Bulldog Winter 2024

57.33 seconds was all it took for Ganghui Lin to seal the 5x5x5 Cube title, underscoring how relentless focus dictates events where every turn counts. At a packed speedcubing meet, the larger cubes demand absolute precision from start to finish. A single lockup, mistimed rotation, or misaligned layer can derail an entire solve and ruin an average. Lin navigated the single round of big-cube action cleanly, posting a best single of 56.26 on the way to the top of the podium.

The one-day WCA competition brought 49 competitors to Green Middle School in Uniontown, Ohio, USA on March 9, 2024. Across five events and 10 rounds, the gathering delivered high-level speed cubing action throughout the venue. Behind Lin in that tense 5x5x5 Cube battle, Dylan Cossin claimed second place with an average of 1:00.01, while Luke Griesser completed the podium in 1:01.13, showing how closely matched the top tier was on the day.

Cossin bounced back emphatically across the afternoon, claiming two individual titles of his own. In the 4x4x4 Cube, where transition speed and error-free parity execution are vital, Cossin secured the victory with a 32.22 average and a 28.69 single. Lin took the runner-up spot with a 32.85 average, while Griesser was right behind in third place at 32.87, leaving barely any margin between the top three finishers.

Cossin added another first-place finish in 3x3x3 One-Handed, an event requiring immense finger control and endurance. He averaged 14.21 across the final round, anchored by a best single of 12.73. Phillip Lewicki pushed hard to take second place with an average of 14.40, while Griesser earned another podium finish by taking third place with a 15.15 mark.

Away from the top of the standings, the true heart of this cubing competition emerged in personal milestones. David Wagner delivered a standout showing across five events, cutting his 3x3x3 One-Handed mark to 41.97, an improvement of 46 percent over his previous best of 1:17.66, while dropping his 3x3x3 Cube time by 23.4 percent to 15.03 and lowering his 4x4x4 Cube result to 1:14.24. Jonathan Amrhein tackled five events, setting a 4x4x4 Cube personal best of 48.80, which was 19.9 percent faster than his prior 1:00.96 mark, alongside first ever attempts in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 24.65 and Megaminx at 2:51.77.

Other competitors marked significant career firsts and steep time drops during the day. William Miller improved his 3x3x3 Cube mark by 20 percent to 14.21 and recorded his first attempts in Megaminx with 1:52.24 and one-handed solving with 29.00. Shane Rylan Senften posted a 1:20.80 in the 4x4x4 Cube, 20.6 percent faster than before, along with a 1:54.33 in the 5x5x5 Cube. Isaac Perkins dropped his one-handed time by 21 percent to 1:09.33. Jordan Halford logged a first official attempt at the 5x5x5 Cube in 2:29.38, while Eli Ball completed his first 5x5x5 Cube attempt in 3:59.82. Tze Tseng Soh made their official debut in Uniontown, recording a 19.59 in the classic 3x3x3 Cube and a 3:06.31 on the 5x5x5 Cube.

The Megaminx contest showcased Lewicki at his sharpest, working through the twelve-sided puzzle with fluid recognition. Lewicki captured the gold with an average of 40.99 and a winning single of 35.94. Griesser secured second place with an average of 52.01, while Cossin took third place in 53.30, capping an exceptional all-around multi-event performance across the tournament.

The weekend concluded with the classic Rubik's Cube, where Griesser took center stage across three rounds of intense action. Griesser captured the title with an exceptional winning average of 6.45, backed by a fast single of 5.82 in the final. Lewicki secured the silver medal with a 6.87 average, and Benjamin Pugh rounded out the 3x3 results on the podium with a 7.13 average.

With 13 podium finishes for United States competitors and two for China, Bulldog Winter 2024 proved to be an efficient showcase of precision and nerve. The single-day sprint in Ohio highlighted how narrow the gap between victory and defeat remains when solving at the absolute limit, sending competitors home with fresh personal bests and momentum for the season ahead.