Cubes in the Mountains WV 2025

Inside the halls of the Wiles Hill Community Center, timers clicked in rapid succession while competitors surveyed their scrambled puzzles across twelve intense rounds of play. The mountain air of Morgantown, West Virginia, USA provided the setting on March 15, 2025, as 56 competitors gathered for a packed one-day cubing competition. With seven distinct events scheduled throughout the day, the floor buzzed with focused preparation, lubricated mechanisms, and the steady cadence of hands dropping swiftly to stop the clocks.

Record-setting performances defined the competition early on, with multiple competitors rewriting their personal and official bests on the 2x2x2 Cube. Gabriel Gowman delivered a sharp 1.98 single alongside a 3.67 average, setting marks that highlighted the speed of the short-format discipline. Anish Gupta logged a 3.52 single and 5.11 average, while Currin Wilson produced a 3.73 single and 4.71 average. Danny Weil registered a 3.20 single and 4.23 average, and Oliver Hettrich stopped the clock at 2.21 single with a 4.00 average, underscoring how deeply contested the smaller puzzle proved to be throughout the morning session.

The 2x2x2 record surge continued across several rotations at Cubes in the Mountains WV 2025 as competitors continually found new solutions. Jacob Nobili turned in a 3.31 single and 3.63 average, while Rue Clippinger recorded a 4.42 single and 5.36 average. Event champion Michael Nielsen added to the tally with a 1.43 single and 2.81 average in the preliminary stages. Samuel Stewart secured marks of 5.00 single and 6.00 average, while Stephen Griggs rounded out the historic ledger with a 3.86 single and 4.96 average, ensuring this WCA competition made an enduring mark in the regional scorebooks.

Beyond the record lists, Michael Nielsen assembled a dominant multi-event campaign across the schedule. Nielsen captured the marquee 3x3x3 Cube crown with a winning average of 6.75, backed by the best single of the entire tournament at 5.76. In the classic Rubik's Cube final, Nielsen finished ahead of Robert Mapp IV, who placed second with a 7.85 average, and Jacob Nobili, who took third on an 8.10 mark. The 3x3 results across three rounds showcased world-class speedcubing at the top of the standings.

Nielsen carried that same command into the shorter disciplines, taking first place in the 2x2x2 Cube final with an average of 1.84 and a rapid 0.93 single, besting Aubrey Trace in second at 2.32 and Declan Wilhelm in third at 2.47. In Pyraminx, Nielsen secured his third gold of the weekend with a 1.58 average and a 1.44 best single, leading Gabriel Gowman who took second at 2.80 and Mark Gowman in third at 3.58. The triple triumph established Nielsen as the central figure of the entire gathering.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors made substantial breakthroughs that defined the spirit of the day at Cubes in the Mountains WV 2025. Callum FitzGerald took on seven events and shaved 28.9 percent off his previous 2x2x2 Cube mark to finish with a personal best of 3.60, while also setting an 8.44 personal best in Clock. Lincoln Schad dropped his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 25.7 percent down to 13.33 and recorded his first official Clock attempt at 17.07. Penelope Moorhouse improved her 2x2x2 Cube benchmark by 24.4 percent to 13.15, and John Pelley trimmed his Clock time by 22.6 percent to reach a 15.68 personal best.

Other competitors took on ambitious schedules across the arena, entering entirely new categories for the first time. Colin Mauldin dropped his Megaminx personal best by 21.1 percent to 2:12.52 while competing across seven events. Colton Gehrling also tackled seven disciplines, achieving a 12.4 percent Pyraminx improvement down to 4.31 alongside his first career Megaminx result of 1:56.83. Jarek Lapsley stepped up for six events, recording first-ever official attempts in Clock at 18.57, 4x4x4 Cube at 1:17.06, and Megaminx at 3:41.82. Connor Price logged six events as well, debuting in Megaminx at 4:09.01 and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 56.77 while improving his Clock personal best by 10.4 percent to 18.52.

The remaining events brought tight battles and varied puzzle formats to the Morgantown stage. Aubrey Trace won the 4x4x4 Cube event with a 33.23 average, narrowly edging Fiona Bao at 33.25 and Benjamin Christie at 33.35 in an extraordinary finish decided by tenths of a second. Trace also earned second place in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 14.24 average, trailing winner Brayden Adams who took gold with 13.17, while Daniel Mullen placed third at 14.88. The one-handed speed cubing demonstrated brilliant dexterity throughout two competitive rounds.

In the specialty events, Fiona Bao dominated Clock with a winning average of 3.45 and a single of 2.88, topping Caleb Kearney at 5.27 and Daniel Mullen at 5.34. Megaminx saw Declan Wilhelm take first place on a 38.94 average, clear of Aubrey Trace at 53.64 and Daniel Mullen at 56.44. Across 21 podium positions, representatives from the United States claimed every top-three placement. As the tables were cleared at Cubes in the Mountains WV 2025, the tournament concluded with memorable record sheets, dramatic finals, and valuable milestones for seasoned hands and rising solvers alike.