3BLD on a Madison MoNona 2024

Twenty-eight competitors assembled at the Monona Terrace on the shores of Lake Monona for a concentrated weekend of precision and mental stamina. Held across February 17 and February 18, 3BLD on a Madison MoNona 2024 brought a specialized schedule to Madison, Wisconsin, USA. The venue provided a focused backdrop across 13 rounds of action, where quiet concentration for memorisation-heavy challenges met the rapid clatter of mechanical puzzles. Across six specialized disciplines, this WCA competition offered an intense showcase of high-level puzzle solving in 2024.

The sight of competitors sitting in silence before donning blindfolds defined the visual character of the competition hall. In the standard 3x3x3 Blindfolded event, which drew 22 participants across three full rounds, Will Cerne captured the overall victory in the final with a best single time of 21.58 seconds. Rowe Hessler took second place with a 23.61 mark, while Brayden Thompson locked up third place on the podium at 24.46 seconds. Cerne had earlier delivered a sharp 19.67 single during the preliminary rounds, highlighting how deep the standard Rubik's Cube blindfolded talent ran throughout the event.

Rowe Hessler stamped his authority on the longer blindfolded disciplines with commanding performances. In 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, Hessler topped the 18-person field by successfully solving 55 of 64 cubes in a time of 59:47. Tommy Cherry secured second place with 36 of 37 cubes in 57:48, while Cale Schoon earned third with 21 of 25 in 55:41. Hessler continued his winning run into the 5x5x5 Blindfolded discipline, taking top honors with a successful single of 5:51.68, finishing ahead of runner-up Chris Hardwick who registered 14:30.00 across the two rounds of big-cube memorisation.

Big-cube blindfolded solving also saw Cale Schoon step to the top of the podium in the 4x4x4 Blindfolded event. Schoon posted a winning single of 3:04.79 across two rounds of play, staying ahead of Zeke Mackay, who finished second in 3:21.62, and Carter Kucala, who took third in 3:22.82. Schoon showed remarkable versatility at 3BLD on a Madison MoNona 2024, converting his blindfolded prowess into tactical efficiency during the 3x3x3 Fewest Moves contest. With 24 competitors searching for optimal move counts, Schoon clinched first place with a winning average of 23.67 and a best single of 22 moves.

The 3x3x3 Fewest Moves podium featured Simon Kellum in second place with a 24.33 average and Brian Johnson taking third place with 27.00. While the multi-phase blindfolded solving and efficiency analysis required long stretches of quiet calculation, the Clock event brought explosive speed cubing dynamics into the room. Across three fast-paced rounds featuring 25 competitors, Tommy Cherry captured the title with a tournament-winning average of 3.50 seconds alongside a best single of 3.13. Carter Thomas followed in second place with an average of 3.99, and Zachary Cribb finished third at 4.59 seconds.

Behind the top podium spots, a dedicated contingent of competitors logged major milestones in Madison. Wes Palmer tackled five events and cut his Clock personal record down to 7.38 seconds, an improvement of 41 percent over his previous 12.50 mark, while also posting a 4/6 result in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind. Charles Ignacio James Mills made significant progress in Clock, taking his personal best to 15.55 seconds, more than 20 percent faster than his prior 19.48. Jameson R. Sramek logged a massive weekend by trying Clock for the first time with an 8.37 single, attempting standard blindfolded solving for the first time with a 2:37.41, and completing his first ever Multi-Blind attempt with a 2/2 in 15:34.

The breakthrough performances continued through the ranks as competitors pushed their limits across the board. Ben Becker took on six events, improving his 3x3x3 Blindfolded best by 18.3 percent down to 1:21.52, while also trimming his Clock mark to 11.89 seconds and his 4x4x4 Blindfolded time to 11:06.00. Lucas Lippman-Bruno attempted 4x4x4 Blindfolded for the first time to log 12:22.00, lowered his 3x3x3 Blindfolded best to 1:46.92, and secured a 36-move best in Fewest Moves. Varun Gudibanda scored a perfect 6/6 in 56:34 for a new Multi-Blind personal best, Reese Bunker shaved time off his Clock mark down to 25.14 seconds, and Bennett Zaja took part in their first ever cubing competition.

Every podium position across the weekend belonged to United States competitors, tallying 21 total top-three placements. From the high-turnover Clock finals to the patient, hour-long Multi-Blind runs, the gathering captured the unique balance of mental endurance and speedcubing skill. As the venue cleared following the final round of blindfolded solves, 3BLD on a Madison MoNona 2024 closed the book on two days of exceptional precision and tactical problem-solving on the lakeside.

The breadth of performances, spanning new personal milestones alongside top-tier 3x3 results, underscored the event's distinct place on the tournament calendar. Monona Terrace provided the calm and focus required for some of the most mentally demanding disciplines in the sport. With 3BLD on a Madison MoNona 2024 concluded, competitors left Madison carrying impressive successes and fresh benchmarks into the rest of the competitive season.