all five people must be really in sync to lift and maneuver that 300-pound weight. -apolo: when you talk about the two women in strike a pose, you have to remember, they can deadlift 300 pounds. i would imagine that's very helpful right now with the pendulum run. -apolo: what's going to be even more important going forward is endurance as there are still six obstacles to go, and that favors commanding officers. -kelvin: strike a pose finishes with commanding officers right behind them. and for the first time in the competition, the ninjas find themselves in third place. let's check in with swish. -nick: hey, fellas. i'm here at the timber drop. just a little something to think about, the ninjas have dominated every obstacle they have come to on pure athleticism. but they have never seen timber drop, where brute strength is absolutely key, and that's not something they bring to the table. so, watch out. -kelvin: thanks, swish. no brute strength issues for bodybuilders, strike a pose. -you guys ready? -kelvin: and they're first to arrive. -mack: pull! pull! -kelvin: ian and the two women are on the rope but look at that. mack and jonathan just muscle up

that 850-pound telephone pole. -man: keep going. -man: right behind mack. go on, push her up. -apolo: it took seventeen and a half seconds to get their timber up. that's the fastest we've seen anyone lift the pole all season long. -killian: pull! come on, liam, pull! -man: pull! -killian: pull! -apolo: listen to captain killian calling out a cadence for his team. -pull! go! go! go! -apolo: they did that nearly as fast as strike a pose. -kelvin: apolo, what's going on with the ninjas? they're struggling right now to raise that massive timber. -kevin: well, there's one big weakness that the ninjas have. and that is that we don't have any single large powerhitter... (chuckles) uh, so to speak. everybody's about the same size, and none of us are very large. -apolo: the ninjas were nearly flawless in the first two rounds, but they are stuck here. -man: go! -apolo: i don't know about that technique, kelvin. they say, "get your back into it," but maggi's not helping the cause.

commanding officers also have come to a dead stop. fatigue is setting in. -come on, liam! you gotta go! -apolo: we're hearing some concern there in the voice of robert killian. this is what separates champions from the rest, the ability to dig deep and find the stamina and the will to continue. strike a pose has two people over the timber drop. and colonel liam collins is still struggling. -kelvin: and look at sarah harrison sliding down the rope, guns blazing. neither the commanding officers nor the ninjas have mastered the technique required, but they'll need to get a move on if they want to overtake the stunt junkies who are currently sitting in the wild card spot with a time of 18 minutes and 19 seconds. -push it! push! push! -apolo: and with captain ian deyerle securely down the rope, mack and strike a pose have completed the timber drop, and they are moving on to the spear throw where my main man swish has jumped ahead. swish. -if you thought this obstacle was tough in round 2, they have pushed the target back an extra four feet. strike a pose is the first here.

we'll see exactly how well they're gonna do. -are you guys pulling? -yeah. -sarah: yeah! -amanda: whoo! -apolo: ian strikes first blood for his team in blue. in round 2, the spear throw was strike a pose's achilles heel. it took them seven throws and cost them a big chunk of their lead. let's see if they've made any improvements. that's two misses for strike a pose. can sarah turn their fortunes around? not so much. back at the timber drop, the ninjas are still struggling to get their 850-pound timber up. and they finally got it over. now they'll have to use their speed to close the gap on the commanding officers. -man: liam, help her. -kelvin: colonel collins has finally reached the top for commanding officers. -pull me in. -kelvin: and he's lending ashley a leg to pull her up. -(grunts) -kelvin: both teams need to move quickly.

-guys, take a peek right here. strike a pose has been here for a couple minutes right now. that's four misses in a row. if they don't turn it around soon, they're gonna have company. -woman: yeah! -coach ian two for two. this dude is a stud. -man: go, mack, you got it. -nick: mack is trying to close out the spear throw for strike a pose. and here come the commanding officers. -you're so good at this, mack. you're so good at this. yes! -ian: let's go! -apolo: big mack with a clutch throw. that's three for the team in blue, but their lead has shrunk considerably. the question is, can the commanding officers take advantage? -kelvin: wow! perfect throw. robert killian is not gonna let his team go down without a fight. -woman: guys, go! go, go, go! -kelvin: back at the timber drop, the effort to get that telephone pole up really took its toll on the ninjas. i'm shocked they're sitting here in third, apolo. none of us saw this coming. -go! -i'm trying. -kelvin: that's two, but they've still got work to do. even a shot at second place is slipping away. -apolo: captain killian is up again. -(screaming)

-kelvin: military precision. and with that hit, the commanding officers made up a minute and 13 seconds on the leaders. impressive! -man: wait, guys. -sarah: up on three, ready? -kelvin: strike a pose is at the sled pull. we saw them crush the timber drop earlier. let's see if they can set another obstacle record here. -apolo: with ian, mack, jonathan, and those two powerful women pulling on the rope, strike a pose is having no problem dragging that 1,000-pound sled. -kelvin: they blew through that sled pull. are you kidding me? -killian: looking good. -apolo: here's the commanding officers. let's see if they can match the blue team's pace. -killian: keep going! pull hard! we're almost there! come on! -man: go! -man 2: let's go. -watch the-- watch the sled behind you. -man: all right, go! -woman: go! -kelvin: this team has no "quit." -woman: right here! -i'm thirsty. -no, we got it! we're almost there, mack. -amanda: you can drink all you want. -five more minutes. all you got. -apolo: sarah knows there isn't any time for water

as they enter the arena, because commanding officers are right on their tail. -we got to make up time. let's get them on the slip wall. so, if anyone has a reason that these two should not be wed, speak now. (coughs) so sorry. oh no... it's just that your friend daryl here is supposed to be live streaming the wedding and he's not getting any service. i missed, like, the whole thing. what? and i just got an unlimited plan. it's the right plan, wrong network. you see, verizon has the largest, most reliable 4g lte network in america. it's built to work better in cities. tell you what, just use mine. thanks. no problem. all right, let's go live. say hi to everybody who wasn't invited! (vo) when it really, really matters, you need the best network and the best unlimited. just $45 per line for four lines. ♪ with tresemmés keratin infused with marula oil. you can have smooth hair that moves with you for up to 48 hours. tresemmé puts in the work... so you can work it.

