Baton Rouge Winter 2024

Twelve distinct events packed the schedule as speedcubing returned to Louisiana in full force. Across January 5 to January 6, 2024, the East Baton Rouge Parish Library hosted Baton Rouge Winter 2024, welcoming a field of 52 competitors to tackle 20 rounds of diverse puzzle-solving. From the massive layers of big cubes to the non-standard mechanisms of Clock and Square-1, the weekend tested every dimension of dexterity in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.

The traditional Rubik's Cube drew 49 competitors across three full rounds of head-to-head action. Dylan Miller claimed the premier title with a sharp 6.27 winning average in the final round, anchored by a best single of 5.29 seconds. Teri McAcy took second place with an 8.52 average, while RJ Gohn secured third place at 9.63. The deep 3x3 results proved that classic solving remained fiercely contested amid a dense weekend of alternative formats.

Beyond the three-layered flagship, Dylan Miller also conquered the multi-faceted Megaminx, navigating three rounds among 20 competitors to win with a 35.63 average and a tournament-best 33.29 single. But across the broader roster of events, Teri McAcy put on an extraordinary clinic of versatility. McAcy captured first place across six separate disciplines, demonstrating unmatched dominance on both small and large mechanical puzzles throughout the entire cubing competition.

McAcy began the golden run in the sprint events, taking the 2x2x2 Cube title with a 2.56 average ahead of Evan Smith at 3.23 and Miller at 3.25. One-handed mastery followed in 3x3x3 One-Handed, where McAcy won with a 12.05 average, outpacing Miller's 14.76 and Marcus Kamen's 15.56. When the hardware scaled up, McAcy swept every single large cube on the schedule: winning the 4x4x4 Cube in 31.10, the 5x5x5 Cube in 58.76, the 6x6x6 Cube in 1:54.54, and the 7x7x7 Cube in 2:58.49.

The non-cubic and specialty categories provided an exciting change of pace for the Louisiana crowd. Marcus Kamen topped a 40-person field in Pyraminx, taking the win with a blistering 1.86 average. In Clock, Gunner Engelsman navigated the dials to post a 6.02 winning average. Square-1 saw RJ Gohn rise to the top of the podium with a 10.38 average, while Andres Rodriguez demonstrated methodical precision to win 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with an impressive 28-move single solve.

Behind the top steps of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across the sprawling schedule. Zachary Frieden took on six events and reached a 7th place finish in the 6x6x6 Cube, recording a personal best of 4:08.65 that was 8.1 percent faster, alongside a Square-1 personal best of 16.85 which shaved 58.1 percent off his prior mark. Aaron Roberts tackled 12 events, earning 5th place in Clock with a personal best of 9.26 that improved by 36.9 percent, while also making a first career attempt in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with 57. Elijah Matzke entered nine events and secured 5th in Fewest Moves with a debut 42, adding first attempts in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 41.22 and Megaminx at 3:58.95. Eli Maslowski competed in 11 events, securing 4th in Megaminx while logging first attempts in Square-1 at 1:42.69, Fewest Moves at 47, and 5x5x5 Cube at 1:44.74.

The weekend also served as a proving ground for competitors expanding their repertoires and newcomers entering their very first WCA competition. Evelyn Ryan delivered a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 19.33, an improvement of 31.3 percent, alongside first attempts in 2x2x2 Cube at 5.34 and One-Handed at 41.73. Ryder James posted a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 6.18, cutting 50.2 percent off his previous time, and logged a first Pyraminx attempt of 12.22. Making official debuts, Nickolas Thibodeaux contested six events with a best finish of 14th in Clock at 33.33 and a 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 2:53.51, while Colby Ballmer took on eight disciplines, finishing 14th in Square-1 and recording initial times of 39.70 in 3x3x3 Cube and 12.76 in Pyraminx.

The high standard of speed cubing was reflected in a collection of new personal milestones in the opening rounds of 2x2x2 Cube. Competitors across the board lowered their marks on the mini cube, including Dylan Miller registering a 1.41 single and 1.91 average, Teri McAcy recording a 1.16 single and 2.37 average, and Andres Rodriguez turning in a 1.88 single and 2.79 average. Marcus Kamen, Everett Flott, Anthony Russo, Alexander Laiche, Evan Smith, Ordway Persyn, and RJ Gohn all posted sub-four-second averages during the event's preliminary action.

From the rapid turns of Pyraminx to the marathon solves of the 7x7x7 Cube, Baton Rouge Winter 2024 celebrated the entire spectrum of mechanical puzzles. Across two packed days in the library venue, 52 solvers showcased technical range, dedication, and precision across 20 demanding rounds of competition.