Baton Rouge Winter B 2025

Carter Kucala set the standard on the competition floor by claiming four separate victories at the East Baton Rouge Parish Library. The standout performance saw Kucala deliver a 7.36 winning average in the 3x3x3 Cube alongside a single time of 6.21. That dominant run anchored the action at Baton Rouge Winter B 2025, which brought 32 competitors together in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA on January 4, 2025. Over the course of 10 rounds across 6 events, the single-day schedule moved swiftly from opening heats to decisive final showdowns in a showcase of high-level speedcubing.

The morning schedule opened with early heats that quickly separated the contenders from the rest of the pack. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Carter Kucala secured the top spot on the podium with a 1.84 average, while Rowan Stough took second place at 2.22 and Luke Ovcharov of Bulgaria placed third at 3.24. Carter Kucala also demonstrated mastery on the larger puzzle, conquering the 4x4x4 Cube with a winning average of 31.19 and a best single of 30.60. Rowan Stough earned the runner-up spot in the four-layer event with a 41.72 mark, followed by RJ Gohn in third with 42.18.

As the afternoon progressed, the focus shifted toward specialized puzzles requiring different tactical approaches. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, Carter Kucala added another gold medal with an impressive 12.40 average and a single of 10.33. Rowan Stough took second place with a 14.67 average, closely pursued by Everett Flott who secured third with 14.86. The solitary hand turn technique on the classic Rubik's Cube highlighted the adaptability required in this WCA competition format as competitors battled through tight pairings.

International representation surfaced prominently during the Skewb final, breaking the host nation sweep of titles. Ireland's Declan Mangan-Lamb captured first place with an average of 3.07 and a single of 2.68. Carter Kucala followed in second place at 3.50, and MJ Thomas collected third with a 4.05 average. In Square-1, Benson Kim produced a commanding performance to win the event on an 8.24 average and a 7.30 single, outperforming Carter Kucala at 12.17 and RJ Gohn at 12.20 in the final standings.

Away from the podium battles, several competitors achieved noteworthy personal milestones throughout the rounds. Carter Crowson took on four separate events, recording a first ever attempt in Skewb at 5.69, a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 1:11.07, and a first 2x2x2 Cube mark of 4.39 to finish 13th in Skewb. Grant Mertz improved dramatically, lowering their 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 4.42, which was 44.8 percent faster than before, while cutting 27 percent from their Skewb mark down to 12.03. Nicholas Tender posted a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 21.16, marking a 12.8 percent improvement, alongside a first 3x3x3 One-Handed attempt of 58.02. Oliver Bufkin sliced 37.5 percent off their 3x3x3 Cube mark to record 22.98, while also making a first Skewb attempt of 12.17.

The depth of the field showed across every event bracket during the busy afternoon. Daniel Esneault set a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 24.67, which was 27.6 percent faster than their prior record, alongside a first 2x2x2 Cube attempt of 5.84. Sarah Kim achieved a massive 51.9 percent reduction on their Skewb personal best with a time of 14.53 and trimmed their 2x2x2 Cube best to 9.13. Gary Miller halved their Skewb personal record by 50 percent to finish in 41.21. In their first career tournament, Noah Benjamin Bullins completed a triple debut, logging first official times of 8.52 in 2x2x2 Cube, 33.63 in 3x3x3 Cube, and 23.98 in Skewb.

The culminating rounds of the main event produced intense competition across all three rounds of classic solving. The final 3x3 results confirmed Carter Kucala as the champion with a 7.36 average. Everett Flott took second place with an 8.31 average, while Rowan Stough secured the bronze position with an 8.40 mark. The high standard of play kept the running order tight right until the final solves of the afternoon.

The action at Baton Rouge Winter B 2025 concluded with the United States collecting 16 podium places, joined by podium finishes for Ireland and Bulgaria. For the solvers who traveled to the East Baton Rouge Parish Library, the single-day speed cubing gathering offered a comprehensive test across six distinct disciplines. With strong marks recorded across multiple rounds, the competitors closed out Baton Rouge Winter B 2025 having set a competitive benchmark for the 2025 tournament calendar.