Buckeye Big Brain Ohio State 2025

Fifteen competitors gathered at the Ohio Union at The Ohio State University on March 8 and March 9 for Buckeye Big Brain Ohio State 2025. Across nine gruelling rounds and five specialized events, every entrant faced a dense field of experienced solvers. Staged in Columbus, Ohio, USA, this dedicated WCA competition placed heavy demands on focus, memory, and spatial efficiency. With limited qualification slots and a program centered strictly on blindfolded and fewest moves disciplines, reaching any final required absolute consistency under intense time constraints.

The 3x3x3 Blindfolded event saw an intensely competitive field where all 15 entrants took to the tables for two rounds of blindfolded solving. Stanley Chapel took top honours with a winning single of 18.35 seconds in the final, having also registered a 15.56 single and a 16.41 average during the competition. Mason Langenderfer secured the second step on the podium with a single of 25.43 seconds, while Chris Chi finished third with a solve of 47.68 seconds. The classic Rubik's Cube format without sight proved exacting, sorting the field through memory execution and fast turn speeds.

In 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, 14 solvers spent their allotted hours analyzing scramble sequences across two separate rounds. Chris Chi took first place with a winning average of 20.00 moves, bolstered by a best single of 18 moves during the contest. Stanley Chapel claimed second place with an average of 25.00 moves, followed closely by Rowe Hessler in third place on a 26.33 average. The event rewarded deep understanding of blockbuilding and algorithmic efficiency, demanding complete composure from every competitor on the floor.

The 4x4x4 Blindfolded event gathered 12 competitors and pushed mental stamina over two testing rounds. Jason Vindvamara captured victory with a decisive winning single of 5:46.54. Elliott Perkins earned second place with a time of 7:25.92. The remaining podium spots concluded with Rowe Hessler, Stanley Chapel, and Mason Langenderfer sharing third position after uncompleted final attempts. Navigating the additional inner slice pieces without visual feedback demanded extreme precision from all participating solvers.

The largest puzzle of the weekend was tackled in 5x5x5 Blindfolded, where 8 competitors entered the fray across two rounds. Stanley Chapel secured the gold with a best single of 2:07.06. Rowe Hessler took the second podium place with a recorded solve of 6:48.05. The extensive memorisation phase for central pieces, wings, and corners made each solve an immense technical undertaking, separating those who could retain intricate piece layouts under pressure.

Beyond the podium battles, several competitors achieved major milestones throughout Buckeye Big Brain Ohio State 2025. Jacob Dyland Bennett delivered a breakthrough performance by recording a 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal best of 1:56.34, an improvement of 51.3 percent over his previous mark of 3:59.10, while also tackling his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind to score 2 out of 4 points in 38:31. Daichi Halphen logged his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with a successful 2 out of 3 in 27:32, cut his 3x3x3 Fewest Moves personal best by 26.3 percent to 28, lowered his blindfolded single by 11 percent to 1:15.47, and took 6th place in Multi-Blind.

Progress continued across the roster as Carson Miller lowered his 3x3x3 Fewest Moves personal best by 10.7 percent down to 25 moves on his way to 5th place in Multi-Blind. Jack Bohning trimmed his Fewest Moves mark by 4 percent down to 24. Roger L. Goff contested 4 events and secured a 6th-place finish in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, while Chris Nankervis tackled 5 events and finished 8th in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind. Harsha Paladugu finished 4th in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, and Braden Richards took on 5 events over the weekend, finishing 4th overall in 3x3x3 Blindfolded.

The 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event brought 11 competitors together for an hour-long test of memory capacity. Rowe Hessler captured first place with an impressive tally of 48 out of 70 cubes in 1:00:00. Stanley Chapel finished second with 33 out of 46 cubes in 1:00:00, while Chris Chi claimed third place by solving 16 out of 19 cubes in 55:42. Managing dozens of puzzles concurrently proved to be one of the most demanding spectacles of the entire cubing competition.

The weekend concluded with the United States collecting all 16 available podium positions across the five disciplines. From blindfold execution to methodical move counts, this speed cubing showcase delivered deep competition across every bracket. As the speedcubing community looks ahead, the comprehensive blindfolded and 3x3 results from Buckeye Big Brain Ohio State 2025 in Columbus stand as a testament to the endurance and high-level preparation required in modern specialist competition.