DFW Back to School 2024

Inside the bustling halls of the Grapevine Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas, USA, tables were lined with timing mats and displays as 183 competitors gathered on August 25, 2024. The rhythmic clatter of turning plastic filled the room from early morning as participants prepared for a packed single-day schedule. Across 16 rounds of action in six distinct disciplines, DFW Back to School 2024 offered an intense showcase of talent where fractions of a second ultimately dictated who walked away with top honors.

The fiercest contest of the entire cubing competition came down to the wire in the Pyraminx final, where the top two competitors were separated by a mere seven hundredths of a second. Ryan Pilat took first place with a winning average of 3.05 seconds, surviving an incredible charge from runner-up Tucker Chamberlain, who finished right behind at 3.12 seconds. Dylan Baumbach claimed third step on the podium with a 3.50 average, while Pilat also logged the round best single of 1.81 seconds during the 128-competitor event.

Beyond that razor-thin Pyraminx duel, Ryan Pilat produced a commanding overall performance at DFW Back to School 2024, collecting five separate event victories throughout the day. In the premier 3x3x3 Cube event, Pilat captured the title with a winning average of 6.46 seconds across four rounds involving 182 entrants. Dylan Baumbach secured second place in the 3x3 results with an 8.07 average, and Casey Ngo completed the top three with an 8.99 average, trailing behind Pilat blistering 5.39 single.

Pilat dominance extended deep into the mechanical puzzles and larger cubes as well. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Pilat topped the 90-person field with a 25.66 winning average and a single of 24.33, ahead of Azhar Virani in second at 33.46 and Dylan Baumbach in third at 35.33. Clock proved similarly fruitful for Pilat, who claimed victory with a 4.44 average over Baumbach at 5.40 and Anshveer Kang at 6.04. Pilat then showed mastery in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, logging an 18.24 single to lead Hassan Khanani and Michael Conard.

The only event title to escape Pilat grasp during DFW Back to School 2024 went to Hassan Khanani in Square-1. Navigating three rounds among 50 competitors, Khanani locked down first place with a stellar 5.26 winning average and a best single of 4.58. Dylan Baumbach collected another silver medal with a 6.47 average, while Tucker Chamberlain followed in third place with a 6.90 mark, rounding out an all-American clean sweep across all eighteen podium places awarded in Grapevine.

Away from the top of the standings, the speedcubing community celebrated remarkable individual progress and breakthroughs. Teddy Upton delivered one of the weekend most striking leaps, dropping his Clock personal best by 79.5 percent down to 8.17 seconds to secure an 11th place finish. Ian Walter achieved a massive 69.6 percent improvement on his Pyraminx personal best with a 5.79 single, alongside a 17.16 in 3x3x3 Cube and 1:38.14 in 4x4x4 Cube. Aradhy Nargade tackled Pyraminx for the first time with an 8.44 while slicing his 3x3x3 Cube best by 47.5 percent to 15.52.

Other competitors took on fresh challenges across the schedule at this WCA competition. Wesley Zuniga set a Pyraminx personal best of 3.90, which was 46.6 percent faster than his prior mark, while logging his first Clock attempt at 15.23. Jonah Eckhoff improved his Pyraminx mark by 40.1 percent to 5.97 and logged a first Clock single of 17.39. Hunter Mendoza dropped his Clock mark by 36.7 percent to 15.08, Remy Bena made a first attempt at Square-1 with 51.90, and Anthony Dale Austin Jr. took on five events, posting first-ever attempts in Square-1, Clock, and Pyraminx.

The single-day meet highlighted the depth of speed cubing in the Texas region, testing classic Rubik's Cube solvers and puzzle specialists alike across an exhausting 16 rounds. With multiple competitors establishing new personal benchmarks and Pilat delivering one of the most prolific multi-event showings of the 2024 circuit, DFW Back to School 2024 provided a memorable contest that will set the standard for the upcoming season.