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A UNM student known as the 鈥淣erdy Ninja鈥� advanced to the finals on NBC鈥檚 鈥淎merican Ninja Warrior.鈥�

Ixchel Valentino knocked off No. 1 seed, Isabella Wakeham, of Cypress, Texas, in Monday鈥檚 Season 16 semifinals. Valentino will compete in the upcoming finals in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Valentino advanced through the qualifiers after an impressive performance during the June 3 episode of the show, according to an R4Creating news release. She placed fifth on the show and won a runoff race to move on to compete against Wakeham.

sa国际传媒官网网页入口 resident physician, Steven Cen, also competed Monday night. He competed against Owen Dyer, of Bentonville, Arkansas. Cen fell short on a section of the obstacle course as Dyer moved on to complete the course and advance to the next round.

When not competing, Valentino is a full-time nuclear engineering student at the University of New Mexico and hopes to inspire youth to chase their dreams through her journey on 鈥淎merican Ninja Warrior.鈥� She was one of more than 100 challengers selected from 75,000 people who applied to compete on the show.

鈥淚 am thrilled to have the opportunity to compete on 鈥楢merican Ninja Warrior鈥� and showcase my skills on a national stage,鈥� Valentino said in a statement. 鈥淚 hope to inspire others to embrace their passions, work hard and never give up on their goals. With dedication and determination, anything is possible.鈥�

Valentino, who is warmly referred to as the 鈥淣erdy Ninja,鈥� is a local R4Creating competitor, according to the news release. R4Creating in Rio Rancho hosts a variety of robotics teams during the late summer to early winter season.

鈥淚xchel exemplifies the character traits that we instill in our students at R4Creating,鈥� Shelly Gruenig, R4Creating founding executive director, said in a statement. 鈥淎nd what鈥檚 great to see with her is that being nerdy, doesn鈥檛 mean you can鈥檛 excel and have fun in activities outside of robotics and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).鈥�

At age 5, Valentino began competing in various arenas including robotics, athletics and the 4-H program.

She has earned state, national and world titles for her robotics skills. Valentino also won high-point buckles and the county princess title while in the 4-H program. She served as president and leadership team member with the program.