CubingUSA New England Championship 2024

The Rhode Island Convention Center hummed with steady activity as 277 competitors took their stations across three days of intense solving. In the spacious hall in Providence, Rhode Island, USA, the rhythmic turning of puzzles created a focused atmosphere for the regional gathering. From August 23 to August 25, the 2024 tournament brought together competitors across 13 events and 32 rounds of action. While silverware was up for grabs, the real narrative of the weekend emerged through widespread individual progress, as solvers throughout the roster pushed past their previous limits.

The CubingUSA New England Championship 2024 highlighted technical precision across every format, showing how speedcubing continues to evolve through dedicated preparation. In the marquee 3x3x3 Cube, Curtis Chai secured first place with a winning average of 7.32 across four rounds, posting a best single of 6.72. Daniel Gutierrez claimed the second spot on the podium with a 7.66 average, while Ayden Dincher took third with a 7.71 mark. These 3x3 results at the top capped a deep 265-competitor field that saw fast marks throughout the weekend brackets.

Beyond the traditional Rubik's Cube, dynamic multi-event campaigns defined the weekend leaderboard. Ayden Dincher earned the 2x2x2 Cube title with an average of 1.65 after three rounds of play, edging Quinn Maloney at 1.73 and Chris Chi at 1.82. Maloney went on to take victory in Skewb with a 3.19 winning average, while Dincher followed in second with 3.51. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed final, Daniel Gutierrez captured the title with a 12.33 average, finishing ahead of Dincher at 13.02 and Jaylen Myles at 13.07 in a tightly contested bracket.

The larger puzzles featured commanding performances by Cameron Soulagnet, who took first place in three separate events. Soulagnet won the 4x4x4 Cube with a 29.70 average, besting Dincher at 30.23 and Joshua Broderick Phillips at 30.77. He added victories in the 5x5x5 Cube with a 51.24 average and the 6x6x6 Cube with a mark of 1:32.73, alongside a runner-up finish in the 7x7x7 Cube behind winner Jeffrey Li at 2:10.75. In Megaminx, Livia Kleiner secured the win with an average of 43.50, outperforming Carter Williams at 45.59 and Oliver Tran at 45.71.

Away from the podiums, personal progression stood out as competitors achieved massive single-solve gains and ventured into new disciplines. Samarth Prabhu dropped his Skewb personal best down to 7.84, which was 57.9 percent faster than his prior 18.61, while also logging a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube with 5.74 and Pyraminx with 11.22. Siddharth Nandakumar delivered a 5.73 Skewb personal best, improving by 56.1 percent from 13.04, alongside a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:57.81. Eldon Conry cut his Pyraminx mark by 42.6 percent to 8.99 and completed his first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 2:40.37. Meanwhile, Nadiv Herrmann completed nine events and recorded a best finish of 16th in Megaminx, logging a first ever attempt at the dodecahedron puzzle in 55.08.

The depth of ambition continued across the entry lists as solvers embraced diverse challenges during this cubing competition. Weifan Huang took on an ambitious slate of 11 events, logging a first ever attempt at Pyraminx with 10.75, Clock with 26.06, and Square-1 with 28.08. Vlad Ramazanow contested eight events, posting a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 37.16 and Clock in 16.42. Peter Parker Emerson completed eight events, registering a first ever attempt at Megaminx in 2:21.56 and Clock in 17.42. Max Webster took on seven events and completed his first ever attempt at 6x6x6 Cube with a 3:49.23 single, underscoring the drive across the venue to test new formats.

Also competing in the field was Julian Kim, the founder and developer of Speedcubing.app, who took part in five events over the weekend. Kim earned three new personal bests, finishing 78th in Skewb with a 9.79 average and a 6.30 best single, while also recording a personal best in the 3x3x3 Cube to finish 144th with a 19.16 average. He placed 74th in Pyraminx with an 8.70 average, 145th in the 2x2x2 Cube with a 7.07 average, and registered his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube with a 1:32.24 single to place 134th.

Specialized events rounded out the schedule across the three days of speed cubing. In Pyraminx, Clem Tucker captured the title with a 2.03 average, also securing the Clock crown with an average of 3.67. Chris Chi won Square-1 with an 8.09 average, while Parth Garg finished top of the 3x3x3 Blindfolded field with a winning single of 33.04 ahead of Chi at 49.27 and Will Russo at 49.52.

As the final rounds wrapped up, all 39 podium spots were earned by competitors representing the United States. The CubingUSA New England Championship 2024 concluded having delivered exceptional benchmark times alongside widespread individual milestones. Solvers departed Providence with fresh marks on their profiles, ready to build upon their progress as the next season of WCA competition approaches.