Cornhusker Cubing Classic 2024

Forty-eight competitors assembled at Millard West High School on December 14, 2024, setting the stage for a packed schedule of speedcubing action in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. The single-day WCA competition brought together solvers across six distinct puzzles, featuring eleven full rounds of competition from the morning qualifiers through the evening finals. With entrants pushing for personal marks and podium positions, the gathering delivered sharp match-ups and fast turnarounds all day long.

The morning began with preliminary heats across multiple disciplines as entrants tackled both classic puzzles and side challenges. Brody Rhoades established himself early in the day during Square-1, navigating two rounds before securing the title with a 13.13 winning average and a best single of 10.55. Shain Papalotl Longbehn claimed second place with a 13.28 average, while Brody Meschke locked down the third spot on the podium at 14.20.

Fast solving continued in the 2x2x2 Cube event, which drew 44 competitors across two rounds. Marcus Zook delivered a commanding performance to take the win, producing an average of 2.69 and a single of 1.55. Zachary Shaw earned the runner-up position with a 2.93 mark, followed by Brody Meschke collecting his second podium finish of the day with a 3.29 average in the final round.

Midday action moved into single-round finals, starting with the 4x4x4 Cube where Brody Rhoades collected another victory. Rhoades registered a 30.54 average alongside a 27.51 single to lead the 36-person field. Ethan Cho finished just behind in second place with a 30.68 average, and Brody Meschke added yet another third-place finish with a 34.08 average to cap off a remarkably consistent run across larger puzzles.

Beyond the podium battles, several competitors made notable breakthroughs away from the top spots. Corey Bunger delivered the day's sharpest single improvement, taking his Clock mark down to 14.94, which was 63.2 percent faster than his previous best of 40.56, while also dropping his 2x2x2 Cube single to 2.60. Zebediah Yongo entered all six events on the schedule and took 15th in 4x4x4 Cube, setting personal bests in Clock at 34.73, 4x4x4 Cube at 1:01.42, and the traditional cube at 13.28. Evan Richardson tackled six events as well, posting his first official attempts in Square-1 with 1:25.83 and Clock with 26.48, alongside a 22.6 percent reduction in 2x2x2 Cube to 5.63. Joshua San Miguel placed seventh in 2x2x2 Cube, recorded his first Skewb solve at 6.20, and improved his 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 22.5 percent down to 1:39.64.

The afternoon also welcomed athletes taking on events for the very first time. Cole Matthew Smith placed 23rd in Skewb with a debut mark of 11.32, logged an initial Clock time of 23.76, and cut his 3x3x3 Cube best by 22.3 percent to 12.57. Quintin Windham marked his first official speed cubing appearance by competing across five events, producing initial times of 19.87 on the Rubik's Cube, 1:15.60 on Square-1, and 2:12.75 on the 4x4x4 Cube. Judah Bundy likewise debuted at this cubing competition, placing 25th in Skewb with an opening 10.32 and registering a 19.16 in the three-layered puzzle. Tyler Troxel rounded out five event starts with an opening Clock solve of 23.54 and improved his Skewb best by 13.2 percent to 9.88.

The afternoon session featured tight finishes in Skewb and Clock. Logan Opp secured the Skewb title with a 4.90 average and a 2.77 single, edging Chris Van Der Brink who posted 5.08, and Marcus Zook who took third at 5.10. Chris Van Der Brink returned to the top of the standings in Clock, winning with a 4.24 average over Max McGill's 4.26 in an extremely close contest, with Shain Papalotl Longbehn finishing third at 6.38.

The day concluded with the main event as three rounds of the classic Rubik's Cube decided the final placements. Anton Angeletti took the win with a 7.77 average, punctuated by the fastest single of the day at 6.24. Brody Rhoades finished second with a 7.89 average, and Ethan Cho rounded out the podium at 7.93, ensuring that the 3x3 results at Cornhusker Cubing Classic 2024 wrapped up an intense day of competition in Omaha.