Cubing in the 'Cuse 2025

The campus of Le Moyne College hummed with steady activity on March 29, 2025, as 47 speedcubers gathered to tackle ten rounds of competition. Across six distinct events, tables were lined with stackmats and timers where solvers worked through strict round structures and format cutoffs. In Syracuse, New York, USA, the single-day schedule demanded absolute readiness from the opening phase to the final solves.

The tournament schedule sorted the field across different challenge formats, beginning with single-round finals in several specialty events where competitors had no second chances to adjust. In Megaminx, Evan Liu delivered a steady average of 1:00.53 to take the victory after producing the day's best single of 59.25 seconds. Jonathan Wang of Canada claimed second place in 1:03.62, while Evan Waters secured third with a 1:03.65 average to round out the podium in the 25-competitor field.

Single-round formats also decided the 5x5x5 Cube, where Evan Liu struck gold again by posting a winning average of 58.67 seconds and a fast single of 52.49. Louis Truong took the second spot with an average of 1:03.83, while Nico Ozsvath finished third with 1:06.16. In Square-1, Evan Waters prevailed with a winning mark of 12.24 seconds, holding off Liu who averaged 12.73 and Wang who took third in 13.71, demonstrating how direct finals reward immediate consistency.

Multi-round progression altered the dynamic in events requiring advancement through preliminary heats. The Pyraminx bracket saw 38 entrants trimmed down over two rounds, culminating in a dominant performance by Evan Waters. Waters posted a 2.21 average alongside a lightning 1.37 single to take the title over Mark John in second with 3.84 and Evan Liu in third with 5.61. In Clock, Davis Johnson navigated the two-round format to claim victory with a 4.76 average, edging past Liu who averaged 5.03 and Jacob Hughes who finished third at 5.37.

The classic Rubik's Cube stood as the ultimate test of endurance with a three-round progression from 47 initial starters. In the final round of 3x3 results, Evan Waters completed a triple-championship day by taking the win with an 8.80 average and a 7.42 single. Louis Truong secured second place with an 8.97 mark, while Evan Liu grabbed another top-three finish with 9.58. Waters and Liu swept across the podiums throughout the day, representing the United States alongside Canada on the medal tally.

Away from the top of the standings, the day brought massive personal breakthroughs for competitors testing their skills against the clock. Darsh Kukkar delivered one of the steepest drops of the competition, shaving 49.2 percent off his Pyraminx personal best with a 10.71 mark. Joseph Colabufo improved his Square-1 best by 47 percent down to 16.09 seconds, while Fox Gheen reduced his Megaminx time by 39.3 percent to 1:27.69. Samuel Wilmot dropped his Clock record by 41.6 percent to 15.63 seconds and tackled Pyraminx for the first time with a 9.42 solve.

New milestones continued across multiple events as solvers expanded their competitive repertoires at this WCA competition. Caleb Shearer took on six disciplines, recording his first official attempts in Square-1 at 47.74 seconds, Megaminx at 1:53.70, and Pyraminx at 6.30. Matthew Chermak chopped 35.5 percent from his Megaminx best down to 1:35.14, while Quincy Ackman cut his 3x3 mark by 33 percent to 43.57. First-time participant Anderson Yin entered three events, logging official marks of 17.04 in 3x3, 11.29 in Pyraminx, and 40.29 in Square-1.

From debut solves to polished podium averages, the 2025 cubing competition in Syracuse demonstrated the sharp focus required by modern speed cubing formats. Whether navigating the high stakes of single-round finals or the sustained pacing of multi-round brackets, every competitor faced the ticking clock directly. Cubing in the 'Cuse 2025 concluded as an intense showcase of puzzle solving in central New York, setting the stage for future battles on the tournament circuit.