American Ninja Warrior 2015 Results: Recap from May 25 Episode

There were ninjas on the loose in Venice Beach, California, Monday.

The seventh season of NBC's program American Ninja Warrior kicked off Monday with the Venice Beach qualifiers. The competitors were asked to run through a number of physically grueling challenges, including the daunting hourglass drop, and only seven people actually finished the entire course.

Here is a look at the performances of the seven who actually finished:

Competitor	Time
Kevin Bull	0:56.40
Alan Connealy	1:28.32
Nicholas Coolridge	1:29.49
Alvaro Campos	1:46.32
Travis Brewer	2:07.63
Grant McCartney	2:35.53
Almas Meirmanov	2:36.16

Monday was the first qualifying round before the eventual national finals in Las Vegas. Competitors will face a four-stage course in Las Vegas, and the winner will claim a $1 million prize. According to NBC.com, nobody has ever captured that grand prize in the show's history.

A complete format explanation can be found on the show’s official website.

As mentioned, the most daunting part of Monday's course was the hourglass drop. The show's official Twitter account provided fans with a glimpse of the obstacle: 

Alvaro Campos didn't have any trouble getting through it, though, as American Ninja Warrior noted:

The hourglass drop ultimately cost the majority of the competitors a chance to finish the course, but the most memorable performance of the evening came when Brian Kretsch took his turn. He injured himself in the middle of the course but courageously attempted to finish.

The show shared a highlight, while host Matt Iseman commented on the resilience:

It was clear the injury was severe, but he stayed near the crowd to watch his sister compete right after his devastating setback. The show passed along an image from that moment, while Kretsch filled fans in on his mindset during the competition: 

That moment likely resonated with sports fans everywhere.

Elsewhere, Seattle Seahawks punter Jon Ryan competed in Venice Beach. He may want to stick to football because it didn't go so well, as SB Nation pointed out:

Ryan commented on his mindset coming into the competition, per Seahawks.com: "People keep asking me if this is the same as football. In football I get pretty nervous - I've played in two Super Bowls, so I get nervous. But in football, I know what I'm doing. Out here, I don't know what I'm doing."

Fortunately for Ryan, he has the Seahawks to go back to in the fall. The rest of the competitors who actually made it through have their eyes on something else—a potential $1 million prize.