The NorCal Ninjas are a team on American Ninja Warrior's team competition franchise. Captain David "The Godfather" Campbell has been the constant throughout all their appearances. Other members have included Brian Kretsch, Anna Shumaker, Sean Noble, Rachel Mulvaney, and Sean Bryan. The team's name was created by the link that all the team members live in the northern California region.
Team Ninja Warrior[]
The NorCal Ninjas made their first appearance in Team Ninja Warrior with David recruiting Sean Noble and Rachel Mulvaney for the roster. They first competed against the Golden Hearts in Round 1 in Episode 2:
- Sean Noble lost the first race against Grant McCartney,
- Rachel fell on the Swing Jump and lost the second race against Natalie Duran,
- David also lost the anchor run against Neil Craver.
They went up against Team Midoryama in Round 2:
- Sean won the first race as Dan Yager fell on Bungee Road,
- Rachel fell on Bungee Road and lost the second race against Meagan Martin,
- David fell on the Dancing Stones and lost the anchor run against Ian Dory. Therefore, the NorCal Ninjas were eliminated from the competition.
Team Ninja Warrior 2[]
Season 2, Episode 6- A Rookie Surprises the Defending Champs - Team Ninja Warrior
David Campbell overhauled his team and returned for Team Ninja Warrior 2. He replaced Sean and Racheal with Brian Kretsch, a competitor that's competed alongside Campbell since American Ninja Warrior season 1, and Anna Shumaker, a newcomer.
This newly revamped team made its first appearance in episode 1 where they competed against Party Time in Round 1:
- Brian fell on the Flying Shelf Grab and lost the first race against Jake Murray,
- Anna Shumaker won the second race against Jennifer Tavernier, and
- David won the anchor run against Brian Arnold who fell on the Floating Tiles.
In the knockout round they went up against the Tré Amigoz:
- Brian fell on the Ring of Fire and lost the first race against Andrew Lowes,
- Anna won the second race as Melody Schofield fell on the Swing Jump,
- David then closed out the match-up by winning the anchor run against Tremayne Dortch who fell on the Ring of Fire.
Unfortunately, The NorCal Ninjas lost the relay showdown against the Golden Hearts and got eliminated.
Season 2, Episode 14- Can Selena Laniel Catch Up? - Team Ninja Warrior
The NorCal Ninjas did compete in Wildcard Episode 9. The went up against the Towers Of Power in Round 1:
- Brian pulled his left shoulder during the first race and lost to Brandon Mears,
- Anna won the second race as Selena Laniel fell on the Swinging Spikes,
- David then won the anchor run against Dan Polizzi.
They ran as the top bracket in Round 2 where they competed against the Lab Rats:
- Brian's alternate, Sean Bryan won the first race against Arnold Hernandez,
- Anna Shumaker lost the second race against Michelle Warnky, and
- David Campbell won the anchor run against Brian Wilczewski.
The NorCal Ninjas then went up against Karsten’s Fast Kats in the relay showdown where they won and then proceeded to the wildcard showdown against the Superhero Squad that they won too, and the NorCal Ninjas grabbed the final spot in the finals.
They competed in Episode 11, first going up against the Golden Hearts again:
- Sean won the first race against Grant McCartney,
- Anna lost the second race against Natalie Duran, and
- David fell on the Tire Swing and lost the anchor run against Neil Craver.
The NorCal Ninjas then went up against the Real Life Beasts in Round 2:
- Sean lost the first race against James McGrath,
- Anna won the second race, after Erica Cook injured her knee on the dismount from the Ring of Fire,
- David lost the anchor run against Drew Drechsel, and the NorCal Ninjas were eliminated again.