i have no idea what's in tbut with this usp seal i know exactly what's in my nature made gummies. nature made has the first gummie certified by usp. a non profit organization that sets purity and potency standards. ♪ hey! ♪ bee to hive to the comb ♪ combing that honey ♪ into some gold ♪ take that gold and make it an o ♪ ♪ good goes around and around and around hey! ♪ ♪ bee to hive to the o ♪ oat from the farm is the yum in yo bowl ♪ ♪ put in the good and the good will grow ♪ ♪ good goes around and around and around hey! ♪ ♪ good goes around good goes around and around and around. hey! ♪

this summer, the samsung galaxy s8 get threeat best buy.lars off ♪

-kelvin: welcome back to "spartan." . it's championship night, and we are in the middle of the second semifinal. while we were away, ian deyerle and strike a pose maintain a small lead as they fought their way through the dunk walls. -mack: i got it! come under! -kelvin: commanding officers held on to second place

as they made their way to the arena just one obstacle behind the leaders. -killian: let's go! -kelvin: and in third place, the ninjas made up time on the spear throw and gained ground on both teams. -michelle: almost there. come on! -kelvin: as we rejoin the last heat of the semifinals with a shot at $250,000 on the line, strike a pose approaches the granddaddy of them all, the slip wall. -ian: hey, mack how are your feet? -mack: it's muddy. it's deep. you want us to hold them? -mack: no. -apolo: look at the top right hand side of your screen. the commanding officers have just set down their shield. remember, this team had never won a heat but have twice advanced in the competition as the wild card. -kelvin: if they can't catch up to strike a pose, they can still once again earn the wild card spot and the championship if they beat the stunt junkies' time of 18 minutes and 19 seconds. -go! -amanda, sarah, straight to the top! -kelvin: here's where strike a pose's strong women

come into play. bodybuilder sarah is flying up that wall followed immediately by amanda. -man: hurry, guys. -apolo: look at mack roesch down below as the base. he's literally striking a pose like a statue. -kelvin: strike a pose is getting closer to being able to strike a victory pose. -(grunting) -apolo: team captain ian deyerle locks on to the top. -kelvin: look at jonathan's resolve. he's fighting to get a good grip on that shoe because he's gonna be supporting 220 pounds of mack in a few seconds. -come on, mack. you got this. -apolo: mack better move because here come the commanding officers. -they're starting-- -they're starting to get over. -okay! -kelvin: there he goes. hold on, mack! -kelvin: commanding officers quickly assembling their ladder, but big mack is already at the top and spins around to pull up his teammates.

-sarah: we got you. we got you. -you got him? -apolo: and strike a pose does it again. sarah and amanda lead them into the water. oh, jonathan just jumped and landed right on his captain, ian. -kelvin: i'm sure ian will forgive him just this once. three races for strike a pose, and they join heart of texas as the second undefeated team to advance to the final. no one saw these bodybuilders and fitness models as a threat, but they have proven everyone underestimated them. -apolo: strike a pose moving on to the championship final. -(ian speaks) weid it! -kelvin: it's party time here at the finish line but on the course, it's all business. the commanding officers still working their way up the slip wall. and the ninjas, refusing to quit, have just entered the dunk walls. but the question is,

can either of them beat the stunt junkies' time of 18 minutes, 19 seconds for the wild card spot in tonight's final? -come on, climb! -apolo: that's west point grad, ashley keller, working hard for her team and her former coach, colonel collins. -kelvin: team captain killian extending his arms to support his mentor. it looks like colonel collins is struggling to hold on to that shoe. -apolo: and the ninjas are halfway through the dunk walls, making one final desperate push. the slip wall is where they shine. -kelvin: it's all about the clock now. commanding officers have just under one minute left to get to the finish line. captain killian is gonna make the big jump. he's got colonel collins by the sneaks. -apolo: of course this team wanted to win outright but in this competition, it's survive and advance. they've got 40 seconds of life left in them. colonel collins starts up for the top. -go! -that's it, climb! -go! -apolo: thirty seconds left. -kelvin: tick, tick, tick. they know the clock is moving,

and they know what this means for their chance at quarter of a million dollars if they can get this wild card spot. -woman: give me your arms! arms! -apolo: fifteen seconds left. will it be the stunt junkies? will it be the commanding officers? ten seconds. and the commanding officers have done it! they are headed to the final. what an incredible story. this team has not won a heat all season, and they're set to compete in the final. -thank you, guys. whoo! -thank you. -kelvin: i am shocked, apolo. after seeing the ninjas crush the competition in the first two rounds, i thought the ninjas were the favorites here in the semifinal. but after they gassed out in the timber drop, they were never able to recover. -apolo: but look at them still going at the slip wall. these guys have heart. there's no way the ninjas aren't going to finish this course. that's what great athletes do.

