Circle City Cubing 2024

The Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Campus Center buzzed with intense energy on April 13, 2024, as competitors lined up for a high-stakes single-day showdown. Across 12 rounds of action in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, 70 competitors brought their preparation to the tournament floor. Championship-style elimination brackets meant every turn of the puzzle carried weight, with participants vying for top spots across five distinct official events.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew 68 competitors through three demanding stages of competition, pushing the field to deliver world-class speedcubing execution. Luke Garrett of the USA rose to the top of the standings, capturing victory with an outstanding 6.52 winning average and logging the tournament-best single solve of 5.29 seconds. Simon Kellum secured second place with an 8.40 average, while Nate Abeleda earned third on the podium with an 8.48 mark, putting a dramatic finish on the 3x3 results.

Garrett continued his dominant run in the 2x2x2 Cube, an event featuring 64 entrants over two rounds where rapid execution leaves zero margin for error. Garrett locked down first place with a blistering 1.42 final average, bolstered by a 1.07 single. Simon Kellum claimed runner-up honors with a 2.12 average, closely followed by India's Thamaneeswar Sathesh Kumar in third place at 2.49. Garrett also set an earlier mark during the event, logging a 0.95 single and a 1.69 average.

The triangular Pyraminx event featured 57 competitors across two rounds, delivering another premier podium battle. Luke Garrett secured his third gold medal of Circle City Cubing 2024 by posting a winning average of 2.99, backed by a lightning-fast 1.34 single solve. Simon Kellum took second step on the podium with an average of 3.34, while Thamaneeswar Sathesh Kumar collected another podium finish for India by averaging 4.80 for third place.

Beyond the top podium steps, the tournament served as an important milestone for athletes chasing major milestones across the board. Brynn Dixon took on 5 events and produced massive progress, cutting down personal records with a 3.67 in 2x2x2 Cube that was 53.8 percent faster, a Clock time of 22.29 that improved by 44.6 percent, and a 7.08 Pyraminx mark that was 23.2 percent faster. Craig Ulrey entered 3 events and chopped his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 5.17, an improvement of 53.5 percent, while shaving his 3x3x3 Cube best by 15.7 percent down to 24.47. Jaylen Delagrange competed across 5 events, earning an 11th place finish in Pyraminx while logging a Skewb best of 4.19, which was 49.2 percent faster than before.

The depth of the field shone through as rising competitors tackled unfamiliar puzzles and reset personal boundaries under competitive pressure. Seth Haffner entered 5 events, taking his first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube with a 6.08 and first Clock try with a 14.94, while dropping his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 39.8 percent to 15.48. Cavan William Cusack tackled 4 events, recording a first ever attempt at Pyraminx with an 11.71 and cutting his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 40 percent to 4.48. Daniel Krug contested 5 events, registering first attempts in Clock at 31.53, 2x2x2 Cube at 11.59, and Skewb at 13.71. Alexander Hess recorded a first Skewb attempt of 8.76 while trimming his 3x3x3 Cube best by 31.8 percent to 35.77, and Noah Leung logged a first 3x3x3 Cube mark of 31.85 alongside a 42.7 percent drop on Pyraminx to 7.60.

In the Skewb tournament, 46 competitors battled through three full rounds of mechanical puzzle solving. Simon Kellum emerged on top of the field, earning the gold medal with a winning average of 2.52 and the best single of the event at 2.04. Layne VanSiegel took second place with a 4.31 average, edging Luke Garrett, who finished third with a 4.99 average to add another medal to his haul.

The mechanical dials of the Clock event rounded out the schedule, where 40 entrants competed over two rounds of speed cubing precision. Reed W. Richardson clinched the title with a tournament-winning average of 4.20 and the round's best single of 3.48. Luke Garrett finished second with an average of 4.73, and Sylvia Crouch earned third place with a 5.66 average. Overall, competitors from the USA collected 13 podium spots while India earned 2.

As the final timers were cleared from the tables, the single-day WCA competition highlighted the fierce competitive drive present across every bracket. With multiple titles decided by mere tenths of a second, the cubing competition showcased high-level mastery of the classic Rubik's Cube alongside non-traditional puzzles. The intense matchups set an exceptional benchmark for the region's competitive season heading forward.