Cherry on Top Colorado AM 2024

The retail bustle of the Cherry Creek Shopping Center took on a distinctly rhythmic beat on April 27, 2024, as speedcubing competitors and supporters gathered inside the bustling Denver, Colorado, USA venue. Timers beeped in steady succession, plastic puzzle pieces clicked across competition mats, and scorecards circulated continuously through the staging tables. Fifty-two puzzle solvers arrived ready to contest four distinct disciplines across seven rounds of action. The lively space provided a vibrant backdrop for a full day of puzzle solving, welcoming both seasoned tournament regulars and brand-new entrants looking to test their skills in an official setting.

Across the tournament schedule, one name consistently rose to the top of the standings. Brayden Wroten delivered an overwhelming display across multiple disciplines, claiming first place in three separate events to establish utter control over the weekend. In the main 3x3x3 Cube event, Wroten navigated two rounds against 50 competitors to capture the title with an exceptional winning average of 7.85 seconds, bolstered by the competition benchmark single solve of 6.09 seconds. Wroten proved unreachable throughout the final round, dictating the tempo and converting speed into hardware in the premier Rubik's Cube category.

The 3x3 results confirmed Wroten dominance over a competitive final field. Zachary Bussey secured second place in the 3x3x3 Cube with a strong 9.64-second average, while Ryan Kindt rounded out the podium positions in third place with an average of 9.98 seconds. Wroten authority extended well past the traditional 3x3x3 puzzle, however, as the multi-event specialist continued his winning ways on the mechanical variations scheduled across the tournament floor. His precision and handling speed carried across formats without any sign of fatigue during a demanding Saturday timetable.

In the Skewb event, Brayden Wroten once again outpaced all challengers among 32 competitors across two rounds. Wroten locked up the top spot on the podium with a winning average of 2.39 seconds and recorded the best single solve of the event at 1.71 seconds. Liam Finn McCool Kelly finished in second place with a 4.17-second average, while Eashan Tilaye claimed the third step on the podium with a mark of 4.46 seconds. Wroten then transitioned seamlessly to Square-1, conquering the single-round contest of 20 competitors with a winning average of 10.60 seconds and a best single solve of 9.22 seconds, defeating second-place Gavin Chartier at 13.81 seconds and third-place Miles Walcott at 14.97 seconds.

The only event title to escape Wroten grasp was the 2x2x2 Cube, where Eashan Tilaye produced a masterclass in rapid execution. Tilaye captured the gold with a winning average of 2.75 seconds, edging out Miles Walcott who placed second with a 2.82-second average. Lincoln A. Gray secured third place with a 2.92-second average in a closely fought final. Tilaye also logged the best single solve of the final round at 2.11 seconds. Across the earlier rounds of the event, Wroten posted a single solve of 1.32 seconds and a 1.77-second average, while Walcott, Tilaye, Bryan B. Conrrado, Gavin Chartier, Lincoln A. Gray, Evan Wilson, Liam Finn McCool Kelly, Zachary Bussey, and Camilo DeGeest all delivered standout individual solves.

Away from the top of the podium, Cherry on Top Colorado AM 2024 served as a proving ground for several competitors who achieved massive personal milestones. Brandon Adams entered three events and delivered a remarkable performance in Skewb, recording a personal best of 4.38 seconds, which was 56.3 percent faster than his prior mark of 10.03, alongside a 34.9 percent improvement on the 2x2x2 Cube at 3.75 seconds to finish 15th in Skewb. Maxwell Runty cut his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 50.2 percent down to 9.13 seconds and lowered his 3x3x3 Cube mark by 28.5 percent to 32.01 seconds. Leo Romero entered three events and logged a first ever attempt at Skewb with a time of 13.36 seconds, while dropping his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 32.2 percent to 7.65 seconds and improving his 3x3x3 Cube mark by 16.4 percent to 31.56 seconds.

The progress continued across all four categories at the cubing competition. Kunwoo Kim tackled all four events on the schedule, achieving a career-best 13th place in Skewb, posting a first ever attempt at Square-1 with a time of 1:14.18, cutting Skewb personal best down by 31 percent to 6.05 seconds, and dropping the 2x2x2 Cube mark by 28.5 percent to 3.92 seconds. Anaiah Carroll contested three events, finishing 17th in Square-1, logging a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube in 6.40 seconds and a first ever attempt at Square-1 in 1:06.65, while lowering a 3x3x3 Cube mark to 20.06 seconds. Owen Felkey took on four events, earning 18th place in the 3x3x3 Cube with a personal best of 13.52 seconds, a 4.2 percent drop in Skewb to 11.69 seconds, and a first ever attempt at Square-1 in 1:38.47. Alexander Hancock took part in his first WCA competition, entering four events and logging a 15th-place finish in Square-1 with a first ever attempt of 1:03.63, alongside initial competition marks of 30.20 seconds on 3x3x3 Cube and 2.92 seconds on 2x2x2 Cube. Thomas Collier also made his official debut across three events, posting initial times of 16.29 seconds in 3x3x3 Cube, 11.16 seconds in Skewb, and 6.43 seconds in 2x2x2 Cube.

Every podium position across the four events went to United States competitors, claiming all 12 available podium places throughout the day. The gathering highlighted the depth of speed cubing talent in the Rocky Mountain region, showing equal parts masterclass execution at the elite level and personal triumph among newer competitors. As the final rounds wrapped up and equipment was packed away, Cherry on Top Colorado AM 2024 closed the book on an unforgettable showcase of puzzle solving skill in Denver.

With three gold medals in his possession, Brayden Wroten stood as the undisputed centerpiece of Cherry on Top Colorado AM 2024. His dominant showing in 3x3x3 Cube, Skewb, and Square-1, alongside Eashan Tilaye sharp victory in 2x2x2 Cube, gave the 2024 season in Colorado an electric boost. The 52 competitors departed the Cherry Creek Shopping Center having pushed their personal limits, leaving a rich trail of personal bests and memories to build on for their next official appearances.