Colorado Mountain Tour - Grand Junction 2023

A blistering 5.85 winning average in the 3x3x3 Cube final from Luke Garrett stood out as the defining performance at Colorado Mountain Tour - Grand Junction 2023. Across 16 rounds of intense tournament action, competitors had to navigate strict multi-stage formats where consistency under pressure dictated who advanced. Staged at the Grand Junction Convention Center in Grand Junction, Colorado, USA on June 14, 2023, the single-day speedcubing gathering brought together 39 competitors to test their precision across six varied events, challenging everyone through multi-round progressions from morning heats to afternoon finals.

The tournament structure put endurance to the test right from the beginning, with three full rounds each in four separate events to determine the strongest solvers. In the marquee Rubik's Cube category, 39 competitors fought for advancement across the rounds before Garrett captured the top spot on the podium. His winning mark of 5.85 and a championship-best single of 4.94 secured the victory over Zayn Khanani, who finished second with an average of 8.03, and Hassan Khanani, who took third with an 8.90 average in the final 3x3 results.

Short-puzzle action on the 2x2x2 Cube featured another grueling three-round progression for 35 competitors where every fraction of a second determined qualification. Zayn Khanani delivered remarkable speed across the brackets, taking the title with a 1.08 average and delivering the fastest single of the day at 0.70. Luke Garrett claimed second place with a 1.25 average, while Hassan Khanani rounded out the podium in third with a 1.69 mark, showcasing the fine margins required to survive successive cuts in high-stakes speed cubing.

In the mid-sized puzzles, the multi-round demand continued to shape the outcome on the tables. The 4x4x4 Cube featured 27 competitors across three rounds, culminating in a first-place finish for Luke Garrett with a 28.82 average and a round-low single of 25.11. Hassan Khanani secured second place with a 34.77 average, closely followed by Jack Roe in third at 34.87. Over in the 5x5x5 Cube, where 25 competitors took on a two-round format, Garrett prevailed again with a 58.63 average, finishing ahead of Raymos Castillo with 1:04.93 and Hassan Khanani with 1:09.77.

The remaining events on the schedule demanded entirely distinct skill sets across their respective round structures. In the Clock event, 20 competitors tackled two rounds of mechanical adjustments, where Luke Garrett earned his fourth title of Colorado Mountain Tour - Grand Junction 2023 with a winning average of 6.54, edging out Hassan Khanani at 6.69 and Raymos Castillo at 7.39. In Square-1, which featured 20 competitors across three rounds, Hassan Khanani mastered the shifting puzzle geometry to claim victory with a 6.04 average and a 4.15 single, topping Zayn Khanani at 9.69 and Simon Kellum at 10.13.

Beyond the championship podiums, this WCA competition delivered notable milestones and breakthrough efforts throughout the preliminary rounds. Zander Santos entered two events and unlocked massive improvements, dropping their 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 12.48, which was 26.5 percent faster than before, while improving their 3x3x3 Cube best to 43.83. Caleb CJ Behrman took on three events, posting a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube with 1:14.55 alongside a 22.9 percent improvement to a 4.92 personal best in 2x2x2 Cube and a 13.81 personal best in 3x3x3 Cube. Samuel Guddat contested four events and achieved an eighth-place best finish in 5x5x5 Cube, setting a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 3.40 and a 4x4x4 Cube personal best of 35.52.

The progress continued with Karson Bunker, who entered four events and registered a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube with 1:16.78 and a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube with 3:15.68. Caelan R. Morrison logged four events, recording a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube of 2:15.56 and a 20.59 personal best in 3x3x3 Cube. Albert So Yik Ban reached an 11th-place best finish in 4x4x4 Cube while securing a 45.33 personal best in 4x4x4 Cube and a 1:55.27 personal best in 5x5x5 Cube. Making their initial appearance, Deuce Maulding took on four events to earn a 10th-place best finish in Square-1 with a first attempt of 19.30, while Michael Sanchez completed their first attempts at 2x2x2 Cube in 5.92 and 3x3x3 Cube in 27.81.

All 18 podium positions at the tournament were claimed by competitors representing the USA, reflecting sharp competition across every division. The full day of 16 rounds tested focus, agility, and stamina as brackets narrowed down to the fastest solvers in the room. Concluding a packed day of competition at Colorado Mountain Tour - Grand Junction 2023, the event demonstrated how format depth and progressive rounds push competitors toward peak form across every puzzle style.