-kelvin: coming up... the best of the best compete for "spartan" glory and quarter of a million dollars. -pull! dig, dig, dig! -kelvin: will ian take strike a pose all the way and win the championship a second time? -i'm here to prove that i can win with any team. -kelvin: commanding officers lost every battle, but will they win the war? -killian: this is a completely different race, completely different day, and we're gonna go into it and just give it everything we have. -apolo: and heart of texas have triumphed over adversity, but can they pull together to bring home "spartan" gold? -brandon: even with joey out, we still have a great shot at winning this thing. -the race for $250,000 and the "spartan" title when we return.

degree ultracleardorant black + white.s of clothes. no yellow stains on white clothes. no white marks on black clothes. degree ultraclear black + white. it won't let you down.

(vo) nutritional needs...og's all in one. purina one. healthy energy, all in one. strong muscles, all in one. highly digestible, and a taste he loves, all in one. purina one smartblend is expertly blended... with 100% nutrition, 0% fillers, always real meat #1. lifelong smart nutrition. it's all in one. purina one. so find a venus smooth that contours to curves, the smoother the skin, the more comfortable you are in it. flexes for comfort, and has a disposable made for you. skin smoothing venus razors. it's like nothing the power of nexium 24hr protection

from frequent heartburn. all day, and all night. now packed into a pill so small, we call it mini. new clearminis from nexium 24hr. see heartburn differently. with most wireless plans, straight talk. getting more data means paying more money. [cash register] but straight talk wireless is shaking things up! because now you get 60% more high-speed data... ...for the same low price. that's right. now get the first 8 gigs of high-speed data, with unlimited talk and text, and still only 45 dollars a month. or 12 gigs for 10 bucks more. and it's all on america's largest and most dependable 4g lte networks. don't pay more, get more. straight talk wireless. best phones. best networks. no contracts. only at walmart.

the road to "spartan" glory ends here tonight is it! as we crown our champions. it's the finals. this is "spartan: ultimate team challenge." welcome back to our finale. tonight, one team will capture the "spartan" title and $250,000. apolo, this has been an amazing season filled with incredible athleticism and inspiring teamwork. -it absolutely has, kelvin. this season we've had a little bit of everything. we've seen teams of all shapes, sizes, and forms, from little giants to big giants. and teams from all different backgrounds, from cowboys to broadway dancers. and now, only three teams remain. these worthy finalists survived this merciless competition, all on a quest for "spartan" glory.

and what an amazing season it has been. and i have to admit, kelvin, i do not want it to end. -neither do i but, apolo, it's not over yet, because our three finalists still have to get through the most ruthless "spartan" course they have faced so far. time to check in with our high-octane world series champ, nick swisher. swish, what's up, man? -thanks, kelvin. bro, i am stoked! i've not been this pumped since the 2009 world series, and i know every spartan racer here tonight feels the exact same way. it's all on the line, and all obstacles are in play, almost twice as many as they faced in previous rounds. tonight on this tougher-than-ever course, they're gonna face 15 obstacles. nearly everything these teams saw in rounds 1, 2, and the semis will be right here in front of them tonight. if you've got a weakness, it's gonna be exposed. i can't wait to see this race. fellas, let's get it! -(apolo laughs) thanks, nick. you've entertained us with your passion

all season long. -kelvin: indeed, brother. now, let's meet our teams. they stole our heart this season. in yellow, it's the heart of texas. this tight-knit family team has gone a perfect three for three and is only one victory away from taking home $250,000. and yet tonight's competition feels bittersweet. -brandon: my little brother, joey, is actually biologically a cousin, and i was adopted into the family after i lost my entire family in a-- in a house fire. -joey: amazing job, guys. me and brandon share a very special bond, having both gone through something so tragic. -brandon: watch your footing. -joey: it's kinda amazing to just be sitting here today and know that, um, that we've made it this far. -(cheering) -it was a tough decision to withdraw from the semifinals, but brandon has become our leader in my eyes. -i got first. i got first. -i think the biggest thing is that there is no "quit" in us. -woman: yes! -man: yeah! -allison: no matter what's going on with joey,

brandon is gonna give it everything he has. -brandon: one, two, pull! straight back. one, two, pull! -brandon: because i'm the older brother, i think that i also have some, uh, ability to command the group. pick it up! pick it up! pick it up! and with joey out, i'm gonna really need to step it up this time. joey's always been there for me. now's my chance to represent for him. -joey: i have all the confidence in the world we have what it takes to bring home the championship. -all: heart of texas! yee-haw! -apolo: joey will be giving the team all the emotional support he has to give, but the burden of leading this team will fall on his adopted brother, brandon, and the man who replaced him, lawrence. -i just wanted to remind everybody embrace the fact that we are gonna go through some pain out there and know that you are more capable of handling that than they are-- -kelvin: they've proven twice before that they were more capable than the next team as they defeated them in two earlier rounds. -apolo: from the battlefield to the "spartan" field. in red, it's the commanding officers.

these active and former us army officers have advanced to the finals without winning a single heat. now, captain robert killian and his team know that second place is no longer good enough. -man: one, two, three! -heart of texas: heart of texas! yee-haw! -the heart of texas beat us twice now but doesn't mean anything in our books. the finals is gonna be anyone's game. we're doing almost every single obstacle on the course, so it's gonna be a little bit longer. -we have a team of endurance athletes, so the longer the course, the better we think that suits our strength. -we haven't won a race this whole season, so i think, you know, that would be the first and foremost thing. we ready to prove that, you know, we're not a team that's just gonna be a wild card the whole time. -ashley: personally, if we won this competition, i would really be overwhelmed with honor that we were able to represent our country, represent the us army. -killian: this last race, it's gonna be a fight to the finish. -killian: this is it. last race. we know endurance is our strength. we're not gonna fail. we got this. -we got this. -all right, let's do it. -all: aroo! aroo! hooah! -women: whoo!

