Catskills Spring 2025

The tournament hall inside Resorts World Catskills hummed with focused energy on March 23, 2025, as puzzle mats lined the tables and timers clicked continuously throughout the one-day gathering. Dozens of solvers gathered in Monticello, New York, USA, to test their speed across six distinct puzzle categories. A total of 34 competitors took their places for 10 rounds of high-intensity solving, creating an environment rich with both seasoned talent and ambitious first-time entrants eager to measure their progress against the clock.

A defining hallmark of Catskills Spring 2025 was the remarkable presence of new faces stepping up to the competition tables. Several participants were making their debut appearance at a sanctioned WCA competition, introducing fresh energy into the regional speed cubing scene. For these newcomers, the day offered an initial taste of live judging, strict inspection regulations, and the thrill of posting official marks. Their inclusion highlighted a thriving local community where newcomers could share tables alongside established champions.

Evan Liu produced a stellar sequence of performances, sweeping four separate event titles across the day. In the headline 3x3x3 Cube, Liu paced the field across three rounds, locking in first place with a 7.07 winning average and a lightning-fast 5.60 best single. Shota Fukuoka secured the second-place spot on the podium with an 8.65 average, while Chris Chi finished third at 8.79. The 3x3 results underscored Liu's consistency under pressure on the classic Rubik's Cube.

Liu maintained his winning form in the bigger and more complex puzzles. He claimed victory in the 5x5x5 Cube with a 59.37 average, outlasting Chris Chi, who took second at 1:04.26, and Ryan Kern, who earned third with 1:33.64. In Megaminx, Liu topped the 14-competitor field with a 55.67 winning average, followed closely by Chi at 57.10 and Ethan Tamayo at 1:13.78. Liu also captured the 3x3x3 Blindfolded title, recording a 1:01.24 average, while Chi took second with a single solve of 55.47 and Yuki Nagai rounded out the podium at 2:22.05.

Chris Chi matched Liu's excellence by sweeping the remaining two events on the schedule. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Chi posted a blistering 1.54 winning average along with a 1.31 single to take top honors over Liu, who finished second with a 1.89 average, and Nagai, who claimed third at 2.81. Chi followed that up with a commanding showing in 3x3x3 One-Handed, winning with a 15.10 average. Leonardo X. Lazzara captured second place in the one-handed final at 15.98, while Fukuoka placed third at 16.19.

Beyond the championship podiums, personal milestones unfolded in abundance throughout the day. Boaz Schwartz took on four events and delivered a 22.58 single in 3x3x3 One-Handed, cutting 42.6 percent off his previous benchmark, while also finishing fifth in 3x3x3 Blindfolded. Ezra Sorrenti improved his 2x2x2 mark by 42 percent down to 3.56, took his 5x5x5 time down to 2:04.92, which was 28 percent faster, and recorded his first official Megaminx result at 2:45.82. Aaditya Sharma entered four disciplines, dropping his 3x3x3 single to 24.81 for a 40.3 percent improvement, while logging first-time attempts of 9.33 in 2x2x2 and 3:46.75 in Megaminx. Samuel Zafir tackled five events, trimming 35.8 percent off his 5x5x5 personal best with a 2:25.94 solve, alongside first-ever runs in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 23.06 and 2x2x2 at 4.37.

Other competitors similarly made huge strides across their chosen events. Vosh Paulino competed across three events, cutting 31.2 percent from his 2x2x2 best with a 5.47 single and logging an initial one-handed mark of 53.02. Matthew Lazzara improved his 3x3x3 time by 24.3 percent to 28.51, reduced his 2x2x2 time by 22.1 percent to 9.81, and logged his first one-handed solve at 1:02.65. Sarah Gooler dropped her 3x3x3 single by 19.4 percent to 27.19 while attempting one-handed solving for the first time with a 48.76. Luke Tramontozzi celebrated his first speedcubing tournament by competing in three categories, recording debuts of 26.63 in 3x3x3, 7.71 in 2x2x2, and 1:58.89 in 3x3x3 One-Handed.

The 2025 gathering in Monticello proved to be a model cubing competition, offering high-level competition at the top while fostering deep development across the field. With all 18 podium spots claimed by United States competitors, the event highlighted the depth of local talent across diverse puzzles. As the day concluded at Resorts World Catskills, Catskills Spring 2025 stood as a memorable showcase of breakthrough personal bests and championship poise, setting an exciting tone for the remainder of the season.