Colorado Pastacomp 2023

Jack Bellomy turned in a tour de force on October 7, 2023, capturing first place in five separate events and clocking a blistering 31.43 average on the 4x4x4 Cube to lead the field at the Hilton Garden Inn Denver/Thornton. High-order puzzles demand serious stamina, spatial awareness, and consistent finger precision through long solves. In the 4x4x4 Cube final, Bellomy set the standard with a single of 26.16 seconds, leaving David Brady in second at 38.50 and Stone Amsbaugh in third at 42.00 across 31 competitors in Thornton, Colorado, USA.

The 4x4x4 Cube test was just one piece of an intense, multifaceted cubing competition that drew 57 competitors for 12 rounds of action. Larger puzzles and multi-layered challenges test a solver endurance in ways standard formats cannot match. Beyond the 4x4x4, the twelve-sided Megaminx challenged competitors to sustain focus over long sequences, and Bellomy once again rose to the top. He secured victory with a 40.69 average and a 37.67 best single, outperforming Ryker Phelps at 1:03.18 and David Brady at 1:06.05.

The flagship Rubik's Cube category delivered deep fields and fast times across three competitive rounds. Bellomy secured his fifth gold of the meet with a winning average of 7.50 seconds and a best single of 6.60. Abhi Chawla claimed second place with a 9.41 average, while Camilo DeGeest took third on the podium with a mark of 10.40. The 3x3 results demonstrated immense depth across the lineup in this official WCA competition, with ten different solvers registering notable marks during the day.

Side events brought further tactical variety to the venue floor throughout the afternoon. In the fast-moving Skewb event, Bellomy earned top honors with a 3.94 average and a 3.19 single, closely followed by Marcus Reagor with a 4.95 average and David Brady with 4.96. Square-1 proved to be another tightly contested race where Bellomy clinched first place with an 11.70 average and an 8.11 single, narrowly edging out Gavin Chartier at 11.86 and Michael Vanner at 14.25 across two rounds.

The mental demands shifted dramatically during the 3x3x3 Blindfolded contest, where memorisation and spatial recollection replace visual feedback. Stone Amsbaugh delivered an outstanding performance to claim the blindfolded title, posting a winning average of 1:16.60 and the day best single of 49.72 seconds. Elizabeth Cutting secured second place on the podium with an average of 1:36.07, while Preston Hoing completed the top three with a strong 1:32.50 average.

Beyond the top podium spots, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones and personal breakthroughs across the weekend. Dylan Box produced a massive leap in Skewb, posting a personal best of 6.79 seconds that was 53.6 percent faster than his prior mark of 14.64. Joaquin Hernandez took on six events and lowered his Square-1 personal best to 19.57 seconds, a 37.4 percent improvement over his previous 31.27. Aaron Aguayo cut his Skewb best by 24 percent down to 26.61 seconds and set a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 54.24 seconds. Alex Howell tackled five events, slicing 17.6 percent off his 4x4x4 Cube best to reach 1:42.40 and cutting his Square-1 mark by 17.2 percent to 1:18.13.

The spirit of speedcubing was equally visible among competitors taking on brand new puzzle assignments for the first time. Joshua Aaron Maupin entered four events, logging his first ever attempt at Square-1 with a time of 1:35.82 while finishing sixth in 3x3x3 Blindfolded. Dane Ruhland registered his first ever attempt at Skewb, putting an 8.85 on the board. Carter Maples logged his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 2:58.60, while Noah Schreiber contested five events and dropped his Square-1 best by 16.8 percent to 1:05.69. First-time tournament entrants also made their mark, including Brandt Graves, who took on two events and posted a 4x4x4 Cube time of 2:56.03 alongside a 30.41 in the classic cube.

From long endurance tests on complex layers to rapid-fire sprints on mechanical puzzles, Colorado Pastacomp 2023 highlighted the dedication and versatility within the Colorado community. Every round delivered intense focus, technical mastery, and measurable progress across all experience levels. As the speed cubing calendar moves toward upcoming gatherings, competitors leave Thornton with personal bests, podium hardware, and strong momentum for the rest of 2023.