Austin NxN 2024

Zachary White delivered the defining performance in Austin, Texas, USA on November 2, 2024, navigating the punishing mean-of-three format in the 7x7x7 Cube to capture first place with a 2:27.43 winning average and a single of 2:22.83. In the larger NxN puzzles, the absence of an Olympic average drop means every single mistake carries full weight across all three solves. White avoided any costly slip-ups to build a decisive cushion over Jason Lee, who claimed second with 2:50.47, and Ryan Pilat, who secured third with 2:53.33.

The Holiday Inn Austin Airport hosted Austin NxN 2024, gathering 64 competitors across 12 rounds in 6 events. The schedule demanded stamina across the full spectrum of layered puzzles, from the lightning-fast 2x2x2 Cube to the grueling 7x7x7 Cube. For solvers chasing top honors in speedcubing, managing consistency across multi-solve rounds proved essential, particularly in events where a single lockup or misaligned layer could derail an entire podium bid.

The 6x6x6 Cube brought similar pressure, requiring solvers to stay clean across three consecutive attempts. Ryan Pilat rose to the occasion, winning the event with a 1:38.85 mean and a best single of 1:36.64. Ray Bai pushed hard to secure second place with 1:41.82, while Jason Lee took his second big-cube podium finish of the day in third at 1:43.77. The razor-thin margins at the top of the 29-competitor field highlighted how unforgiving big-puzzle formats remain.

Ray Bai took charge in the middle-cube brackets, sweeping both 4x4x4 Cube and 5x5x5 Cube titles. Bai won the 4x4x4 Cube across two rounds, averaging 24.26 in the finals alongside a day-best single of 22.35, besting Jason Lee with 29.09 and Ryan Pilat with 29.13. Bai followed with a clinical display in the 5x5x5 Cube, averaging 47.77 to lead Pilat with 53.96 and Lee with 56.81, demonstrating exceptional turn speed and inspection discipline.

In the classic Rubik's Cube, 63 competitors battled through three full rounds to determine the 3x3 results. Siddharth Reddy earned the championship average of 6.71, boosted by a stellar 5.87 single. Ryan Pilat continued an exceptional multi-event campaign by placing second with a 6.89 average, while William Henry Ruppert V secured the third podium spot with 7.97. The depth of the field created tense cutoffs throughout each stage of the bracket.

Beyond the title chases, the Austin NxN 2024 results sheet reveals remarkable progress across the tournament floor. Reyaan Vallala logged a massive personal best in the 2x2x2 Cube with a 6.44 average, cutting his previous mark by 69.9 percent, while also posting a 28.52 in his first ever attempt at the 3x3x3 Cube. Jesse Colvin dropped his 5x5x5 Cube mark to 2:03.64, an improvement of 37.1 percent, and clipped his 4x4x4 Cube best to 1:09.74. James De-Ji Pee completed five events, improving his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 31.3 percent to 3.20 and his 4x4x4 Cube best by 27.2 percent to 1:37.72. Scott Dennis made strides across four events, including a 23.1 percent improvement in the 5x5x5 Cube with 2:14.43.

First-time event entries also provided standout milestones throughout the weekend. Jose Barrera tackled six events, securing an 18th-place finish in the 7x7x7 Cube alongside his first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube in 5.83, 5x5x5 Cube in 2:05.87, and 6x6x6 Cube in 4:22.59. Levi Reed posted his first official attempts in 5x5x5 Cube at 1:32.33 and 6x6x6 Cube at 3:16.49, finishing 17th in the latter while taking 20 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube best with an 11.04. Hugo True Venkatesh finished 19th in 6x6x6 Cube with a first-time 3:36.98, and Lucas Wood set personal bests across three puzzles, including a 13.6 percent drop in 2x2x2 Cube to 2.42.

The 2x2x2 Cube rounded out the program with sprint-speed execution across three rounds. Ryan Pilat claimed his second victory of the competition with a blisteringly fast 1.32 winning average, complemented by a 0.90 single. Tucker Chamberlain took second place averaging 1.69, while Siddharth Reddy took third in 1.85. The sprint format delivered high drama as competitors balanced aggressive turning against the risk of costly missteps.

With United States solvers sweeping all 18 podium positions across six disciplines, Austin NxN 2024 stood as an impressive showcase of regional talent. Whether navigating the intense focus of big-cube mean-of-three solves or the split-second decisions of short sprints, competitors made their mark on the cubing competition floor. The event closed an energetic chapter of speed cubing in the Texas capital, setting an ambitious benchmark for the next season of WCA competition.