Binghamton Winter 2025

Inside the competition room at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Binghamton, the timers clicked down under intense concentration as solvers huddled over their mats. The single-day Binghamton Winter 2025 gathering brought twenty competitors together on January 12, 2025, for a packed schedule of speedcubing across eleven rounds. With eight distinct events slated for the day, every table stayed active from the opening morning solves through the late afternoon finals. The compact roster ensured that every heat carried weight, and the atmosphere grew tighter as the championship deciders approached.

The 3x3x3 Cube final delivered the most dramatic finish of the entire weekend, resolved only after the very last solve was registered. Anthony J. Pranzo claimed the title with a winning average of 9.28 seconds, highlighted by a best single of 7.94. The victory stood on the absolute razor edge of speed cubing margins, edging out Camilo DeGeest, who locked in second place at 9.29 seconds. Louis Truong matched that exact 9.29 average to take third, leaving the top three podium spots separated by a single hundredth of a second across three rounds of Rubik's Cube action.

Beyond the dramatic 3x3 results, Evan Liu engineered an extraordinary sweep across the rest of the schedule, capturing top honours in seven separate disciplines. Liu took first place in the 4x4x4 Cube with a winning average of 34.27 seconds and a best single of 32.62, finishing ahead of Truong at 36.61 and DeGeest at 38.64. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Liu secured another gold with a 59.32 average, once again leading Truong at 1:08.21 and DeGeest at 1:11.81. The dominance continued on the largest puzzle of the day, where Liu won the 7x7x7 Cube with a 2:49.87 mark over Truong and DeGeest.

Liu maintained that relentless pace in the specialty events throughout this WCA competition in Binghamton, New York, USA. In the Clock event, Liu registered an average of 5.28 seconds to defeat Ethan Qiu, who finished second with 6.87, and Jake Oppedisano in third at 8.67. Skewb brought another victory for Liu via a 4.16 average across two rounds, topping Addy Coolidge at 5.26 and Qiu at 5.81. Square-1 saw Liu take first in 18.26 seconds ahead of Qiu at 20.29 and Nicholas Hampp at 21.38, while Liu also paced 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a single of 1:16.25 over Ryan Krause at 7:44.93.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors delivered massive personal milestones that defined the depth of the field. Patrick Strawder took on six events and made notable breakthroughs, recording a Clock personal best of 13.43 seconds, which was 44.8 percent faster than his prior 24.34, while also completing his first ever attempt at 7x7x7 Cube in 3:27.42 to finish fourth, alongside a first attempt at Skewb in 11.96. Elijah Fuller achieved a 32.6 percent drop on the 4x4x4 Cube, posting a personal best of 1:33.04 compared to a previous 2:17.98. Matthew Chermak competed across seven disciplines, notching personal bests in 4x4x4 Cube at 53.99, 5x5x5 Cube at 1:41.64, and Clock at 7.27, earning a weekend-best fourth place in Skewb.

First-time event entries and sharp improvements continued throughout the bracket as the day unfolded. Andrew Brown attended his first WCA competition, logging his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Cube in 34.65 seconds and his first Skewb attempt in 12.56. Shota Fukuoka tackled five events, earning a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 7.73 seconds, an 8.1 percent improvement, while adding a Square-1 personal best of 29.42 and a first attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:33.20. Aaron Thomas trimmed his 3x3x3 Cube best to 28.96 seconds, Charley Eucker earned a ninth-place finish in Clock across five events, and Zach Goldman secured fourth place in the 4x4x4 Cube.

The collective performances across all eight events produced a dense sheet of fast marks for the region. All twenty-seven podium places awarded across the tournament went to competitors representing the United States. The depth of the field showed throughout the preliminary stages, where tight battles decided qualification for the multi-round events. Every competitor in attendance had ample opportunity to test their preparations in an efficient and fast-paced environment.

With eleven rounds completed in a single action-packed afternoon, Binghamton Winter 2025 demonstrated the excitement of close-quarters racing at every skill tier. From Liu capturing seven event titles to Pranzo standing firm in the final solve of the main event, the tournament delivered high tension to the very end. The solvers now turn their attention toward the rest of the 2025 calendar, carrying new personal bests and invaluable stage experience into their next cubing competition.