-kelvin: the commanding officers know there's a tough battle ahead, but they are 0-2 against heart of texas and were just defeated in the semifinals by our next team. storming into the arena in blue, it's the beast from the south east, strike a pose. -apolo: coming into the finals undefeated, they've got brains, the speed and, in mack roesch, lots of muscle. mack was a construction worker before he started racing and was known as the king of obstacles, even competing on "american ninja warrior." but this past year, mack has had to overcome challenges off the course as well. -last year, i had a tough year. i was on the vegas finals of "american ninja warrior," and i found out my step-dad passed away within an hour of having to compete. i was devastated when i got the news, and i didn't do well on the course. after my step-dad died, i tried to do other competitions, but i didn't win a single race all year. now it's a new year and it's a new me,

and i'm ready to go. go! yeah! good job! -amanda: whoo! -mack: i love this team. i picked them out myself. we all work like we've known each other for years, and we're like a family. and athletic, fine-tuned obstacle course family. one, two, three. -sarah: you have mack who is a tank but also a very inspirational person. he makes you just appreciate every day. -i'm feeling so pumped up, my adrenaline rises every time i think about getting on the course. this is my redemption race. (shouting) -apolo: mack has been the heart of this team, but captain ian has been the brains, leading them to three consecutive wins. can he make it four? -all we can focus on is just our race. on three, okay? -woman: pumped up, guys. let's go! -ian: one, two, three! -all: strike a pose! -kelvin: this is what we've been waiting for. who's gonna win? $250,000 and the "spartan" title. -apolo: in yellow, with joey cheering them on...

-let's go! you got this! -apolo: ...it's brandon brickley and heart of texas. -kelvin: in red, aiming for their first win, it's captain killian and colonel collins and the commanding officers. -apolo: and in blue, it's team captain ian deyerle and mack, looking to prove once again that he's the king of obstacles, it's strike a pose. -kelvin: here we go! the finals, baby. -it's time to spartan up! -kelvin: in three, two, one! -both: go! -(air horn blares) -kelvin: mack and jonathan making a mad dash to the barrel roll. -on three. one, two, three! -apolo: this time, strike a pose alternates their men and women to distribute their strength evenly. all five of them working in unison to get them up to an early lead. -kelvin: with joey out of the race, brandon's taking charge. but heart of texas is struggling to get that barrel moving. -woman: legs! legs! legs! -push! -kelvin: captain killian sounds like he's at boot camp running drills with his team. -apolo: heart of texas finally getting some momentum. -climb, climb! -kelvin: and strike a pose is first to lock in their barrel,

with jonathan ruiz leading the charge towards the table tilt. -man: first one on the left. come on! -woman: go ahead! remember, this race is longer than anything these teams have seen before. they've gotta pace themselves. the men of strike a pose are first in the water and begin to get mack up to the top. -apolo: this has been a good strategy for the team in blue before as mack can hoist up their light women quickly. -kelvin: sarah's already locked in to mack's grip. and he yanks her up. -man: pull me up. -work together, guys. -man: push him up. -apolo: the team captains from yellow and red both go up first. captain killian battling their rivals for a chance at redemption after losing to heart of texas twice earlier this season. -ian: i'm good. -kelvin: ian sends mack sliding to the other side. mack is helping sarah and amanda lift the table to get ian closer to jonathan. he's got him! -man: now! turn around. -man 2: go! -apolo: and that's a new "spartan" record for the table tilt: 41 seconds.

-kelvin: strike a pose is moving on to the back half of the course: the machine yard. -yeah! -kelvin: this is the finals. and so far, strike a pose is looking strong. mack jumps on the first of the six slippery mud humps. both teams chasing the leaders. -man: grab her! grab her! -apolo: strong men, light women, a winning combination for strike a pose. -kelvin: look how jam pa-- ohh! did you see that? allison in yellow accidentally clotheslined ashley of commanding officers. ashley may feel that tomorrow but right now, there's no time for pain. there's a "spartan" title on the line. -apolo: this race is tight, but strike a pose is first to the tire swing. this obstacle was brutal in the earlier rounds. and guess what? these three teams have never faced the 450-pound tires before. this is their first time. plus they've made it even harder. that tire is now four feet further from the landing pad, so it's going to take a lot more muscle to make that jump. -kelvin: let's check in with swish. -dude, all three teams right here, man. everybody battling for the 250 grand, man.

this is what it's all about. check out strike a pose. that's a long jump. at some point, you just have to go for it-- oh, no! sarah goes down. -kelvin: strike a pose makes their first mistake. and this race is dead even. -man: don't hesitate. -now! -woman: jump! -man: go! -apolo: oh! and a second miss for the team in blue. -kelvin: strike a pose left an opening, and mom of four, cheryl, just leapt through it. heart of texas takes the lead.

and, at outback our sweet, tender snow crab legs come with a big bold outback steak! and, speaking of big... why not go full aussie, and go for a full pound! steak & crab starts at just $15.99. but, hurry in... when they're gone, they're gone!

it's go time at dunkin' with two egg and cheese wake-up wraps for $2. enjoy two freshly made oven-toasted wraps and keep on running all day long. america runs on dunkin'.

