Cube Against Cancer Buffalo 2025

Inside the IronWorkers Banquet Hall in West Seneca, New York, USA, the tables were arranged for a full day of precision puzzle solving on April 5, 2025. Timers flickered against the tournament mats as 76 competitors assembled for a demanding schedule that tested dexterity far beyond the standard Rubik's Cube. Across twelve rounds of action, the gathering brought together regional contenders and newcomers alike, filling the venue with the rhythmic clatter of plastic mechanisms rotating at maximum speed throughout the 2025 spring contest.

While the classic events drew their share of attention, the niche puzzles defined the character of Cube Against Cancer Buffalo 2025. Specialists found ample room to shine in events requiring distinct tactical approaches, from the multi-faced Megaminx to the mechanical intricacies of Clock and the shape-shifting Square-1. These secondary formats proved to be fiercely contested battles where every fraction of a second reshaped the standings across single-round finals and fast-moving elimination brackets.

Evan Waters established himself as a dominant force across the alternative disciplines. In the Square-1 event, Waters secured first place with a winning average of 11.09 seconds and a standout best single of 8.29 seconds, finishing ahead of Xavier Ye who logged an 11.74 average and Darshan Bhavanasi with 12.80. Waters continued his exceptional form at the Clock tables, posting a winning average of 3.81 seconds with a single of 3.15 to edge out Jonathan Wang, who recorded a close 3.87 average, while Davis Johnson took third on 5.27 seconds.

The Megaminx contest showcased remarkable endurance over twelve pentagonal faces, demanding prolonged focus and complex pattern recognition. Darshan Bhavanasi claimed the title with an impressive winning average of 52.35 seconds alongside a single of 51.34, holding off Xavier Ye who finished second with a 55.14 average and Geoffrey Stevens who secured third in 56.53. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded division, where memorisation precedes every execution without visual cues, Michael Mao of Canada took the victory with a best single solve of 31.32 seconds, outpacing Elliott Perkins and Abdullah Gulab on the podium.

Away from the top steps of the podium, the weekend was powered by remarkable progress across the roster. Cashel Moriarty entered four events, posting a personal best of 4.49 seconds on the 2x2x2 Cube that was 72.2 percent faster than their previous mark of 16.13, while also logging a first attempt at Skewb in 12.17 and Clock in 21.49. Nathan Kriner took on five events and placed 10th in Skewb after cutting their personal best by 51.7 percent down to 3.68 seconds, alongside a first try at Megaminx in 2:13.90. Donovan Fusilli tackled six events, finishing 21st in Square-1 with a debut of 1:02.92 and improving their Skewb mark by 29.5 percent to 8.00 seconds. Joseph St. Martin handled five events, logging first attempts in Clock at 15.97, Skewb at 11.14, and Megaminx at 3:50.40 to take 32nd place.

The spirit of growth was equally evident in Rianna Mercer, who contested six events and earned 9th place in Skewb while registering first career attempts in Clock at 14.86 and Square-1 at 4:51.66. Jack D'Amico made huge strides across three events, cutting their 3x3x3 Cube best down to 14.48 seconds—a 45 percent improvement over their earlier 26.35—and shaving 38.1 percent off their Skewb mark to hit 12.15 seconds. Making their official debut, Hollis T. Proehl entered four events at their first WCA competition, recording a 34th-place Megaminx finish, a 9.09 Skewb attempt, and a 47.00 single on the 3x3x3 Cube. Fellow debutant Henry T. Proehl also launched their journey across four disciplines, registering a Clock solve of 34.86, a Skewb result of 8.69, and a 2x2x2 single of 13.19.

The shorter formats maintained high intensity on the main stage, particularly in Skewb where Xavier Ye emerged victorious with a winning average of 2.98 seconds and a single of 2.21, leading Evan Waters at 3.77 and Elliott Perkins at 3.81. Waters added another victory in the 2x2x2 Cube with a rapid winning average of 2.04 seconds, followed by Perkins at 2.30 and Bhavanasi at 2.38. The 2x2x2 event also witnessed a series of notable regional marks throughout the bracket, highlighted by Xavier Ye logging a 1.00 single and 1.27 average alongside fast marks from Cameron Chern and Saul Macijauskas.

The classic three-layered puzzle concluded the program at Cube Against Cancer Buffalo 2025, drawing 72 competitors across three distinct rounds. The final 3x3 results confirmed Darshan Bhavanasi as the champion with a winning average of 8.03 seconds and a best single of 6.85, narrowly defeating Geoffrey Stevens who averaged 8.32, while Louis Truong completed the podium with an average of 9.03. The conclusion of the main event brought a fitting finish to an expansive day of speedcubing in Western New York.

Across seven different events, the speed cubing festival highlighted the depth of technical skill present in modern cubing competition circuits. Representing four nations, competitors left West Seneca having tested their boundaries in both popular and specialized formats alike. Cube Against Cancer Buffalo 2025 demonstrated that whether mastering the gear mechanisms of Clock or solving through layers of Square-1, the pursuit of speed remains as vibrant as ever as solvers prepare for the upcoming challenges of the season.