Cubetcha 2023

A total of 147 competitors gathered at Mounds Park Academy on October 28, 2023, setting the stage for a packed day of speedcubing across 13 rounds of play. St. Paul, Minnesota, USA hosted the lively gathering, where fresh talent collided with seasoned precision across 6 distinct events. The sheer pace of development among developing solvers was obvious from the opening scramble, as personal milestones fell in every discipline. In this vibrant environment, every solve pushed the field forward, proving how quickly the local community continues to raise its overall standard.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube contest delivered sharp action across three rounds, culminating in a dominant performance by Carter Kucala. Finishing atop a field of 143 competitors, Kucala logged a winning average of 6.75 seconds alongside the tournament best single of 5.53 seconds. Kaius Young secured the runner-up spot with an 8.36 average, while Brody Meschke claimed third place at 8.40. These standard Rubik's Cube matchups highlighted the intensity of this cubing competition, leaving no doubt about the top tier depth in these 3x3 results.

Kucala was not finished with just one victory, also capturing the title in Skewb with a winning average of 2.77 seconds and a best single of 1.42 seconds. Simon Kellum followed closely in second place with a 3.31 mark, while Tyler Robinson completed the podium in 3.43 seconds. That double triumph cemented a brilliant weekend across multiple rotations for Kucala, showing the kind of dexterity and focus that separates the very fastest puzzle handlers from the rest of the pack.

In the 2x2x2 Cube event, Nathan Rahn demonstrated electric hand speed to take top honors, delivering a tournament-best winning average of 2.20 seconds and a single of 1.25 seconds. Walker Welch pressed Rahn throughout all three rounds, taking second place with an average of 2.62 seconds, while Kucala picked up another podium finish in third with 2.88. The short solves left zero margin for error, making Rahn consistency throughout the multi-round format a standout achievement of the day.

Beyond the podiums, the event floor at Cubetcha 2023 was filled with massive personal breakthroughs and bold first attempts. Kya White cut down her Skewb personal best to 14.90 seconds, which was 77.6 percent faster than her prior mark of 1:06.63, while also recording her first ever attempt at the 3x3x3 Cube in 2:12.31. Owen Hovda dropped his Skewb best by 56.9 percent down to 7.82 seconds and reduced his 3x3x3 Cube time by 25.4 percent to 20.06, alongside a first try at the 4x4x4 Cube in 1:33.60. Oliver Faust improved his Skewb mark by 55.6 percent to 5.28 seconds and logged his first 2x2x2 Cube solve at 5.09 seconds. Carson Downs dropped his Skewb personal best by 53.6 percent to 3.72 seconds, trimmed his 3x3x3 Cube mark by 15.4 percent to 12.89, and took 15th in Skewb while also registering his first 4x4x4 Cube effort in 1:12.16.

The progress continued across all puzzle categories as solvers expanded their competitive repertoires. Corby Reed slashed their 2x2x2 Cube mark by 46.1 percent to 6.80 seconds and took on their first ever 3x3x3 Cube attempt in 32.85 seconds. Evan Smith took on his first 4x4x4 Cube solve in 1:59.03 while dropping his 2x2x2 Cube best by 39.3 percent to 5.12 seconds. Asher M. Noordmans entered 6 events, achieving a best finish of 10th in 2x2x2 Cube while posting first-time efforts in 2x2x2 Cube at 2.19, 4x4x4 Cube at 54.10, and 7x7x7 Cube at 6:07.69. Trent Johnson also logged first attempts with 2.51 in 2x2x2 Cube and 53.26 in 4x4x4 Cube, while lowering his Skewb mark by 28.3 percent to 6.78 seconds.

The big cube contests brought their own drama, headlined by the 4x4x4 Cube where Kaius Young claimed victory with a crisp 31.16 winning average and a 30.06 single. Kucala finished in second place with a 31.57 average, and Tyler Johnson captured third place at 35.26. In the 7x7x7 Cube, Walker Welch conquered the complex layers with a winning average of 2:41.41 and a single of 2:31.06. Tyler Johnson placed second with 2:47.67, and Kucala added another podium finish in third with 3:04.56, highlighting the stamina demanded by the largest puzzle on the schedule.

The technical discipline of the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event rounded out the action, requiring pure memorization and blind execution. Andy Wong delivered an exceptional single solve of 20.79 seconds to take the victory among 22 entrants. Young claimed second place with a time of 1:29.07, and Welch rounded out the top three with 1:42.99. The precision required to solve without sight capped an extraordinary display of speed cubing versatility.

By the conclusion of Cubetcha 2023, the single-day WCA competition had displayed both elite mastery at the top and rapid improvement through the ranks. All 18 available podium spots were claimed by United States competitors, closing out an energetic day of regional competition in Minnesota. With so many personal bests established and new puzzle categories conquered, the weekend reflected a local community rapidly accelerating into the next phase of competitive play.