Alabama Championship 2024

A total of 152 competitors gathered across two days of intense puzzle solving at The Venue at Coosa Landing for the Alabama Championship 2024. Staged in Gadsden, Alabama, USA on May 11 and May 12, the weekend provided an expansive schedule featuring 14 events and 24 individual rounds. For many in attendance, the atmosphere of an official WCA competition offered an exciting first look at the organized tournament scene. Speedcubing newcomers mingled with veteran competitors, stepping up to the timing stations to establish their first official marks under standard tournament regulations.

The traditional 3x3x3 Cube competition drew all 152 entrants through three rigorous rounds of solving. In the final stage, Nicolás Sánchez captured the title with a winning average of 6.17 seconds alongside a best single of 5.54 seconds. Dylan Miller claimed second place with an average of 6.43 seconds, while Caleb Chen secured third place with a 7.01 average. The classic Rubik's Cube remains the centerpiece of any cubing competition, and the Alabama 3x3 results demonstrated exceptional poise under pressure throughout the elimination rounds.

Beyond the main event, Nicolás Sánchez extended his winning ways into the 2x2x2 Cube, taking first place with an average of 1.52 seconds after recording a blazing single of 0.66 seconds. The shorter puzzle format produced rapid-fire turnarounds and tested quick-inspection routines. Meanwhile, Keon Wilson took top honors in Pyraminx with an average of 2.36 seconds and a best single of 1.72 seconds, leading a massive bracket of 126 participants. Alex Bohac delivered a commanding performance in Clock, finishing first with an average of 4.33 seconds, and later added a victory in Square-1 with an 11.14 average.

Big cube specialists found a showcase in Vishwa Sankar, who swept every category from the 4x4x4 Cube through the 7x7x7 Cube. Sankar opened his dominant streak by claiming the 4x4x4 Cube with a 29.72 average, edging Nicolás Sánchez at 30.11 and Katie Hull at 32.39. Moving to the 5x5x5 Cube, Sankar finished atop the podium with a 52.16 average ahead of Kevin Min and Jared Stinson. His mastery continued in the single-round formats, taking the 6x6x6 Cube in 1:31.82 over Sean Hartman and Katie Hull, before sealing the 7x7x7 Cube title in 2:15.89 ahead of Hartman and Tommy Cherry.

Tommy Cherry also produced an impressive series of results across distinct disciplines throughout the weekend. Cherry earned first place in 3x3x3 One-Handed with an 11.81 average, outmaneuvering a field of 96 solvers, and secured the Skewb title with an average of 3.73 seconds. In 3x3x3 Blindfolded, where pure memorisation meets flawless execution, Cherry claimed the victory with a single time of 15.67 seconds, finishing ahead of Sean Hartman at 37.54 seconds and Miles Greco at 1:04.70. Megaminx saw Jared Stinson take the gold with a 36.21 average, holding off Dylan Miller at 38.19 and Cherry at 44.63.

Away from the top of the podium, the heart of the tournament beat through personal milestones and brave debut attempts. Preston James Green achieved a dramatic Skewb personal best of 5.79 seconds, improving by 72.3 percent from a previous mark of 20.87, while logging first ever attempts in 5x5x5 Cube with 3:40.69 and Megaminx with 2:51.38 across 10 entered events. Julius Achilles Wilson dropped his Skewb mark by 63.1 percent to 6.00 seconds, took 33rd in 7x7x7 Cube, and completed first attempts in 2x2x2 Cube at 5.74 seconds and Megaminx at 1:40.39. Ryan Strickland entered all 14 events, finishing 8th in 3x3x3 Blindfolded while recording initial marks in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 18.99 seconds, Pyraminx at 4.49 seconds, and Square-1 at 25.91 seconds.

Other competitors similarly expanded their competitive repertoires across the schedule. Silas White tackled 13 events, finishing 24th in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a mark of 50 on his first try, while also logging maiden times in Square-1 at 1:00.66 and 6x6x6 Cube at 4:58.76. Bryn Kensmoe took on 12 events, claiming 33rd in 7x7x7 Cube while logging first attempts in 5x5x5 Cube at 3:03.07, Square-1 at 1:08.34, and 6x6x6 Cube at 5:44.74. Cameron Williamson finished 23rd in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a debut 47, adding first attempts in Pyraminx at 8.24 seconds and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 56.71 seconds. Porter Ayres placed 44th in Square-1 with a first-time 27.82, while CJ Clark completed debut solves in Clock at 21.49 seconds, Pyraminx at 10.05 seconds, and 4x4x4 Cube at 3:38.24.

Strategic solving was also highlighted in the 3x3x3 Fewest Moves contest, where Jacob Ambrose claimed first place with an average of 28.33 moves and a best single solution of 26 moves. Across all events, United States competitors captured all 42 podium positions awarded during the competition. The blend of high-level mastery and individual breakthrough moments exemplified the vibrant nature of modern speed cubing.

As the final timers stopped and the venue cleared, the Alabama Championship 2024 concluded having delivered an unforgettable slate of competition for both first-timers and veteran title contenders. From fast-paced sprints on smaller puzzles to complex multi-layered big cubes, the 2024 meeting in Gadsden showed that every solve contributes to the growing fabric of the sport.