Davis Fall 2024

A blistering 7.14 winning average in the 3x3x3 Cube by Zerui Cheng sealed the marquee title at Davis Fall 2024, capping off an intense single-day battle in Davis, California, USA on October 20, 2024. The 97 competitors gathered at the Ballroom at the UC Davis ARC Conference Center to contest 5 events across 9 rounds, producing an electric atmosphere where regional talents and international contenders went head-to-head. Cheng maintained composure through three demanding rounds to deliver a best single of 6.56, holding off a competitive pack chasing top billing in the classic puzzle.

The 3x3 results highlighted fierce contention at the summit of the bracket. Michael Larsen pushed Cheng all the way through the final round, taking second place with an 8.11 average, while Micah Yeo claimed the third step on the podium with an 8.36 mark. The classic Rubik's Cube division brought together seasoned solvers and rising challengers from throughout Northern California and beyond, with every round requiring sub-nine consistency to stay in contention for hardware.

International rivalry featured heavily across several events, starting with the Square-1 final where Matt Mao representing China secured the victory with a 9.75 winning average and a 7.31 best single. Mao narrowly edged out local standout Caleb Yao, who finished runner-up at 10.35, while Nolan Yiu completed the podium in 11.83. Mao and Yao traded fast times throughout the event, displaying the exact balance of algorithm execution and puzzle control required on the shape-shifting twisty puzzle.

Yao found his redemption in the 2x2x2 Cube final, claiming gold with a sharp 2.21 winning average and a best single of 1.79. In a duel that saw fractional margins decide the outcome, Zane Qureshi took second place with a 2.36 average, followed closely by Mao in third at 2.58. The 2x2x2 event proved to be a high point of the entire cubing competition, as 81 entrants pushed the pace over two competitive rounds.

The larger puzzles and side events delivered equally compelling drama. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Paul Mahvi captured first place with an impressive 27.41 winning average and a single of 24.45 across two rounds of 55 competitors. Japan's Yuki Nomura secured second place with an average of 30.03, while Michael Larsen picked up another podium finish for the United States by taking third in 33.07. Nolan Yiu dominated the Megaminx bracket, claiming the title with a 37.93 winning average ahead of Varenya Jyotiraditya at 43.02 and Ruby Lu at 50.30.

Beyond the championship podiums, Davis Fall 2024 served as a breakthrough stage for competitors lowering their personal marks across multiple disciplines. David Muradyan registered a massive 52.6 percent drop in the 3x3x3 Cube, recording a personal best of 20.57 against an earlier mark of 43.42, alongside a 9.87 in 2x2x2. Dominic Leathers shaved 43.2 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube best to post a 31.50 and cut his 2x2x2 Cube time to 8.36, while Rishaan P. Sansare advanced his 2x2x2 Cube standard to 6.20, representing a 42 percent leap. Ari Petruzzelli also enjoyed a productive day, taking his 2x2x2 Cube mark down to 2.01 for a 48.5 percent drop and lowering his Megaminx time to 3:30.58.

The event also saw solvers branching out into new puzzle disciplines for the very first time in sanctioned play. Nathan Scovis tackled five events, making first career attempts at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:18.53, Square-1 in 35.64, and 2x2x2 Cube in 5.00, while also finishing 23rd in Megaminx. Matthew Ketroser took on five events, earning a best finish of 9th in 2x2x2 Cube with a personal best of 1.82, while registering first attempts at Square-1 in 45.15 and Megaminx in 1:42.01. Ryan Reynolds logged first attempts in Square-1 at 54.24 and Megaminx at 1:56.67 alongside a 3.08 in 2x2x2 Cube, and Dhruv Chalasani logged a first-ever 33.47 in Square-1 to finish 22nd, setting personal bests in Megaminx at 1:56.78 and 4x4x4 Cube at 1:00.24.

The overall medal count reflected the broad depth of the local community, with United States competitors capturing 12 of the 15 available podium places, complemented by two podium spots for China and one for Japan. Across all five disciplines, the standard of speedcubing showed remarkable depth from the preliminary stages right through to the final heats. Competitors navigated tight qualification cutoffs and high-pressure rounds with technical precision.

As the final awards concluded at the UC Davis ARC Conference Center, the 2024 Northern California calendar closed another successful chapter of speed cubing excellence. Davis Fall 2024 demonstrated how seasoned competitors and determined challengers continue to elevate the regional standard, setting the stage for even faster averages and sharper turn speeds when the WCA competition schedule returns for a new season.