The Premier Series returned with an incredible event!
On July 20 and 21, a large handful of the top Ninjas in the game gathered in Stamford, Connecticut for the first qualifier of the 2024 World Ninja League Premier Series. The weekend featured two creative courses by Will Schlagether which delivered some of the craziest runs the World Ninja League has ever seen. Read on for a recap of the event!
The Sweeps
A whopping 6 athletes took the top spot on both the Placement and Challenge Courses. 5 of those athletes included Brayden Powers (Kids Male), Evan Marscher (Mature Kids Male), Malone Canter (Preteen Female), Charlie Ball (Teen Male), and Cara McCarthy (Teen Female). Powers, Marscher, Ball, and McCarthy were among a small group of athletes who cleared both courses, while Canter locked in a buzzer on the Placement course.
Kids Female World Champion Ariana Merchant also swept the competition with a buzzer on the Placement Course to boot. She joined the remainder of the top 4 in punching their tickets to the Premier Series Finals, and will be looking to add another title under her belt at the unbelievable Championship Event.
The Challenge Course Champs
Many divisions had their top spot decided by who could reach the Challenge Course buzzer first, fastest, or at all. Such was the case with our Elite winners, World Champion Jackson Erdos (Elite Male) and reigning Premier Series Champion Abby Clark (Elite Female). Both athletes were the only ones in their field to clear the Challenge Course, ensuring them the top spot coming into the Finals.
In the Amateur Female Division, Ivy Stein was the only athlete to conquer the final obstacle, earning her a buzzer and a qualifying spot. Meanwhile, Braeden Gyle had to race to the buzzer in the Amateur Male division, securing the win by moving 16 seconds faster than runner-up Lucas Shahnamian.
Additionally, the entire top 4 in both the Amateur Male and Mature Kids Male divisions hit buzzers on the Challenge Course, guaranteeing some very worthy athletes spots in the Finals.
The Battles
Not every division ended in a buzzer, but don’t let that fool you; these athletes did amazing! In the Mature Kids Female division, Cayleigh Hanlon, who had the 2nd fastest clear on Placement Course, advanced to the final obstacle of the Challenge Course. Hanlon was the only athlete in her division to make it that far, giving her a very comfortable win. Filling out the remainder of the top 4 were Grace Murphy (2nd), Harper Bergin (3rd), and Emily Bauco (4th), who had the fastest time on the Placement Course.
Not long afterward, the Preteen Male division, it was Will Vaz versus Leland Cruz. Vaz had the fastest time on the Placement Course, while Cruz took a surprisingly early fall. In the end, both were the only two athletes in their division to advance to the final obstacle, Pipe Hopper. Only one second separated these two, and in the end, Cruz got there a hair faster and took home the win. Cruz and Vaz will be joined by Jacob Hartman-Bimbo (3rd) and Jack Gillen (4th) in the Premier Series Finals.
The Premier Series this year started off with a bang, and we can’t wait to see what else is in store! The Premier Series will be back at Ferox Athletics on August 10 and 11 for its second qualifier of the season. You can check out the other locations on our website and relive the thrilling competitions on The World Ninja League YouTube.
The premier obstacle league.