Colorado Springs Showdown 2024

Inside the bustling sports hall at Doherty High School, solving mats were laid out in precise rows as timers flashed green and red. Competitors, families, and judges gathered early on August 3, 2024, creating an unmistakable hum of turning layers and resetting displays. The one-day cubing competition brought together 77 competitors in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA, all eager to test their practice under official conditions across 7 distinct events and 11 rounds of intense speedcubing action.

When the dust settled at the Colorado Springs Showdown 2024, Dylan Hughlett stood out as the defining competitor of the day. Hughlett captured the premier 3x3x3 Cube crown with a commanding 8.85 winning average over three rounds, punctuated by an event-best single of 7.17. He was not finished there, returning to the stage in the 4x4x4 Cube to secure his second victory of the meet with a 30.80 average and a single of 28.50, before capping his remarkable schedule with a third-place finish in Megaminx at 1:05.46.

The 3x3 results formed the centerpiece of the program, featuring 74 competitors whittled down to a fiercely contested final. Behind Hughlett, the battle for the remaining spots on the podium came down to the absolute wire. Kaemon Vita and Anthony J. Telford both produced identical 9.25 averages in the final, with Vita claiming second place and Telford taking third. Vita, however, made his own indelible mark on the tournament elsewhere, sweeping two short-format events with authoritative solves.

Vita claimed the 2x2x2 Cube title by registering a 2.59 final average and a 2.08 single, holding off Jude Doland who took second at 2.83 and Jake Lee in third at 2.87. Vita also topped a field of 64 entrants in Pyraminx, taking first place with an average of 4.40 and a single of 3.43. Doland earned his second runner-up medal of the meet in that event with a 4.74 mark, while William Mitchell secured the third-place spot on the podium with a 4.78 average.

The speed cubing slate offered plenty of variety, extending well beyond the traditional Rubik's Cube. Evan Wilson dominated the twelve-sided Megaminx, taking victory with an impressive 53.69 average ahead of Junior Solis at 1:05.00 and Hughlett at 1:05.46. Over at the Clock tables, Miles Walcott edged out Ben Tibbetts in a thrilling finish, winning with a 5.31 average to Tibbetts' 5.33, while Alex Aguayo rounded out the top three at 6.03. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event, Stone Amsbaugh secured top honors with a successful 1:03.51 single solve, ahead of Jason Hammerman at 1:10.01 and Doland at 1:23.96.

Away from the top of the podium, several participants made substantial progress across their respective events. Cash Svenby delivered the largest single improvement of the tournament in 2x2x2 Cube, cutting his personal best by 64.5 percent to 9.22 while also tackling his first ever attempts at Pyraminx with a 15.03 and Clock with a 21.83. Caleb Schlichting shaved 52.9 percent off his previous 2x2x2 Cube mark to finish at 4.19 and dropped 17.3 percent in 3x3x3 Cube to 23.42. Levi Brunson made strides across three disciplines, improving his 2x2x2 Cube best by 50.9 percent to 3.69, his Pyraminx time by 36.9 percent to 11.81, and his 4x4x4 Cube mark by 32.8 percent to 1:33.47. Hudson Macha cut his 3x3x3 Cube best by 38.2 percent down to 16.24 and recorded his first official attempts in Pyraminx at 16.44 and 4x4x4 Cube at 1:49.74.

First-time events provided meaningful milestones for several other competitors throughout the schedule. Miles Snavely posted a 34.5 percent drop in Pyraminx to 7.92, took his 3x3x3 Cube time down 17.5 percent to 15.01, and took on his first 4x4x4 Cube attempt at 1:12.96. Atticus Briggs logged his first official Megaminx result at 1:45.00, placing 18th, alongside a 25.5 percent improvement in 4x4x4 Cube to 1:28.26 and a 4.89 in 2x2x2 Cube. Theodore Jago tackled six separate events during the day, taking on his first ever official solves in Clock at 32.64, Pyraminx at 16.59, and 4x4x4 Cube at 2:00.31. Gideon Smathers also took on six disciplines, logging his first Clock solve at 40.64, a first Megaminx result of 3:24.02 for a 25th-place finish, and a 17.8 percent Pyraminx improvement to 12.69.

In the 4x4x4 Cube final, Hughlett was joined on the podium by Eli Hezron Mika Jr., who earned second place with a 35.53 average, and Camilo DeGeest, who locked up third at 38.92. With every podium spot across all seven disciplines captured by solvers representing the United States, the single-day gathering proved to be a comprehensive showcase of local and regional talent in front of an enthusiastic Doherty High School audience.

As the final timers were packed away and equipment cleared from the floor, the Colorado Springs Showdown 2024 left competitors with substantial personal milestones and clear targets for the upcoming season. Every official WCA competition tests endurance as much as turning speed, and the solvers who traveled to Doherty High School proved their preparation across a demanding lineup of events.