Charlotte Winter 2025

Caleb Chen delivered the defining performance of the weekend by capturing the headline 3x3x3 Cube title with an outstanding winning average of 6.51 seconds. Held on January 25, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, the single-day showdown brought 140 competitors together at the UNC Charlotte Popp Martin Student Union. Chen set the standard early and maintained his blistering form through three intensive rounds of solving. Along the way, he produced the weekend's best 3x3 single of 5.27 seconds, establishing a high-water mark that anchored an action-packed schedule of speedcubing across five distinct disciplines.

Beyond his main-event victory, Chen showed his versatility across multiple disciplines at this WCA competition by securing second place in 3x3x3 One-Handed with an average of 12.59 seconds. His control over the classic Rubik's Cube variants set a competitive tone for a busy slate that featured 10 rounds of play. Across every bracket, competitors from the United States swept all 15 available podium positions, demonstrating remarkable depth and consistency throughout the day in Charlotte.

The 3x3 results at the top of the table showcased severe competition behind Chen's winning mark. Michael Nielsen earned second place on the 3x3x3 podium with a 7.03-second average, while Kerry Creech claimed third with an average of 7.38 seconds. Nielsen proved to be one of the busiest contenders in the building, matching Chen's multi-podium presence by collecting three separate top-three awards during the tournament.

In the larger puzzles, Kerry Creech captured first place in the 5x5x5 Cube, finishing with a winning average of 58.76 seconds and recording the event's fastest single solve at 55.96 seconds. Michael Nielsen followed closely behind in second place with a 59.50 average, while Katie Hull took third with 1:00.86. The event drew 79 competitors across a single high-stakes round that rewarded raw turning speed and flawless big-cube efficiency.

One-handed solving provided another stage for elite precision, where Kavin Rajendran emerged victorious in the 101-player field. Rajendran secured the 3x3x3 One-Handed gold with an average of 12.30 seconds and delivered the round's best single at 10.48 seconds. Chen followed in the silver position, while Raghav Reddy rounded out the podium with a solid 13.14-second average to conclude two competitive rounds of single-handed turning.

Away from the top of the standings, the tournament was filled with personal breakthroughs across every event. Logan McClure entered five events, achieved a personal best of 5.77 seconds in Skewb that improved his previous mark by 57 percent, finished 21st in the 5x5x5 Cube, and made his first attempts at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 26.57 and 5x5x5 in 1:25.36. Alex Vernon competed across five events, recorded a personal best of 8.01 seconds in Skewb representing a 36.5 percent improvement, dropped his 3x3x3 One-Handed best by 3.4 percent to 42.24, and logged a first 5x5x5 Cube solve of 2:34.61. Denizhan Kilic took on four disciplines, taking 32.4 percent off his Skewb best with a 5.68 solve, cutting his 3x3x3 Cube best by 29.4 percent to 13.32, and tackling 3x3x3 One-Handed for the first time in 1:24.90. Ben York improved his Clock personal record by 35.8 percent down to 22.73, dropped his 3x3x3 Cube mark by 12.8 percent to 26.41, and made his maiden one-handed attempt in 1:05.67.

The momentum continued as Nathan Kiser took on five events, shaving 27.8 percent off his Skewb personal best with a time of 9.32 seconds, finishing 52nd in 5x5x5, and registering initial competition marks of 49.66 in 3x3x3 One-Handed and 2:02.62 in 5x5x5. Sean Soohyun Kim contested five categories, reduced his Skewb record by 24.7 percent down to 12.34 seconds, and posted first-time marks of 40.75 in 3x3x3 One-Handed and 3:28.55 in 5x5x5. Elijah T. Crouse improved his Skewb best by 16.4 percent to 13.34 seconds while logging his first attempts at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 37.12 and Clock in 11.80. Jake Alexander Ingham knocked 12 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube best with a 17.28-second solve and made first appearances in Skewb at 11.16 and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 1:05.34.

The remaining podium battles delivered rapid finishes across the specialized puzzles. In Skewb, Zachary Ochs claimed first place with an average of 3.40 seconds and the fastest single of 2.40 seconds across 98 competitors, besting Wesley Lennox Rossi at 3.60 and Michael Nielsen at 3.67. Meanwhile, Drake Denton Richard took top honors in Clock with a 3.61 average and a 2.26 single, leading Alex Bohac at 3.79 and NJ Kim at 3.88. The gathering showed the true spirit of speed cubing, where elite podium battles and personal landmarks shared the floor throughout Charlotte Winter 2025.