-kelvin: welcome back to the season finale of "spartan: ultimate team challenge." while we were away, fortunes changed on the tire swing. heart of texas hit the water multiple times and gave up their lead. and commanding officers did no better. -now go! -kelvin: strike a pose hit their rhythm, sent all five members across the 24-foot gap... -(grunting) -kelvin: ...and moved on. -jonathan: whoo! -apolo: as we rejoin the action, strike a pose led by captain ian deyerle

are at the human ladder. and just like previous rounds, they put 220-pound big man, mack roesch, on the ladder first. oh! not the smoothest landing for mack, but he's making his way up the ladder quickly. remember, the first person on the ladder has to be the last one off. so, they'll be climbing over each other to get to the top. -mack: good job, ian. just like before. -kelvin: back at the tire swing, commanding officers still with only one across. heart of texas has four. -apolo: strong leaders know when to listen, and brandon, taking lawrence's advice, is looking strong. pushing that 450-pound tire all by himself. -you got it, brandon! you got it! -apolo: brandon says his true strength comes from his wife and kids. -and...here we go. you got those hips up the whole time. -brandon: camp gladiator is my family's company. my little brother joey, my wife allison, the three of us all work together pretty closely. to be able to work side by side to positively impact a city and a nation,

we're on a mission together. -quick, quick, quick, quick, quick. -i actually met my wife there on the boot camp field. so strong! there you go, babe! whoo! she is just full of joy and love, and she's just like sunshine to everybody around her. -allison: one of the things i love about him the most is his compassion and love for other people. he is so happy and thankful for his family, um, but there are days where he has... for sure, memories where he misses his mom and brother. when we found out that we were pregnant, we wanted to do something that could honor them but also start new. -go, run to joey. run to jo-jo. my daughter is actually named joy. she is named after my mom. -allison: she is left-handed which is kind of a-a fun, unique thing, and brandon's mom was left-handed. and so, there are days where i'll see joy coloring with her left hand, and it just-- i-- it's a--

a moment where i feel like we got something from her. -brandon: we believe that we've been given a tremendous amount of joy and grace. and the story of our family is one of-- of absolute victory and triumph. -(indistinct chatter) -man: go, go, go! -apolo: brandon and his family have been an inspiration all season long. and he's across! -woman: yes! -kelvin: heart of texas grabs their leader, and they're moving on to the human ladder. -mack: jon, catch your breath, please. -apolo: and that's where they'll find strike a pose. they've got their whole team on the ladder already, and amanda is starting her climb to the top. -man: breathe! -sarah: go! -kelvin: but they've got to keep moving because heart of texas has arrived. they broke away from the pack and created a big lead on this obstacle earlier tonight in the semifinal. they'll need to attack it the same way if they're gonna cut into strike a pose's lead now. -man: go, go, go! -apolo: i'm so impressed by how they got into this round, having one of their major team leaders being injured.

joey kelly, sitting back with the fam, cheering them on, going crazy. it can't be easy for him or his team. -kelvin: but it looks like heart of texas are actually gaining on strike a pose right now. they're doing the lone star state proud, apolo. back at the tire swing... -(shouting) -kelvin: ...the four extra feet of distance to the pad is taking its toll on commanding officers. -(shouting) -apolo: they have three team members over, but logistics officer, bryce, and green beret, robert killian, are stuck on the wrong side of this obstacle -kelvin: bryce launches. oh, his timing is off! another hard landing for this team. at the human ladder, the battle for first remains tight. -mack: jon, come on, buddy. -kelvin: heart of texas is making progress. -man: we're still in this. -apolo: but strike a pose's mack and jonathan are the only team members left on the ladder. -get on the pole, jon. lift your whole leg up. -kelvin: and there goes jonathan on the right. -(panting) -kelvin: and whoa! big mack with a one leg hook move. five obstacles down. ten more to go.

-apolo: strike a pose separating from heart of texas for now. -man: we're still in this. -you're good, lawrence. get up there. there you go. go for it! -go. -all right, move a little bit quicker. it's the finals. championship round. -apolo: mack really vocal in these finals. he needs his teammates' support to win this. -after all the losses last year, it might get in his head a little bit. but all we gotta do is really just-- just be there, cheer each other on, and we-- we'll come out on top. i know we will. -don't let anything bother you mentally. -kelvin: back at the human ladder, heart of texas has nearly all team members across. -man: you go. you go. go, go, go. -kelvin: but right behind them, commanding officers gaining ground. they're on a mission, and they're still very much in this race. -you got it, spencer. -apolo: there goes spencer down the exit pole. and heart of texas are moving on. -heart of texas in an unfamiliar position. they rarely trailed in their first three races, and now they're playing catch-up. -apolo: commanding officers have done nothing but play catch-up

for three straight races. -man: make up time. make up time. -ashley: go, sam! go, sam! -apolo: ashley's been a rock for this team as she is for her family back home. -ashley: my husband's currently deployed... and the hardest part about that is never knowing what's going to happen to him. -yay! -yay! -ashley: for me, personally, it's harder because i've been deployed. i know what combat situations look like, and i know what happens. and i know it can happen. -ashley: i'm gonna get you! (growling) i miss my husband the most when my kids do something that they couldn't do before that. i wish he was there to share that experience with. okay, i'm watching. yeah, gavin! you're getting it! i wish he was there when my kids tell me that they miss daddy so much. ready? go! whoo! but i've learned that no matter what happens that we're cheering him on, that we're proud of him.

