Back to School Utah 2023

134 competitors stepped up to the tables in Provo, Utah, USA on August 19, 2023, turning a single-day schedule into a dynamic exhibition of modern speedcubing. The program challenged entrants across four distinct events spanning nine rounds of intense play, demanding mastery of different puzzle geometries, layer counts, and turning methods. Hosted at the Utah County Academy of Sciences, the gathering offered a full test of mechanical dexterity, shifting swiftly between the classic Rubik's Cube, the four-layered big cube, one-handed execution, and the corner-turning Skewb.

The multi-event lineup showcased how varied competitive solving has become at an official WCA competition. In the 4x4x4 Cube, solvers navigated 77 competitors across two rounds where Eric Pesci earned the title with a winning average of 33.73 seconds and a best single of 29.38 seconds. Ty Baird followed closely in second place averaging 35.38, while Mateo Tiul completed the podium in third with an average of 35.52. Handling the larger mechanism requires meticulous parity management and center control, presenting an entirely different strategic problem than the smaller puzzles on the timetable.

Specialized manipulation remained front and center during 3x3x3 One-Handed, an event entered by 73 solvers. Canyon Pettitt mastered the single-hand format to take victory, posting a winning average of 14.89 seconds alongside a sharp single of 13.35. Peter Augustine took second place with an average of 16.37 seconds, while Mateo Tiul earned his second podium finish of the day by securing third in 16.69. Navigating algorithms with one hand tested both fingertip stamina and table friction management throughout two competitive rounds.

The dynamic Skewb brought rapid, corner-turning action to 91 entrants across two rounds. Ace Schembri secured the top spot on the podium with a winning average of 4.52 seconds and a best single of 3.50 seconds. Peter Preston challenged for the crown with an average of 4.67 seconds to take second, while Brock Burgi locked in third place averaging 4.86. The sub-five-second averages illustrated how quickly competitors must recognize orientations on non-orthogonal axes during high-stakes speed cubing rounds.

Beyond the podium finishes, Back to School Utah 2023 served as a proving ground for several competitors who delivered major personal milestones across the schedule. Aiden Beenken logged a remarkable personal best single of 9.60 seconds in Skewb, cutting 72.4 percent off a previous mark of 34.77. Connor Pavicic contested four events, earning a 9th-place finish in 3x3x3 Cube while dropping personal bests by 62.5 percent in Skewb down to 7.61 seconds, 39.3 percent in 3x3x3 Cube to 6.49, and 34.1 percent in 3x3x3 One-Handed to 19.06. David Harris improved his 3x3x3 Cube best by 59.5 percent down to 16.58 seconds and logged an 8.05 single in their first ever attempt at Skewb. Samuel R. Clawson achieved an 11.00 Skewb single, an improvement of 57.7 percent, and trimmed his 4x4x4 Cube mark by 3 percent to 1:34.41.

The breakthrough performances continued with Quinn Ludwig, who entered three events, cutting their Skewb single by 54.8 percent to 10.00 seconds, dropping their 3x3x3 Cube best by 21.7 percent to 18.94, and posting a 55.17 in their first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed. Samuel Klos sliced 39.2 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube single with a 7.34, while making his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:22.43 and 3x3x3 One-Handed in 30.78. Rigby C. Tippets took on four events, making a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 36.29, 4x4x4 Cube in 1:16.62, and Skewb in 10.63. Logan Scott Hodgson also completed four events, recording a first ever attempt at Skewb in 9.22, 3x3x3 One-Handed in 31.75, and 4x4x4 Cube in 1:27.46.

The 3x3 results formed the centerpiece of the competition, drawing 132 solvers through three rigorous rounds. Peter Augustine captured the overall championship, assembling a winning average of 9.36 seconds and a best single of 8.67. Canyon Pettitt finished runner-up by a razor-thin margin, logging a 9.40 average, while Isaac Myers clinched third on the podium with a 9.46 average. The separation between first and third place stood at just one tenth of a second, demonstrating the immense precision required across five solves in the final round.

With 12 podium spots awarded to competitors representing the United States, Back to School Utah 2023 wrapped up having tested the full spectrum of speedcubing ability. From the one-handed control of Canyon Pettitt to the corner turns of Ace Schembri, the 4x4x4 expertise of Eric Pesci, and the balanced 3x3 speed of Peter Augustine, the event illustrated the technical depth found across diverse puzzle categories in modern cubing competition circuits as solvers look forward to the next season.