Billings Speedcubing 2023

Elizabeth Cutting delivered a stunning single of 46.00 seconds to capture the 3x3x3 Blindfolded crown, setting the tone for a day defined by personal progression and rapid times. Held on September 30, 2023, Billings Speedcubing 2023 brought together 42 competitors at MetraPark - First Interstate Arena in Billings, Montana, USA. Across 11 events and 17 rounds of competition, solvers tackled everything from compact twisty puzzles to large NxN hardware, converting months of practice into significant time drops.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew 41 competitors through three full rounds, producing tight racing at the top of the leaderboard. Lucas Chandler Moorehead secured the classic Rubik's Cube title with an 11.38 winning average, backed by a best single of 9.67 seconds. Stone Amsbaugh claimed the runner-up position with an average of 11.98, while Chance J. Lockwood earned third place at 12.30. In this speedcubing showcase, the 3x3 results highlighted intense concentration across every phase of the knockout bracket.

Lucas Chandler Moorehead also claimed top honors in the Pyraminx division, averaging 4.52 seconds over two rounds and securing a single of 2.44 seconds in a field of 25 entrants. Meanwhile, Stone Amsbaugh assembled a remarkable multi-event campaign across the schedule. Amsbaugh picked up victories in the 2x2x2 Cube with a 3.15 average, 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 19.47 average, Megaminx with a 1:06.98 mark, and Square-1 with a 17.77 average, demonstrating broad mastery of different mechanisms.

Elizabeth Cutting dominated the upper range of the puzzle catalog alongside her blindfolded success. Cutting secured the 5x5x5 Cube title with an average of 1:21.41 and a single of 1:12.67, then went on to win the 7x7x7 Cube with an average of 3:36.40 and a single of 3:22.48. Chance J. Lockwood topped the 17-person 4x4x4 Cube contest with an average of 43.75, while Andrew Rigsby took the Skewb title with an average of 8.10 seconds across two rounds.

Beyond the podium battles, significant individual progression anchored the action at Billings Speedcubing 2023. Dakotah Shinn took on nine events, posting a Square-1 personal best of 43.48 seconds that was 55.2 percent faster than their previous mark, dropping their 5x5x5 Cube best by 25.8 percent to 1:44.84, and completing a first ever attempt at 7x7x7 Cube in 6:15.63. Owen Emory Stark cut their Megaminx personal best by 49.6 percent down to 3:06.85, lowered their Pyraminx best by 42.1 percent to 7.37 seconds, and completed their first official Skewb attempt in 29.65.

Cashton Sharp delivered a massive 43.6 percent improvement in 2x2x2 Cube with a 2.74 personal best, also improving by 33.3 percent in 4x4x4 Cube with a 1:22.63 single across five events. Luke Rankin took on eight events, logging a first Skewb attempt of 7.46 seconds, dropping their Pyraminx best by 21 percent to 6.46, and improving by 11.1 percent in 3x3x3 One-Handed to 22.04. Austin Sears entered four events, posting their first Pyraminx solve of 6.38 and dropping their 3x3x3 personal best by 10.9 percent to 19.47. Benjamin Cooper took fourth place in Pyraminx, logged a first Skewb attempt of 10.58, and reduced their 3x3x3 best by 7.4 percent to 19.90.

Fresh faces also embraced the arena atmosphere during this WCA competition. Trenton Dell made their official debut by tackling six separate events, achieving a best finish of seventh in Square-1 with an initial mark of 1:57.43 and completing first attempts in Pyraminx and 4x4x4 Cube. Bennett Williams also entered their very first tournament, taking on five events with opening marks of 32.95 in 3x3x3 One-Handed, 15.93 in Skewb, and 1:57.98 in 4x4x4 Cube. Wilson Littman expanded their repertoire across six events, posting debut attempts in 5x5x5 Cube, 3x3x3 One-Handed, and Pyraminx.

The 2x2x2 Cube event saw a wave of sharp times, where competitors pushed single and average marks to the wire. Stone Amsbaugh registered an average of 3.13 and single of 2.55, while Lucas Chandler Moorehead posted a single of 2.09 and average of 3.43. Strong times also came through from Cashton Sharp, Elizabeth Cutting, Colton Hulin, Chance J. Lockwood, Dakotah Shinn, Andrew Rigsby, Luke Rankin, and Wilson Littman across the two rounds of short-format racing.

With 17 total rounds completed in a single packed day of speed cubing, Billings Speedcubing 2023 proved how much can be achieved when solvers push their limits. From blindfolded triumphs and multi-puzzle sweeps to personal breakthroughs across the entire roster, the gathering at First Interstate Arena highlighted the steady growth of the regional community as competitors prepare for the next season of tournament play.