that i can hold down the homefront no matter how crazy life gets. and that we will be okay. yeah! -kelvin: apolo, i have no doubt that ashley's husband is proud of her performance tonight. -man: go, go, go! -apolo: commanding officers continuing on. this race is far from over. -mack: hey, just breathe. it's okay. it's fine. ian. drop. -apolo: strike a pose finally dropping their 300-pound weight, and they can see heart of texas right behind them. -they're right in front of us. -man: stay together. -kelvin: our leaders have reached the seventh obstacle, the timber drop. -man: we can do this. -apolo: they've got to raise this 25-foot long, 850-pound log, and then they have to climb up and over the log before moving on. -we can move faster. -(screaming) -hand over hand. hand over hand. hand over-- -apolo: the timber drop has been just brutal for so many teams, but it doesn't seem to intimidate strike a pose. -ian: mack, go! -(mack screams) -ian: right behind you. push your feet up, jon. -kelvin: we've seen teams getting stuck on this log

all night, apolo. -mack: it's hard. -kelvin: and these guys are just flying up it. -you're doing amazing. slide down that rope and catch your breath. sarah, wait for us. -kelvin: and here comes heart of texas. -(indistinct chatter) -kelvin: it seems like every time strike a pose gets out in front, heart of texas comes roaring back to close the gap. -watch out! oh! amanda took a shot to the head from big mack... -you okay? -kelvin: ...and she didn't even flinch. -now heave! -apolo: spencer and brandon struggling to get that log up. -kelvin: in the semifinals, lawrence pushed the log up all by himself and burned out early. -sarah: pull! pull! -kelvin: they've changed their strategy. he's on the rope this time, but it's slowing them down. -sarah: pull! -yeah! -go! -apolo: strike a pose, now at the eighth obstacle, the spear throw. as a team, they've struggled with this obstacle in the past. the is one of the few weak spots on this very strong team.

-pull, guys. -apolo: captain ian deyerle is the first to attempt the spear throw. he's been very accurate, but the rest of his team needs to step up as well. -kelvin: oh! ian misses his first throw. -man: we need to do this fast. -apolo: jonathan ruiz, maybe the unsung athlete of this entire-- well, he got it. -kelvin: now, big man mack roesch steps up. oh! his spear doesn't stick. it doesn't count. -apolo: in second, with his brother, joey, out, brandon has stepped up to lead heart of texas. -come on, lawrence. right here, buddy. -kelvin: they're gaining with only two members left on the log. -brandon: grab this hand. there we go. you got it, bro. -apolo: joey's replacement, lawrence, getting an assist from brandon. -man: go! go! go! -kelvin: and captain ian deyerle...nails it. that's two spears down, one to go. and just in time, because heart of texas have almost completed the timber drop, and they're coming for strike a pose hard. -woman: great job!

there is nothing originalze about your original floors. at lowe's, we have all the latest flooring styles and trends at prices you can afford. hurry into lowe's and get up to 40% off select tile. ( ♪ )

♪ ♪

this summer, the samsung galaxy s8 get threeat best buy.lars off ♪ [sfx: click] [music: "imagi-nation" by andrew simple] ♪ hey! (whistle). woo! [sfx: coin rattling] [sfx: ice cream bells] ♪ with imagination, yeah yeah yeah ♪ ♪ with imagination sc johnson

-kelvwhile we were away... to the "spartan" season finale. mack closed out the spear throw just seconds before heart of texas arrived. -man: there it is. -kelvin: and brandon nailed his first spear. commanding officers gained ground on the human ladder... -we can catch up. -kelvin: ...and pendulum carry, but struggled at the timber drop. -pull! pull! -ian, go! ian, get up. -okay. -kelvin: as we rejoin the action... -man: right here. i got it. -kelvin: ...in blue, our leaders, strike a pose, are starting the totem climb...

-mack: take your time climbing and use your legs. -kelvin: ...with captain ian up first. -apolo: all five team members have to be out of the water and up on that rope before they can pass up the flag and clip it in. ian is so close to leading his team to a "spartan" title yet again. an incredible turnaround for a guy who not too long ago hit rock bottom. -ian: i was the team captain of comeback kids last year, and we won the whole thing. after we won, i went back to normal family life. but then, i let my guard down and relapsed, and i started drinking again. my life was just falling apart. so, my girlfriend and daughter, they left. it was really hard on me. uh... that's reason enough to stop... right there.

-parma: i think it was hard on him to disappoint everybody, but ian's an amazing athlete. he's an amazing person. he tends to take any challenge that comes his way and not only overcome it, but just really destroy it. -ian: i want my daughter to look up to me and go, "yes, he's strong. he's a role model." parma and lily are my life. i'm doing this for them. -kelvin: ian giving his family something to be proud of. -go! -kelvin: he grabs the flag and clips it in. ian and strike a pose one obstacle closer to the "spartan" title and $250,000. -apolo: now they're on to the puzzle pole. -man: we're good! -apolo: heart of texas with two spears in, both hit by brandon. -kelvin: boom! he does it again. brandon hit all three. he's definitely filling the big shoes left by joey tonight. -apolo: up ahead at the puzzle pole the team in blue has to assemble the six pieces together,

each one weighing nearly 300 pounds. -man: go. more. -hey, jon, jon, jon. get this and push in. -apolo: by standing on top, sarah gets a bird's eye view of where to place the pieces. -man: got one more. -apolo: she's got a strong will. she was the first in her family to leave her small virginia town and the first to go to college. her parents are here tonight. they've got to be proud of her. -go over that way. -all right. ian-- -apolo: mack and jonathan making that 280-pound pole look like a popsicle stick. -kelvin: commanding officers reach the spear throw. as an obstacle race world champion, captain killian is an expert at throwing spears. -(grunts, shouts) -apolo: they've trained hard for this race. that discipline comes from years of military training. -kelvin: two quick hits. and they're making up ground. captain spencer mahoney is at the top of the totem climb. allison's last up, but she has to keep her feet out of the water before she can pass up the flag. -apolo: look at those abs.

