Junior 'ninja' from Arlington Heights moves on to next round of TV competition

Ten-year-old Owen Pham put his ninja skills to good use.

Owen, from Arlington Heights, advanced from last week's episode of "American Ninja Warrior Junior" and into the competition quarterfinals that will be broadcast at 5 p.m. Friday on the Universal Kids network. If he advances again, he'll move on to the finals June 12.

Because the competition was filmed in July in California, Pham and his immediate family know the results. That made Friday's viewing party - a virtual party due to the social distancing brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic - all the more entertaining.

"It was really fun to finally tell everyone how I did," Owen said. "It was hard to wait so long."

In preparation for last week's broadcast, neighbors filled the Phams' yard with signs of encouragement and congratulations. To celebrate this week's episode, a parade of cars will line up and drive by the house before the show airs.

"It's been a nice community thing," said Colleen Pham, Owen's mother. "Even from far away it's been nice to have that interaction about it."