Cubing In Creek 2023

Inside the halls of Cherry Creek High School, rows of solving stations buzzed with activity on May 20, 2023. Timers were readied, judges took their seats, and dozens of competitors stepped up to the tables in Greenwood Village, Colorado, USA. The gathering brought together 76 participants to contest six separate disciplines across 14 rounds of official play, marking a lively day of speedcubing action where fresh faces and seasoned solvers shared the competition floor.

A defining feature of Cubing In Creek 2023 was the sheer number of solvers diving into official action for the very first time. Newcomers mixed seamlessly with experienced hands throughout the busy schedule, turning every round into a showcase of personal milestones. For many in attendance, the day represented an introduction to the world of competitive solving, infusing the gymnasium with the unmistakable energy that comes when first-time entrants take their initial turns against the clock.

The spotlight shone brightly on those broadening their repertoires and rewriting personal records across the board. Alexis Medina put together a remarkable showing across five events, logging a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed of 56.71 seconds while slashing previous marks with a 4x4x4 Cube personal best of 56.34 seconds, which was 61.5 percent faster, and a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 3.96 seconds, improving by 56.8 percent. Carter Allred tackled five disciplines, recording a first official 3x3x3 One-Handed single of 1:50.99, a first 4x4x4 Cube try of 2:14.34, and a Pyraminx personal best of 9.51 seconds that was 35.7 percent faster than before. Meanwhile, Jalyn Tresvant entered four events, posting a first Pyraminx mark of 12.06 seconds, a first 2x2x2 single of 13.12, and a 4x4x4 Cube personal best of 1:46.86, an improvement of 32.5 percent.

Other competitors similarly seized the opportunity to register new milestones across various events. Henry David Brubaker notched a first ever 2x2x2 Cube attempt of 5.14 seconds alongside a 4x4x4 Cube personal best of 1:27.58, which was 29 percent faster, and a 3x3x3 Cube best of 12.41 seconds. Marc Herrera contested five categories, recording a first 5x5x5 Cube mark of 2:07.95, a 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best of 26.87 seconds that was 28.2 percent faster, and a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 12.66 seconds. Benjamin Craven completed six events, logging first attempts in 5x5x5 Cube at 5:07.38, 2x2x2 Cube at 5.03, and One-Handed at 45.33. Max Ashley also took on six disciplines, making debuts in One-Handed with 38.62, 2x2x2 Cube with 3.64, and 5x5x5 Cube with 2:52.91. For Joshua Aaron Maupin, the meet was a career first WCA competition, featuring initial attempts across five events including Pyraminx in 10.01 seconds, 2x2x2 Cube in 8.24, and 4x4x4 Cube in 1:40.58.

At the sharp end of the main bracket, the classic Rubik's Cube drew a crowd of 73 entrants across three rounds of intense action. Jacob Nokes set the standard in the final round of the traditional 3x3x3 Cube, securing first place with a winning average of 7.65 seconds and a best single of 6.53 seconds. Jack Bellomy took second place with an average of 8.12 seconds, while Kaemon Vita earned third place on the podium with a mark of 9.26 seconds. The official 3x3 results highlighted the depth of speed cubing talent present at the event.

Jacob Nokes extended his dominant form into the larger puzzles as well. In the 4x4x4 Cube, which featured 51 competitors over two rounds, Nokes took top honours with a winning average of 29.56 seconds and a best single of 23.87 seconds, leading Jack Bellomy in second at 33.85 seconds and Raymos Castillo in third at 35.78 seconds. Nokes added a third gold in the 5x5x5 Cube, topping a field of 32 competitors across two rounds with an average of 47.90 seconds and a single of 45.76 seconds, once again followed on the podium by Bellomy with 1:00.74 and Castillo with 1:07.64.

Jack Bellomy enjoyed standout victories of his own across the shorter formats. In the 2x2x2 Cube, 67 competitors battled over three rounds before Bellomy secured first place with an average of 3.23 seconds and a best single of 2.69 seconds, edging Kian Cline with 3.77 seconds and Camilo DeGeest with 3.82 seconds. Bellomy followed that triumph with another first-place finish in Pyraminx, outpacing 57 entrants across two rounds with a 2.75 second winning average and a single of 2.64 seconds, ahead of Stone Amsbaugh at 4.70 seconds and William Mitchell at 4.79 seconds.

The 3x3x3 One-Handed event proved to be one of the most closely contested battles of the weekend, featuring 47 competitors over two rounds. Stone Amsbaugh captured first place with an impressive winning average of 16.56 seconds and a best single of 12.70 seconds. Nokes finished just behind in second place with an average of 16.83 seconds, while Bellomy rounded out the podium positions in third with 16.93 seconds.

Across every event, solvers representing the USA accounted for all 18 podium positions awarded throughout the day. From first-time entrants exploring new disciplines to top seeds posting sub-30 averages on the 4x4x4 Cube, Cubing In Creek 2023 delivered an expansive display of competition. Solvers concluded the single-day schedule having established new official benchmarks and gained valuable tournament experience as they look ahead to the next stops on the circuit.