she just had a baby eight months ago, kelvin. -(indistinct chatter) -kelvin: lawrence hands the flag up to brandon. -woman: good job, spence. -got it. -kelvin: heart of texas is moving on. -apolo: strike a pose, they sent jonathan up the pole. down goes the "i" beam. this team's got jonathan and mack's brute strength, amanda and sarah's speed, and ian's leadership to pull them all together. and that's been a winning combination in this competition. -kelvin: heart of texas arrives just as the leaders pull away. -apolo: but, kelvin, this is where i suspect we would see heart of texas gain ground. -we need to work as a team. -apolo: they work well together and know how to strategize. -man: go! go! go! -aah! shoulders are burning. -kelvin: even big mack has his limits. this is their 11th obstacle. that's more than they did in any other race. -drop! to the left! army crawl. -apolo: up next is the army crawl. 75 feet of deep, thick mud, and you're only eight inches below razor-sharp barbed wire.

-man: keep your eyes closed. -woman: eyes closed. this is the finals, guys. -apolo: look at heart of texas. the pole is up, and the beam is down. i gotta say that looks faster than strike a pose on that obstacle, kelvin. -get underneath the i beam. nope. no, no, no, no. the other side. i need somebody up here. -kelvin: you can sense the urgency. they're running out of time. and now, they've got company. commanding officers have arrived. all three teams separated by just two obstacles. -apolo: $250,000 to the winner. -kelvin: our leaders are at the end, but what's up with amanda? strike a pose needs to keep moving. -man: go, go, go! -apolo: because here comes heart of texas. my, what big rims you have... my, what bright eyes you have... ['beep' 'beep']

all the better to tease you with, my dear. that was good. where to? gee gees. get ready to spin your own tale... introducing an all-new crossover. toyota c-hr. toyota. let's go places. what's going on here? um... i'm babysitting. that'll be $50 bucks. you said $30. yeah, well it was $30 before my fees, like the pizza-ordering fee and the dog-sitting fee... and the rummage through your closet fee. are those my heels? yeah! yeah, we're the same size...in shoes. with t-mobile taxes and fees are already included, so you get four lines of unlimited for just $40 bucks each. for a limited time save 300 dollars on the amazing iphone 7. right now, all your refreshing soft drink faves are just a buck. whether diving in or chilling poolside, stay cool while you check things off your summer bucket list.

like summer, any size soft drinks for a dollar won't stick around long. only at mcdonald's. ( ♪ ) won't stick around long. only at mcdonald's. get whatat olive garden.ss new early dinner duos for just $8.99. choose from over 50 delicious combinations. and all the salad and breadsticks you want. from 3-5 monday through thursday. hurry in, it's early dinner duos. only at olive garden. before fibromyalgia, i was on the go. i kept on top of things. then the chronic, widespread pain

slowed me down. my doctor said moving more helps ease fibromyalgia pain. he also prescribed lyrica. fibromyalgia is thought to be the result of overactive nerves. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. woman: for some, lyrica can significantly relieve fibromyalgia pain and improve function, so i feel better. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worse depression, unusual changes in mood or behavior, swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling, or blurry vision. common side effects: dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. with less pain, i can be more active. ask your doctor about lyrica.

-kelvin: welcome back. to the season finale . of "spartan: ultimate team challenge." our leaders, strike a pose, enter the arena for the final time. -up! down! only two obstacles stand between them and the "spartan" crown and $250,000. -apolo: right behind them, heart of texas. they haven't lost a race yet, and they're far from giving up now. -(brandon speaks) -apolo: and commanding officers finishing up the army crawl, making one final push. -all right, let's go.

-kelvin: our leaders making their way out of the dunk walls. final slip wall of the season. if they avoid catastrophe here, they will be our season 2 champions. -ian: we wanna do that again. -mack: ready. -apolo: heart of texas in the arena. joey holding out hope that his team, his family, can pull off a miracle comeback. -(brandon speaks) -you can hear brandon. he knows anything can happen at the slip wall. the texas team is wasting no time under the first wall. -man: you see that? hustle. -kelvin: commanding officers, our military veterans, are moving quickly with the shield. -apolo: they talked before the race about their endurance, and they are making up great time here on the shield carry. -liam: good job, guys. last hard push. -kelvin: up ahead, the leaders are building their human ladder. -mack: it's the championship, guys.

-apolo: mack, eager for his first competition win, wants no mistakes from his teammates. -(mack screams) -woman: come on, come on. -we're ready. dive. -kelvin: at the dunk walls, lawrence and heart of texas making their way through. he's done a great job of filling in for joey, but they ran into a juggernaut of strike a pose. -woman: yes, jon, you got this. -apolo: strike a pose's jonathan ruiz gets locked in on captain ian's legs. ian is moments away from showing the world what it means to overcome your demons if he can just hang on. -come on, mack. whoo! -come on, mack, i got you! -look at big mack, the final push. can they get the big man over? apolo, this is crazy. -come on, jon. -apolo: strike a pose is so close to victory. amazing athletes, amazing strength. -kelvin: and here comes heart of texas nearly through the dunk walls. -jonathan: don't let go of me. -kelvin: for one last time, big mack with a huge pull! jonathan is to the top.