American Ninja Warrior: Ninja Vs. Ninja[]
David Campbell Vs. Tyler Gillett (S1 E4) - American Ninja Warrior- Ninja Vs. Ninja
The NorCal Ninjas returned to compete in the spin-off, American Ninja Warrior: Ninja vs. Ninja. They first competed in Episode 4 where they went up against the Young Bloods in Round 1:
- Brian Kretsch fell on the Flying Shelf Grab and lost the first race against Kevin Carbone,
- During the second race, Anna got her feet wet at the Floating Tiles. After dismounting from the Flying Shelf Grab, she took her socks and shoes off and tried to scale the Warped Wall barefoot, but this backfired, and she lost the race to Bree Widener, who successfully scaled the Warped Wall and hit the buzzer,
- David Campbell did win the third race against Tyler Gillett,
- During the relay race, both Brian and Tyler hit the buzzer at almost the same time. However, Tyler was determined as the winner after an instant replay and beating Brian by 0.02 seconds. Therefore, the NorCal Ninjas were eliminated from the competition.
David Campbell's Block On The Way To Victory (S1 E10) - American Ninja Warrior- Ninja Vs. Ninja
Team Dark Horse Battles The Norcal Ninjas (S1 E10) - American Ninja Warrior- Ninja Vs. Ninja
The NorCal Ninjas returned as wildcards and competed in Episode 10 against Dark Horse:
- David Campbell and Karson Voiles both fell at the Floating Tiles. However, Karson reached the obstacle first. Therefore, David lost the race,
- Anna fell on Bungee Pipeline and lost the second race against Tammy McClure,
- But then, Brian Kretsch won the third race as Lance Pekus fell on the Floating Tiles,
- The NorCal Ninjas successfully won back-to-back relays and they moved on to the playoffs.
The NorCal Ninjas competed in Episode 12 where they went up against the Golden Hearts in Round 1. They unfortunately lost all three races against the Golden Hearts, and the NorCal Ninjas were eliminated again.
Trivia[]
- The NorCal Ninjas have competed against the Golden Hearts a total of 4 times, losing all 4.
Team Ninja Record[]
David Campbell[]
| Season | Episode | Round | Heat | Opponent Team | Opponent | Result | Notes | Individual Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 (Qualifying) | Round One | 3 (Anchor Run) | Golden Hearts | Neil Craver | Loss | 0-1 | |
| 1 | 2 (Qualifying) | Round Two | 3 (Anchor Run) | Team Midoryama | Ian Dory | Loss | David fell at the Dancing Stones. | 0-2 |
| 2 | 1 (Qualifying) | Round One | 3 (Anchor Run) | Party Time | Brian Arnold | Win | Brian fell at the Floating Tiles. David fell at the Flying Shelf Grab afterwards. | 1-2 |
| 2 | 1 (Qualifying) | Round Two | 3 (Anchor Run) | Tré Amigoz | Tremayne Dortch | Win | Tremayne fell at the Ring of Fire. | 2-2 |
| 2 | 9 (Wildcard) | Round One | 3 (Anchor Run) | Towers of Power | Dan Polizzi | Win | 3-2 | |
| 2 | 9 (Wildcard) | Round Two | 3 (Anchor Run) | Lab Rats | Brian Wilczewski | Win | 4-2 | |
| 2 | 11 (Finals) | Round One | 3 (Anchor Run) | Golden Hearts | Neil Craver | Loss | David fell at the Tire Swing. | 4-3 |
| 2 | 11 (Finals) | Round Two | 3 (Anchor Run) | Real Life Beasts | Drew Drechsel | Loss | 4-4 | |
| 3 | 4 (Qualifying) | First Matchup | 3 | Young Bloods | Tyler Gillett | Win | 5-4 | |
| 3 | 10 (Wildcard) | First Matchup | 1 | Dark Horse | Karson Voiles | Loss | Both of them fell at the Floating Tiles. However, Karson reached the obstacle first. | 5-5 |
