22.29Finished +Top 3 WomenRankCompetitorTimeFurthest Obstacle1Mady Howard2:29.28Finished2Tiana Webberley2:41.03Finished3Meagan Martin1:12.35Sideways
St. Louis Qualifying Leaderboard +Key Italics means that this competitor was also in the top 3 women.Underline means that this competitor won the Power Tower.Bold means that this competitor made it up the Mega Wall.
RankCompetitorTimeFurthest Obstacle1Jake Murray0:54.50Finished2Ethan Swanson1:04.14Finished3Michael Torres1:08.75Finished4R.J. Roman1:10.07Finished5Jackson Twait1:13.57Finished6Joe Moravsky1:13.95Finished7Lucas Reale1:17.09Finished8Daniel Gil1:18.57Finished9Cameron Baumgartner1:20.60Finished10Mathis "Kid" Owhadi1:23.17Finished11Amir Malik1:26.15Finished12Sean Bryan1:26.81Finished13Thomas Stillings1:29.38Finished14David Wright1:30.67Finished15Austin Gray1:34.38Finished16Abel Gonzalez1:36.75Finished17Donovan Metoyer1:43.56Finished18Jody Avila 1:44.41Finished19Tyler Gillett1:45.20Finished20Lance Pekus1:45.62Finished21Jamie Rahn1:49.46Finished22Nate Hansen1:53.09Finished23Chris DiGangi1:56.40Finished24Kevin Bull1:57.17Finished25Alex Nye2:04.69Finished26Gabriel Hotchkiss2:06.95Finished27Tage Herrington2:06.99Finished28Dan Polizzi2:09.88Finished29Jesse Labreck2:10.54Finished30Brian Kretsch2:18.44Finished31Roo Yori2:19.71Finished32Alex Carson2:19.92Finished33Jon Alexis Jr.2:20.02Finished34Verdale Benson2:22.29Finished35Najee Richardson2:49.36Finished36Julius Ferguson3:07.16Finished37Vance Harris3:10.31Finished38David Campbell3:27.48Finished39Mike Wright3:45.41Finished40Jessie Graff3:58.76Finished41Grant McCartney4:01.16Finished42Allyssa Beird4:15.10Finished43Nick HansonN/AFinished44Adam Rayl0:35.17Ferris Wheel45Devin Harrelson0:56.85Ferris Wheel46Lorin Ball1:06.59Ferris Wheel47Flip Rodriguez1:13.08Slingshot48Jonathan Horton1:20.75Slingshot49Ryan Lashoff1:25.63Slingshot50Taylor Johnson2:21.53Slingshot51Barry GoersN/AFerris Wheel52Glenn AlbrightN/AFerris Wheel53Ben MelickN/AFerris Wheel54Jeshuah LewisN/ASideways55Will SchlageterN/ABeehive56Jessica HelmerN/AShrinking Steps
+Top 12 WomenRankCompetitorTimeFurthest Obstacle1Jesse Labreck2:10.54Finished2Mady Howard2:29.28Finished3Tiana Webberley2:41.03Finished4Jessie Graff3:58.76Finished5Allyssa Beird4:15.10Finished6Ashley McConville4:26.34Finished7Caitlyn Bergstrom1:09.22Ferris Wheel8Meagan Martin1:12.35Sideways9Taylor Johnson2:21.53Slingshot10Sandy Zimmerman2:25.07Slingshot11Zhanique Lovett0:32.61Spinning Bridge12Rachel Goldstein0:30.43Beehive
St. Louis Semifinals
Night 1 Some notable competitors like Grant McCartney, Kevin Bull, Abel Gonzalez, and Mathis "Kid" Owhadi failed on Corkscrew, an obstacle new to this season, and did not advance to the finals. +Top 12 CompetitorsRankCompetitorTimeFurthest Obstacle1Jake Murray4:37.44Finished 2Daniel Gil4:38.58Finished 3Cameron Baumgartner5:30.18Finished 4Tyler Gillett6:20.09Finished 5Adam Rayl6:27.41Finished 6Jackson Twait3:56.67Spider Trap7Jody Avila2:50.82The Dungeon8Donovan Metoyer2:59.32The Dungeon9Jon Alexis Jr.3:07.59The Dungeon10Flip Rodriguez3:22.35The Dungeon11Chris DiGangi3:30.35The Dungeon12Jamie Rahn4:03.01The Dungeon
+Top 2 WomenRankCompetitorTimeFurthest Obstacle1Jesse Labreck4:25.54The Dungeon2Sandy Zimmerman4:55.26Corkscrew
Night 2 +Top 12 CompetitorsRankCompetitorTimeFurthest Obstacle1Joe Moravsky4:59.28Finished2Lucas Reale5:00.44Finished3 Austin Gray5:20.95Finished4 RJ Roman 5:31.00Finished5 Micheal Torres5:52.46Finished6 Najee Richardson6:35.79Finished7Amir Malik3:58.17Spider Trap8David Wright3:23.39The Dungeon9Dan Polizzi4:15.65The Dungeon10Thomas Stillings 2:06.43Corkscrew11Jeshuah Lewis2:13.26Corkscrew12Jessie Graff3:54.09Corkscrew
+Top 2 WomenRankCompetitorTimeFurthest Obstacle1Jessie Graff3:54.09Corkscrew2Jeri D'Aurelio2:21.05Slingshot
Drew Drechsel originally finished in the top 12, but due to his post-taping legal issues, his runs were edited out. Devin Harrelson finished 13th, as he was eliminated on the Corkscrew with a faster time exiting the Salmon Ladder than Graff. However, Graff, the top woman who finished outside the top twelve, was upgraded to 12th in post-production.
St. Louis Semifinals Leaderboard