-apolo: and that will do it! -ian: hold hands! -(screaming) -kelvin: hand in hand as they make the final plunge. how symbolic for a team that was in perfect sync all season long. -apolo: they proved it takes teamwork to win on this course. -kelvin: and together as one, strike a pose dominated this season. -apolo: explosive performance. we tried to make it difficult. we tried to make it impossible. but these spartan warriors are showing that they have the guts to take on any challenge that we put in front of them. -we did it! yeah! -apolo: ian deyerle, two-time "spartan" champion. the workhorse, big mack. -kelvin: and the families for blue join in the celebration. the joy, the smiles, the excitement. strike a pose, the "spartan: ultimate team challenge" season 2 champions.

-(laughing) -kelvin: worthy champions, but i'm so impressed with heart of texas. they're gonna complete this race. you know they're not gonna quit. -apolo: the family that's been forged by fire is coming through to grab silver. what an incredible race for this family. they defied all expectations and proved that despite major tragedy, with a little grace and a lot of heart, anything is possible. they are true spartan warriors. -kelvin: brandon's brother, joey, there at the finish line to comfort his team. -open up! open up! open up! open up! amazing work, you guys. hey, i'm so proud of y'all. y'all gave me everything. -man: go, go, go. -apolo: and here comes commanding officers. liam collins being the oldest competitor left in the "spartan" race. every single one of them, servicemen and servicewomen, they worked together as a unit.

they never ever left a fallen comrade behind. -kelvin: all three teams congratulating each other on a hard-fought battle. that's the "spartan" spirit right there. -great job. -apolo: but tonight belonged to strike a pose. over the course of this season, they twice defeated the season 1 champions, took down the ninjas, and showed the world the power of trust, teamwork, and communication. mj is standing by with the winners. -ian. wow, back-to-back championships with two different teams. -ian. wow, back-to-back championships -all of us had a perfect race. honestly, everything was perfect. everybody on this team did amazing. -you should all be proud. congratulations, you guys. you're the "spartan" champions. -(all cheering) -kelvin: congratulations to strike a pose. we witnessed incredible teamwork all season long, and we wanna thank our team,

mj acosta and nick swisher. swish, any last words? -i mean, i-- i don't know what to say, fellas. for the first time in my life, i'm speechless. -(kelvin and ) -kelvin: oh, swish. going out in s. i'm kelvin washington. -and i'm apolo ohno. we'll see you next season on "spartan: ultimate team challenge." -(audience cheering) -(apolo laughs)

right now on "nbc 10 news," tornado warning. neighbors in atlantic counties are being told to stay inside their homes. a deadly journey. police find nine people dead in the back of a tractor trailer, while crews are still trying to help dozens of others. a helping hand. a local utility worker goes above and beyond for a complete stranger. "nbc 10 news" breaking news. >> right now a tornado warning is in effect along parts of the jersey shore. good morning. neighbors are being told to shelter in place and stay inside their homes. let's bring in erica martin for a look at what's happening right now. erica?

>> so we do have this tornado warning until 12:15 a.m. i want to give you a wider perspective of what's going on. we have a little bit of a hook. this is what i'm concerned about. i'm going to show you a little closer what we're seeing locally, right around the border of atlantic and cape may counties. so right now you can see this box right behind the radar. this is where we are seeing the tornado warning. it has been issued and in effect until 12:15 a.m. i'm going to step off camera for just one second because i am seeing some more warnings that have been issued, so i just want to click on just a few here. so if you don't mind me, there you go. flash flood warning in effect there. i do want to clear that off the back of the tornado warning in effect until 12:15 a.m. so doppler radar picking up on activity moving through the area. it's moving pretty much from the southwest towards the northeast here, seeing lots of lightning

strikes and there is your tornado warning. i'm going to use a product here that we refer to as velocity. and the reason i'm using this, what i'm looking for here is the potential for any coupling. and basically that is the potential for radar indicated rotation within the storm right now. it looks like somewhere around here we may be seeing a radar indicated rotation. so if you are in this area, you definitely want to be careful, because this is where the potential for a tornado to touchdown or a funnel to touchdown to become a tornado. so we're going to keep this here. this is right now, and it's not moving. notice when we see the returns, what we call gate-to-gate. this is where we have the potential for that rotation within the storm in and of itself. the velocity mode is what we use to track that for you. also i want to show you here a wider perspective. this is our storm intensity as this continues to work its way across cape may county, northern cape pay county, as well as

southern atlantic county. so this is the area we're looking off of right now, and we're looking at hail moving through, with heavier hail pockets right there. so i'm going the step off camera, because i have to go back and show you what i'm looking at here. this is something that a lot of you will not know at home, but i want to zoom in, especially if you have any loved ones to be sure that they are safe. i'm going to show you what i do have going on here locally, so we can focus on the potential of any tornadoes that may be touching down. so i'm going to zoom on in right here. bay avenue is what we're looking for, the potential for any radar indicated rotation. so right now, it looks like there is -- the potential is there for a tornado. what we're seeing is that rotation within the storm. but coming up in just a bit, i'm going to track this more for