Country Roads Huntington 2023

Ten rounds across six different disciplines tested nerve and technique as 61 competitors gathered for Country Roads Huntington 2023. Held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Huntington on April 22, 2023, the one-day gathering highlighted the unforgiving nature of mean-of-3 and single-solve formats alongside standard averages. In events where every turn counts directly toward the standing, a single hesitation or counting mistake alters the entire leaderboard. Competitors travelling to Huntington, West Virginia, USA faced formats where precision had to match speed from the opening solve.

The 3x3x3 Blindfolded competition showed just how steep the climb can be without the safety net of dropped solves. Out of 16 competitors across two rounds of blindfolded solving, only a handful managed to register a successful completion, as a single error results in a DNF. Mason Langenderfer secured victory with a top single time of 51.96 seconds, despite registering a DNF average. Ivan Krueger took the second spot on the podium at 1:47.48, while Evan Brown claimed third place with a best effort of 2:13.59.

Donna Krueger topped the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event, an ultimate test of endurance and memory requiring competitors to solve multiple puzzles without sight within an hour. Krueger successfully solved 6 out of 8 cubes in 59:18. Evan Brown earned second place with 3 out of 5 cubes solved in 33:41, while Stephen Griggs captured third place by resolving 3 out of 5 cubes in 41:48. With nine solvers taking on the discipline, the fine line between points and penalties defined the final standings.

In the 5x5x5 Cube, where consistency over big cubes demands supreme stamina, Benjamin Pugh emerged victorious among 24 competitors. Pugh posted a winning average of 1:04.70 alongside a best single of 1:02.18 across the single round of play. Stephen Griggs took the second step on the podium with a 1:09.91 average, followed closely by Evan Brown in third place at 1:11.47. In Megaminx, Griggs secured the top honor with a 56.52 average, edging Eddie Smith who finished at 59.08 and Langenderfer who logged 1:00.07.

Beyond the podium battles, Country Roads Huntington 2023 saw incredible individual milestones from solvers pushing their own personal limits. William Fletcher Blair delivered major leaps across two events, dropping his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 4.50 seconds, an improvement of 38 percent, while cutting his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 18.62 seconds, which was 36.9 percent faster. Dillon Vandal achieved a 36.7 percent improvement with a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 19.56 seconds alongside a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube of 6.35 seconds. Liam Baker took on Megaminx for the first time, finishing 11th with a mark of 1:43.28, and cut his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 27.9 percent to 5.79 seconds.

First-time events and significant breakthroughs continued throughout the roster. Alex Thernes logged a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube with a time of 3.84 seconds and dropped their 3x3x3 Cube best to 17.62 seconds, an improvement of 22.4 percent. Thomas Daniel Trimble entered four events, finishing 11th in the 3x3x3 Cube, posting a new personal best of 10.81 seconds that was 15.3 percent faster, and making initial attempts at Megaminx in 2:23.73 and the 5x5x5 Cube in 1:50.49. Aidan Pratt tackled four events, recording an 18th place finish in 5x5x5 Cube with a debut 2:22.55, a debut Megaminx run of 4:03.51, and a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 13.46 seconds, which was 16.2 percent faster. Elijah Simpson tackled six events, achieving a best finish of 5th in 3x3x3 Blindfolded on a debut attempt of 4:50.32, while Garrett Michael Becker entered three events, logging a debut 5x5x5 Cube run of 3:01.20 and a 3x3x3 Cube best of 14.14 seconds.

The 2x2x2 Cube event drew 54 competitors across two rounds, where Ukraine solver Anton Vovchenko took the title with a winning average of 2.10 seconds and a single of 1.71 seconds. Langenderfer placed second with an average of 2.71 seconds, and Pugh finished third with a 3.60 average. The fast-paced format saw competitors trying to eliminate tiny fractions of a second, with national podium tallies finishing at 17 podium places for the USA and one for Ukraine.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube discipline concluded Country Roads Huntington 2023 with three full rounds featuring 59 participants. Benjamin Pugh delivered a standout performance to win the event with a 7.44 average and the fastest single solve of the entire weekend at 6.20 seconds. Ivan Krueger followed in second place with an average of 9.86 seconds, while Alison Meador earned third place with a 10.53 average. The classic Rubik's Cube battle capped a successful cubing competition in the Mountain State.

Whether analyzing the final 3x3 results or looking back at the mental tests of the blindfolded categories, the WCA competition delivered exciting speedcubing across every division. The dedication shown throughout this speed cubing showcase reflected the deep talent across the region during the 2023 season. Solvers now carry their personal milestones and experience forward as they prepare for future challenges on the tournament circuit.