Cincinnati Cube Challenge 2025

Seventy-five competitors filled the venue at Faith Bible Church as tournament play got underway at Cincinnati Cube Challenge 2025. Held on October 11, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, the single-day gathering provided a demanding test across five events and 11 rounds of scheduled action. Experienced hands quickly demonstrated their pedigree, setting a blistering pace and demonstrating the poise that comes with extensive high-level experience on the speedcubing circuit.

Luke Garrett was at the forefront of the veteran masterclass, capturing the premier 3x3x3 Cube title with a winning average of 5.78 seconds. Garrett paced the 70-competitor field through three rounds of Rubik's Cube solving, punctuating his dominant run with the fastest single solve of the event at 5.34 seconds. Ryan Pilat finished in second place with an average of 6.13, while Thamaneeswar Sathesh Kumar secured third on the podium with an 8.09 average, capping off a stellar set of 3x3 results.

Garrett continued his heavy presence on the podium throughout the day, claiming silver in Pyraminx with an average of 2.03 and picking up bronze medals in both 2x2x2 Cube with a 2.25 mark and Megaminx with a 42.28 result. The Pyraminx final belonged to Ryan Pilat, who claimed the gold medal with a sharp 1.87 winning average alongside the event's best single of 1.28. Harsha Paladugu joined Pilat and Garrett on the Pyraminx podium, recording a 2.32 average for third.

In the 2x2x2 Cube competition, Sujan Feist delivered a historic exhibition across three rounds featuring 64 competitors. Feist took the title with a tournament-winning average of 1.13 seconds, highlighted by an outstanding preliminary round performance that included a 0.94 single and a 1.12 average. Thamaneeswar Sathesh Kumar took second place with a 1.74 average, while Garrett collected third. The fast-paced category saw multiple competitors post notable career-best marks as the pressure mounted.

The 12-sided Megaminx event saw Lucy Grace Bryson take the top spot among 34 competitors, posting a winning average of 36.28 seconds and the day's best single at 32.74. Ryan Pilat earned his third podium of the competition by taking second with a 41.49 average, just ahead of Garrett. In Clock, Roland Ababat led a 45-person field across two rounds, clinching victory with a 4.49 average and a 3.77 single. Kumar earned his third podium placing second in 4.84, while Jack Hamilton finished third in 5.38.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors made massive individual breakthroughs throughout the weekend. Oscar Marks chopped his 2x2x2 Cube personal best down to 1.68 seconds, an improvement of 57.9 percent over his previous mark of 3.99, while also notching a 17th-place finish in Clock. Andrew Kopechek tackled all five disciplines, trimming his 2x2x2 best by 54.5 percent to 2.03 seconds and improving his Megaminx mark by 12.1 percent down to 2:41.42. Paxis Brodeur took 51.9 percent off his previous Pyraminx best with a 3.98 solve and registered his first ever Clock attempt at 25.58. Zaylen McCrory dropped his 2x2x2 personal best by 47.6 percent down to 2.42.

First-time event appearances also highlighted the depth of the field in this cubing competition. Nathan Kang completed all five events, clocking a 15.96 in his first ever Clock attempt, a 2:50.26 in his first Megaminx, and dropping his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 29.6 percent down to 14.20. Asher Shores achieved a Clock personal best of 9.74, a 31.7 percent drop, and secured 18th place in Megaminx. Maxim Siller tackled Megaminx for the first time with a 1:54.98 solve, while trimming his 2x2x2 personal best by 22.6 percent to 1.44. Ryan Wang contested his first WCA competition, taking on four events including a debut Pyraminx solve of 16.69 and a 2.99 on 2x2x2.

With 12 podium spots earned by United States competitors and three by India, the Cincinnati Cube Challenge 2025 demonstrated the immense quality present across the regional and international scene. From established title-winners controlling the final rounds to developing competitors reaching major milestones, the single-day showcase in Ohio provided an uncompromising display of modern speed cubing talent that sets a high benchmark for the remainder of the season.