Berkeley Spring 2023

A total of 223 competitors converged upon the Pauley Ballroom on March 12, 2023, turning Berkeley, California, USA into a premier hub for high-stakes Rubik's Cube action. Across 11 total rounds spanning 6 official events, the single-day WCA competition delivered rapid solving and relentless energy from morning to evening. With a packed field and multiple disciplines on the schedule, the local atmosphere reached its peak as regional standout Varun Mohanraj mounted an exceptional campaign that established him as the central force of the entire gathering.

Varun Mohanraj turned Berkeley Spring 2023 into a dominant showcase across multiple events, seizing three separate victories on home soil. His most prestigious conquest arrived in the headline 3x3x3 Cube event, which brought together 220 competitors across three demanding rounds. Mohanraj sealed top honours with a winning average of 6.62 seconds, complemented by a best single of 6.39 seconds. Heidi Chan secured second place with an average of 7.17 seconds, while Danny Sungin Park finished third with a 7.23 mark, rounding out an elite podium in the premier 3x3 results category.

The big cube disciplines further highlighted Mohanraj's command of the tables throughout Berkeley Spring 2023. In the 6x6x6 Cube, which featured 49 competitors in a direct final round, Mohanraj logged a winning average of 1:42.70 and a best single of 1:37.56. Danny Sungin Park captured second place with an average of 1:51.97, and Kevin Lee took third in 1:52.75. The 7x7x7 Cube contest repeated this top order across 35 competitors, as Mohanraj took another gold with a 2:43.50 winning average and a 2:34.39 single, leading Park at 2:51.62 and Lee at 3:04.29.

Danny Sungin Park claimed a well-earned victory of his own in the 4x4x4 Cube, topping a field of 136 competitors over two rounds. Park produced a decisive winning average of 29.46 seconds along with the best single of 26.46 seconds to take first place. Mohanraj followed closely behind in second position with a 30.06 average, while Heidi Chan collected her second podium finish of the day by securing third place with an average of 32.08 seconds, solidifying a fast-paced battle among familiar rivals.

Beyond the traditional multi-layered cubes, the specialty events presented high speed cubing drama on the Berkeley tables. Owen Yepeng Sun claimed the Pyraminx crown against 149 competitors, posting a winning average of 1.83 seconds and a best single of 1.49 seconds. Mohanraj earned second place in Pyraminx with a 3.77 average, ahead of Mitchell Lane who finished third in 4.26 seconds. In Skewb, Wilson Xie prevailed over a field of 107 competitors across two rounds, securing the title with a 3.91 average and a 3.29 single, leading Zeke Miller at 4.28 and Mitchell Lane at 5.03.

Away from the top of the podiums, the competition table provided a stage for remarkable individual milestones across the community. Jonas Bell achieved a massive breakthrough in Skewb, setting a new personal best of 5.12 seconds, which was 55.1 percent faster than his prior mark of 11.40, alongside a 10.27 personal record single in 3x3x3 Cube. Theo Felixs Domeni De Goes registered his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube with a time of 2:54.12 while cutting his Skewb personal best by 44.1 percent down to 9.81 seconds. Naraya Lawinski completed a first attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 2:04.44, tackled a first Pyraminx attempt in 9.49 seconds, and dropped their 3x3x3 Cube best by 38.4 percent to 16.41 seconds. Q Sperske took on 5 events, recording a first Pyraminx solve of 8.28, a first 6x6x6 Cube mark of 3:40.14, and a 37.1 percent Skewb personal best of 7.78 seconds.

The surge of progression continued across multiple disciplines throughout the afternoon. Brandon Lin entered 4 events, taking on his first ever attempts in Skewb with a 16.86 and Pyraminx with a 15.55 while improving his 3x3x3 Cube personal record by 28.2 percent to 14.95 seconds. Ankan Ashish Shah also completed 4 events, posting a first 4x4x4 Cube time of 1:33.95 and a first Skewb time of 16.23, while trimming his 3x3x3 Cube best by 26.4 percent to 24.41 seconds. Anderson Muggli recorded a first attempt in 4x4x4 Cube at 2:08.87, a first Pyraminx attempt at 11.32, and a 24.4 percent improvement on 3x3x3 Cube with a 17.73 solve. Meanwhile, Avi Kumar Agarwal took on all 6 events on the program, earning a best finish of 17th in 7x7x7 Cube with a first official time of 5:10.42, alongside first attempts in 6x6x6 Cube at 3:25.14 and 4x4x4 Cube at 58.91 seconds.

The single-day meet highlighted the broad depth of modern speedcubing, drawing together competitors from the United States, China, India, and Brazil across every experience level. From first-time puzzle entries and huge personal bests to commanding multi-event sweeps, Berkeley Spring 2023 offered non-stop action across every stage of the Pauley Ballroom. As the final puzzles were packed away, the standard set across all six events underscored the competitive momentum defining the region in 2023.