Bothell Summer 2023

Inside the halls of the Bothell United Methodist Church, the steady rhythm of twisting plastic and ticking stackmat timers set an energetic tempo for the weekend. Puzzles of various sizes lined the staging tables as competitors warmed up their hands, while parents and fellow solvers watched the competition area fill with intense focus. The single-day WCA competition brought together an eager gathering of talent in Bothell, Washington, USA, on July 8, 2023. With a bustling roster of 90 competitors taking on 12 total rounds across six distinct events, the atmosphere was defined by high-paced solving and remarkable personal milestones.

The rapid growth of young competitors throughout the Pacific Northwest speedcubing community was evident from the very first scrambles. Across every round, developing solvers demonstrated how quickly times can drop when dedication meets tournament practice. Bothell Summer 2023 offered an ideal arena for these up-and-coming puzzle enthusiasts to test their techniques against the clock. The classic Rubik's Cube drew a massive field of 88 participants, delivering multiple sub-ten-second marks and highlighting just how quickly newer solvers are closing the gap on seasoned tournament veterans.

In the premier 3x3x3 Cube contest, Sameer Aggarwal produced a stellar display of consistency and precision to claim victory. Advancing through three rounds of competition, Aggarwal secured the top spot on the podium with a decisive winning average of 7.14 seconds, bolstered by a lightning-quick best single of 5.95 seconds. Max Siauw took second place with an average of 7.67 seconds, having also delivered a sharp 6.00 single and a 6.36 average earlier in the rounds. Ash Black rounded out the podium in third place with an average of 8.24 seconds, cementing an exceptionally fast final for the 3x3 results.

Beyond the standard event, Aggarwal extended his winning run across two other major disciplines. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, which featured 63 competitors across two rounds, Aggarwal captured first place with an average of 11.53 seconds alongside a best single of 11.27. Siauw followed closely behind in second place at 12.14 seconds, while Black took third at 15.19 seconds. Aggarwal also topped the 55-person field in the 5x5x5 Cube, recording a winning average of 51.08 seconds and a single of 48.31, barely edging past Siauw whose 51.11 average claimed second place just ahead of Kate Grahame in third at 55.68 seconds.

While the top steps of the podium celebrated elite marks, the heart of Bothell Summer 2023 lived in the massive leaps made by competitors steadily climbing through the ranks. Atharva Singh produced one of the most dramatic drops of the day in Clock, setting a personal best of 17.81 seconds that was 64.3 percent faster than their previous mark, while also cutting 9.6 percent off their 5x5x5 Cube best with a 3:55.26. Dev K. Bhuta took on three events and slashed 47.7 percent off their one-handed best to reach 46.74 seconds, alongside a 12.3 percent improvement in the standard 3x3x3 Cube at 23.25. Liv Coverdale logged an impressive 27.72 second Clock personal best, an improvement of 45.2 percent, alongside a 1:22.63 in the 4x4x4 Cube.

The enthusiasm for expanding into fresh events was equally vibrant across the venue. Max Feng entered five events, knocking 39.1 percent off their 5x5x5 Cube best to post a 2:12.48 while logging their first ever official attempts in Clock at 23.77 and one-handed at 32.43. Lucas Corcoro tackled three events, cutting 28.4 percent off their 4x4x4 Cube mark down to 1:55.64, setting a 16.67 personal best in 3x3x3, and completing a debut one-handed solve of 47.05. Sam Dodge chopped 21.5 percent from their 5x5x5 Cube record to finish in 1:59.19 while making first attempts in both Clock at 24.04 and 4x4x4 at 1:39.41. Mason Gilfoy took on five events, logging debut attempts in 5x5x5 Cube at 1:50.93, Clock at 17.93, and one-handed at 36.94, while Owen Scollon posted a 1:27.36 personal best in 5x5x5 Cube and registered their first ever official 3x3x3 Blindfolded solve in 3:00.94.

The 4x4x4 Cube event provided its own showcase of rapid execution, where Max Siauw captured the title with a tournament-winning average of 26.97 seconds and a brilliant single of 20.72. Aggarwal took second place with a 28.74 average, followed by Grahame in third with 30.97 seconds. Grahame continued an exceptionally consistent day across multiple disciplines, earning a third podium appearance in the Clock event by securing third place with an average of 6.99 seconds behind runner-up Siauw at 6.51. Greyson James emerged victorious in Clock with a winning average of 5.66 seconds and a best single of 5.07.

The mental discipline of speed cubing reached its peak in the 3x3x3 Blindfolded competition, an event where competitors must execute precise algorithms purely from memory without sight of the puzzle. Timothy Castle navigated the two rounds with mastery, earning the victory with a best single solve of 22.70 seconds. Siauw secured another podium finish by taking second place with a single of 35.59 seconds, while Mihir A. Rai earned third place with a single of 41.08 seconds.

As the final timers clicked off and the venue prepared to pack away its tables, the single-day gathering concluded as a resounding success for the regional cubing competition community. All 18 podium spots were claimed by United States competitors, but the enduring narrative of the day was the undeniable surge of youth development. With dozens of solvers establishing new personal benchmarks and embracing unfamiliar events, Bothell Summer 2023 delivered a vibrant showcase of progress that sets the stage for an exciting season of speedcubing ahead.