Cicero 2023

Noah Melita delivered an outstanding performance in the 3x3x3 Cube final, posting a winning average of 8.38 seconds and a single of 6.44 to claim the top honor in Cicero, New York, USA. The fast-paced action at Comfort Suites Cicero - Syracuse North showcased a dramatic regional tug-of-war across the tables, as American talents defended home territory against visiting Canadian prowess. On December 3, 2023, the single-day gathering gathered 55 competitors to battle through 12 rounds in 7 official events, setting the stage for a memorable day of speedcubing.

The battle between national contingents quickly became the prevailing theme of Cicero 2023, as athletes from the United States and Canada split the top prizes. While the American contingent collected 16 podium finishes throughout the schedule, Canadian competitor Andrew Mao proved to be a formidable challenger, grabbing five podiums including two event victories. This intense cross-border dynamic pushed competitors to sharp turn execution and precise lookahead from the opening heats straight into the championship rounds.

In the flagship 3x3x3 Cube event, Noah Melita held off a hard-charging field to secure the title. The 3x3 results confirmed the depth of talent on display across three full rounds of Rubik's Cube solving, with Louis Truong taking the runner-up spot on a 9.37 average and Andrew Mao claiming third place with an average of 9.51. Melita doubled his gold count later in the program by winning Square-1 with a 10.69 winning average and a best single of 9.66, again besting Mao, who took second with 12.68.

Evan Liu proved unstoppable in the extended puzzle categories, dominating the big cubes and specialty disciplines with clean, rapid solves. Liu swept the 6x6x6 Cube with a winning average of 1:47.02 and a best single of 1:41.51, while also controlling the 7x7x7 Cube with a 2:41.53 winning average and 2:35.83 best single. Liu completed a personal triple-crown by winning Clock with a 5.13 winning average and 4.54 best single, turning back Rex Ozsvath and Edward Habeck IV in a tightly contested single-round format.

Andrew Mao answered forcefully for Canada in the sprint formats, capturing the 2x2x2 Cube title with a blistering 1.80 winning average and a 1.40 best single. Mao also secured the Skewb title with an average of 4.04 and a 2.70 single, finishing ahead of Melita in both disciplines. The 2x2x2 Cube event saw rapid development throughout the brackets, generating strong marks for competitors like Davis Johnson, Nicholas Houghton, Edgar Miranda, Nico Ozsvath, Eli Ozsvath, and Evan Waters across the qualification stages.

Away from the top steps of the podium, significant individual milestones defined the atmosphere of the cubing competition. Blake Kelty cut his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 3.74, an improvement of 62.1 percent over his previous 9.86 mark, while also taking on Skewb for the first time with a 17.51 result. Matthew Chermak improved his Square-1 mark to 27.72, dropping 52.8 percent from his old 58.79 standard, while also completing his first ever attempts at 2x2x2 Cube with 5.19 and Clock with 11.71. Nicholas D. Burlarley lowered his Clock personal best to 15.78, a 52.2 percent drop from 33.04, alongside making a first attempt at Square-1 with 54.28.

The progress continued across all experience levels as competitors expanded their repertoires at Cicero 2023. Nathan Smith tackled 7 events, setting marks in his first official attempts at 6x6x6 Cube in 4:51.69 and 7x7x7 Cube in 8:23.16. Nicholas Hampp set a 27.6 percent improvement in Square-1 with an 11.82 single and lowered his Clock best to 13.17. First-time WCA competition participant Logan Norton took on 4 events, clocking 3.51 in 2x2x2 Cube and 23.13 in the 3x3x3 Cube. Fellow debutants Leo Morse and William Liang registered impressive starts, with Morse logging a 16.88 in 3x3x3 Cube and Liang posting a 14.51 single during his first official tournament.

The packed slate demonstrated the thriving nature of speed cubing in upstate New York, blending technical mastery on large cubes with rapid-fire agility on the sprint puzzles. The international head-to-head between Melita, Liu, and Mao elevated the stakes across all seven disciplines, ensuring every round carried genuine tension. As the tables were cleared at Cicero 2023, the spirited rivalry and wave of personal bests left a lasting mark on the regional circuit.

With 55 competitors pushing their limits across 12 full rounds, the event reaffirmed how intense local meets can become when neighboring regions clash. The balance between international podium fights and developmental breakthroughs highlighted the complete scope of the community. Competitors now look ahead to bringing their refined routines and sharper averages into the next competitive campaign.