| 3 | 12 (Playoffs) | First Matchup | 3 | Golden Hearts | Grant McCartney | Loss | 5-6 |
Sean Noble[]
| Season | Episode | Round | Heat | Opponent Team | Opponent | Result | Notes | Individual Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 (Qualifying) | Round One | 1 | Golden Hearts | Grant McCartney | Loss | 0-1 | |
| 1 | 2 (Qualifying) | Round Two | 1 | Team Midoryama | Dan Yager | Win | Dan fell at the Bungee Road. | 1-1 |
Rachel Mulvaney[]
| Season | Episode | Round | Heat | Opponent Team | Opponent | Result | Notes | Individual Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 (Qualifying) | Round One | 2 | Golden Hearts | Natalie Duran | Loss | Rachel fell at the Swing Jump. | 0-1 |
| 1 | 2 (Qualifying) | Round Two | 2 | Team Midoryama | Meagan Martin | Loss | Rachel fell at the Bungee Road. | 0-2 |
Brian Kretsch[]
| Season | Episode | Round | Heat | Opponent Team | Opponent | Result | Notes | Individual Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 (Qualifying) | Round One | 1 | Party Time | Jake Murray | Loss | Brian fell at the Flying Shelf Grab. | 0-1 |
| 2 | 1 (Qualifying) | Round Two | 1 | Tré Amigoz | Andrew Lowes | Loss | Brian fell at the Ring of Fire. | 0-2 |
| 2 | 9 (Wildcard) | Round One | 1 | Towers of Power | Brandon Mears | Loss | Brian pulled his left shoulder during the race. Sean Bryan served as his alternate for the rest of the season. | 0-3 |
| 3 | 4 (Qualifying) | First Matchup | 1 | Young Bloods | Kevin Carbone | Loss | Brian fell at the Flying Shelf Grab. | 0-4 |
| 3 | 10 (Wildcard) | First Matchup | 3 | Dark Horse | Lance Pekus | Win | Lance fell at the Floating Tiles. | 1-4 |
| 3 | 12 (Playoffs) | First Matchup | 1 | Golden Hearts | Neil Craver | Loss | 1-5 |
Sean Bryan[]
| Season | Episode | Round | Heat | Opponent Team | Opponent | Result | Notes | Individual Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 9 (Wildcard) | Round Two | 1 | Lab Rats | Arnold Hernandez (alternate for Chris Wilczewski) | Win | Sean serves as an alternate for Brian Kretsch | 1-0 |
| 2 | 11 (Finals) | Round One | 1 | Golden Hearts | Grant McCartney | Win | 2-0 | |
| 2 | 11 (Finals) | Round Two | 1 | Real Life Beasts | James McGrath | Loss | 2-1 |
Anna Shumaker[]
| Season | Episode | Round | Heat | Opponent Team | Opponent | Result | Notes | Individual Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 (Qualifying) | Round One | 2 | Party Time | Jennifer Tavernier | Win | 1-0 | |
| 2 | 1 (Qualifying) | Round Two | 2 | Tré Amigoz | Melody Schofield | Win | Melody fell at the Swing Jump | 2-0 |
| 2 | 9 (Wildcard) | Round One | 2 | Towers of Power | Selena Laniel | Win | Selena fell at the Swinging Spikes. | 3-0 |
| 2 | 9 (Wildcard) | Round Two | 2 | Lab Rats | Michelle Warnky | Loss | 3-1 | |
| 2 | 11 (Finals) | Round One | 2 | Golden Hearts | Natalie Duran | Loss | 3-2 | |
| 2 | 11 (Finals) | Round Two | 2 | Real Life Beasts | Erica Cook | Win | Erica injured her right knee while landing from the Ring of Fire and had to be carried off the course. | 4-2 |
| 3 | 4 (Qualifying) | First Matchup | 2 | Young Bloods | Bree Widener | Loss | 4-3 | |
| 3 | 10 (Wildcard) | First Matchup | 2 | Dark Horse | Tammy McClure | Loss | Anna fell at the Bungee Pipeline. | 4-4 |
| 3 | 12 (Playoffs) | First Matchup | 2 | Golden Hearts | Natalie Duran | Loss | 4-5 |