Bellevue Squan Fest 2 2024

A blistering 6.18 final average on the classic Rubik's Cube set the tone at Bellevue Squan Fest 2 2024, where Sameer Aggarwal delivered a masterclass in precision speedcubing. The one-day gathering brought 44 competitors to Bellevue, Washington, USA on December 28, 2024, filling the venue at Bellevue Church of Christ with rapid-fire turns and standout progress. The competition showcased just how quickly dedicated solvers can elevate their craft across multiple disciplines, highlighted by Aggarwal taking top honors in two distinct events.

The 3x3 results proved remarkably tight at the summit of the bracket across three full rounds of head-to-head solving. Sameer Aggarwal captured the championship with his 6.18 average, supported by a 5.67 best single during the contest. Canada representative Ethan Rusnak secured second place on the podium with a 7.40 average, while Walter Lee Wilson earned third place by averaging 7.97. The depth of talent in the main event underscored the sharp standard of play established throughout the 2024 season in the Pacific Northwest.

Beyond the premier 3x3x3 Cube contest, the specialized puzzles produced their own thrilling finishes throughout ten total rounds of competition. The namesake Square-1 division featured 29 competitors tackling the shape-shifting puzzle across three demanding rounds. Aggarwal completed his double victory by taking the Square-1 title with a 6.58 winning average and an event-best 4.41 single, outpacing Benjamin Gottschalk who finished second at 7.85 and Walter Lee Wilson who claimed third with an 11.35 average.

Fast-paced turning defined the Pyraminx brackets, where 38 competitors battled through two rounds of triangular solving. Tripp Peters seized first place with an impressive 2.07 winning average and a 1.97 single. Vikram Haldar followed in the runner-up position with a 3.15 average, narrowly edging Ron G. Arama who rounded out the podium at 3.27. In Skewb, 32 entrants took to the tables across two rounds, with Sid Shivnath averaging 3.82 alongside a 3.01 single to capture the title ahead of Arama at 4.04 and Peter Preston at 4.80.

While the champions took their places on the podium, Bellevue Squan Fest 2 2024 revealed tremendous personal leaps among contenders charting rapid development across the board. Quinn Morrison took on four events, making a first career attempt at Skewb with a 6.30 mark and chopping their Square-1 personal best down to 19.25, a massive 70.6 percent improvement over their previous 1:05.46. Quincy Hargrove cut their 3x3 personal best by 50.1 percent with a 19.41 single while registering a first Skewb solve of 13.38. Sebastian Valdes competed in four disciplines, securing 10th place in Skewb while improving their Square-1 best by 48.7 percent to 11.69. LV Snell also demonstrated dramatic growth, improving their Skewb personal best by 46.3 percent to 11.62.

The story of rapid refinement continued through several debut efforts and breakthrough personal records at this WCA competition. Thomas Dennison completed four events, recording first attempts at Skewb with 14.40 and Square-1 with 1:23.82, while slicing 26.6 percent off their 3x3 single to reach 28.86. Michael Nguyen tackled three events, finishing 9th in Pyraminx with a personal best of 4.06 that improved upon their previous mark by 34.5 percent. Charlie Rogers logged a first Square-1 attempt of 24.25 and improved their Pyraminx best by 25 percent to 5.50. Mark Cordell completed three events, lowering their Pyraminx best by 18.7 percent to 5.55.

Three newcomers stepped onto the official floor for the first time, each recording their initial official single on the 3x3x3 Cube. Maxwell Demas posted an opening mark of 28.74, Jonas Roth registered a 32.49 effort, and Ryan Spear successfully completed their opening solve in 1:49.61. These initial marks represent the vital foundation of competitive development, capturing the essential momentum that drives local speed cubing communities forward from one season to the next.

From the dominant multiple-podium performances at the top of the standings to the dozens of personal records set by rising talents, Bellevue Squan Fest 2 2024 demonstrated the relentless upward trajectory of solving talent. With 11 podium spots going to United States competitors alongside an international medal for Canada, the gathering provided an energetic conclusion to the local calendar and set an inspiring baseline for future cubing competition encounters across the region.