The Miami-area Ninjas brought the heat!
The penultimate Premier Series Qualifier took place in Pompano Beach, Florida at the SoFlo Ninja Academy. Course designer Vinnie Castranova created a Placement and Challenge Course that tested a variety of skills and techniques for our athletes. Keep reading to see which of your favorite athletes qualified for the Premier Series Finals!
A whopping 8 out of 11 divisions saw the top spot on both courses claimed by the same athlete. The winners who swept the SoFlo competition were Easton Fletcher (Kids Male), Emily Wilkes (Kids Female), Haven Chizmar (Mature Kids Female), Mila Goetting (Preteen Female), Ianmarko Caban (Teen Male), Tiago Lima (Amateur Male), Jay Lewis (Elite Male), and Olivia Lopez (Elite Female).
Fletcher started the competition off hot, as East the Beast hit buzzers on both courses. Also hitting 2 buzzers on the course were Chizmar, Goetting, Caban, Lima, and Lewis, securing the fastest time on each. While Lewis and Caban claimed 1st place, the runner-ups, Luke Dillon (Elite Male) and Blake Hohn (Teen Male) also managed to remain consistent, placing 2nd on both courses behind the weekend’s winners.
Emily Wilkes managed to hit a buzzer on the Placement Course with ease, then clinched her win by becoming the only athlete in her division to progress to the final obstacle. Meanwhile, the Elite Female Division was a 1v1 between Olivia Lopez and Avery Glantz. While both cleared the Placement Course (with Lopez taking the top time), it was Lopez who advanced to the second-to-last obstacle to claim the win.
Every athlete who came to SoFlo really came to play, and it showed by the high buzzer count. A total of 49 buzzers were hit, meaning there were many talented athletes that missed out on a podium. Others, however, worked their way up the leaderboard between the Placement and Challenge Courses in big ways. Such was the case for Mature Kids Male winner Bryce Zielasko. Zielasko cleared both courses, but had the 4th fastest time on the Placement Course. Knowing the field of talent he faced, Zielasko locked in to claim the fastest finish on the Challenge Course.
The Preteen Male Division saw a similar story, as Jagger Plaxton finished 3rd on the Placement Course with a clear. Then on the Challenge Course, Plaxton rose up to take the top spot, winning the division overall. Meanwhile, Teen Female competitor Seylah Taylor fell surprisingly early on the Placement Course, but didn’t let that stop her. She bounced back quickly and pushed herself all the way to the penultimate Challenge Course obstacle, locking her place at the top of the leaderboard.
The Premier Series wraps up its qualifiers at Motus Ninjas, then we’re off to the Finals at Life Force Ninja! It’s sure to be an event for the history books, so be sure to tune in! You can view the Premier Series schedule on the WNL website and watch all divisions compete on the WNL YouTube!
