Berkeley Spring 2025

A blistering 6.08 winning average across four rigorous rounds of the 3x3x3 Cube set the standard as Ethan Jan claimed the title at Berkeley Spring 2025. Held at the Pauley Ballroom in Berkeley, California, USA on March 2, 2025, the tournament demanded stamina and precision across 11 rounds of action. The four-stage format in the flagship event tested consistency at every step, filtering a field of 118 competitors down to the quickest finalists in the room. Jan held his composure through each qualifying threshold, securing the top spot while logging a standout 5.38 single along the way to anchor the 3x3 results.

The 120 competitors present navigated contrasting tournament formats that dictated strategy across five separate events. While the traditional Rubik's Cube featured an extensive multi-tier progression, the 5x5x5 Cube took the opposite approach with a direct, single-round final featuring 51 entrants. With no preliminary stage to warm up, Paul Mahvi capitalized immediately, turning in a winning average of 50.05 alongside a field-leading 46.32 single. Jan claimed the runner-up position with a 57.19 mark, and Calix Tang locked up third place with a 58.31 average in the high-stakes, one-shot contest.

The cut structures also defined the two-round challenges, where competitors had to deliver on demand to earn spots in the finals. In Megaminx, 46 solvers faced the opening cut, with Nolan Yiu mastering the twelve-sided puzzle by delivering a 37.59 winning average and a 31.26 single. Alessandro Diomampo followed closely in second with 37.98, while Varenya Jyotiraditya earned third with 39.33. The precision required in multi-layered puzzles made every turn crucial, as only solvers maintaining sub-40 pace could contend for the podium in the concluding round.

The 3x3x3 Blindfolded discipline brought its own distinct pressure, testing complete memorisation and execution under strict evaluation criteria. Out of 24 participants across two rounds, Calix Tang secured victory with an exceptional 17.24 winning single. Jan proved his versatility once again by taking second place with a 27.11 effort, while Anto Kam claimed third place with 28.13 for Hong Kong. Across the entire cubing competition, United States solvers secured 14 podium positions, with Kam capturing the lone international podium result.

Shorter formats produced intense speed cubing battles, particularly in the 2x2x2 Cube where 94 entrants pushed the pace through two rounds. Stanley Tran took the title with a 2.21 average, edging Jan who finished second at 2.55, while Zane Qureshi secured third with 2.67. The rapid format saw a flurry of national records established across different categories, with Benjamin Schaham posting a 1.64 single and 1.79 average, Tran logging a 1.59 single, and overseas solvers like Matt Mao of China and Tim Xie of New Zealand delivering top-tier marks.

Beyond the championship trophies, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones away from the podium spotlight. Jason Ormbrek delivered massive breakthroughs, slicing his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 61.2% down to 7.26 and lowering his 3x3x3 Cube best by 46% to 25.63. Dylan C. Mims tackled five events, achieving a career-best 9th-place finish in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 1:34.45 mark that improved his previous standard by 47.4%, alongside an 8.5-second drop in Megaminx to 1:36.93. Payton Eike demonstrated fine form across three events, posting a 3.96 in 2x2x2 Cube for a 56% improvement, a 1:12.44 in 5x5x5 Cube, and a 16th-place finish.

First-time event entries also highlighted the day, as competitors expanded their repertoires in official competition. Sam Buzzard took on four events, logging an official Megaminx result of 3:18.58, a 2.62 in 2x2x2 Cube, and a 2:03.51 in 5x5x5 Cube. Shubham Salgar achieved a 14.9% improvement in 3x3x3 Cube with an 11.84 while making maiden attempts in 5x5x5 Cube at 4:36.02 and Megaminx at 3:05.49. Diego Jiashu Jiang completed all five events on the schedule, setting personal marks of 4:59.31 in Megaminx and 3:41.91 in 5x5x5 Cube. Juan Garcia Aguirre registered a 2:58.97 in Megaminx and cut his 5x5x5 Cube time to 1:48.54, while Lukas Mueller made his 2x2x2 Cube debut in 5.09 and improved his 3x3x3 Cube time by 24.3% to 14.27.

The concluding round of the Rubik's Cube brought Berkeley Spring 2025 to a thrilling close, proving how the progressive four-round structure rewarded steady execution under fatigue. Jan sealed his standout weekend by leading the podium ahead of Heidi Chan, who placed second with a 6.45 average, and Zerui Cheng, who secured third with 6.64. As the final marks were recorded at this WCA competition, the event highlighted the depth of speedcubing talent in Northern California, setting an impressive benchmark for the rest of the 2025 season.