DFW Eclipse Cubing 2024

The University of North Texas Union hummed with focused activity over the April 6 to April 7 weekend as competitors, judges, and spectators gathered across multiple stages. Across two full days in Denton, Texas, USA, tables were filled with timers, mats, and rotating puzzles as participants geared up for a demanding schedule of solving. DFW Eclipse Cubing 2024 welcomed a field of 104 competitors who tackled 12 events spanning 26 separate rounds, testing versatility across classic cubes, side events, and complex blindfolded disciplines.

Beyond the hunt for silverware, the cubing competition served as a stage for remarkable individual progress. Speedcubing thrives on personal milestones, and the scoresheets reflected dramatic leaps in efficiency across every level of the draw. Competitors who arrived with modest personal marks repeatedly shattered them, finding major time cuts across shorter formats like the 2x2x2 Cube and Skewb. The energetic atmosphere in Denton pushed solvers to deliver sharp, confident performances when their turns came at the solving stations.

Among the standout personal breakthroughs, Malachi Gentry chopped his Skewb personal best down to 12.33 seconds from an earlier 36.87, representing an improvement of 66.6 percent, while also logging initial official attempts of 2:34.41 in Megaminx and 2:46.11 in 5x5x5 Cube. Carter Armbruster took his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 5.08 seconds, cutting his prior mark of 15.07 by 66.3 percent, alongside a 23.68 Clock debut and a 12.66 Skewb debut across six entered events. Hunter Johnson took on five events and posted a 6.12 personal best in 2x2x2 Cube, a 65.9 percent cut from 17.96, while adding first-time finishes of 2:45.40 in 4x4x4 Cube and 13.00 in Skewb.

Matthew Crockett entered eight events, securing eighth place in Pyraminx while lowering his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 1.64 seconds from 3.98, an improvement of 58.8 percent, alongside debut times of 25.44 in Square-1 and 1:09.54 in 4x4x4 Cube. Asrithan Chandrasekaran logged a 28.29 single on the 3x3x3 Cube, cutting his previous best of 1:06.40 by 57.4 percent, while also improving his Pyraminx single to 10.99 from 21.11 and making his first 2x2x2 Cube attempt in 13.74 seconds. Michael O'Brien took on eight disciplines, notching a top finish of ninth in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a debut 1:28.40 single, alongside initial times in Clock of 19.84 and Megaminx of 3:03.43. Ollie Thompson competed across eight events, finishing 12th in Pyraminx while logging first-time attempts in Clock at 12.77, 5x5x5 Cube at 2:26.26, and Skewb at 8.53. Jose Drozdowski Hernandez also expanded his range across six events, posting debut marks of 31.76 in Clock, 7.29 in Pyraminx, and 4.20 in 2x2x2 Cube.

At the sharp end of the traditional Rubik's Cube category, the 3x3 results culminated in an intense four-round battle among 100 competitors. Ray Bai captured the championship title by delivering a winning average of 6.90 seconds in the final, bolstered by a best single of 6.09 seconds. Ryan Pilat took second place on the podium with a 7.10 final average, while Siddharth Reddy secured third place with a 7.52 average, capping off a high-standard contest in the premier event.

Ray Bai proved to be the dominant force of the entire WCA competition, securing victories in three additional categories. Bai took first place in the 4x4x4 Cube with a winning average of 26.34 seconds, besting Vishwa Sankar at 30.25 and Ryan Pilat at 30.85. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Bai posted a decisive 47.06 average to edge out Pilat at 50.48 and Sankar at 53.29. Bai added a fourth gold in Megaminx, recording an average of 37.27 seconds with a single solve of 30.93 to complete a stellar multievent campaign.

The 2x2x2 Cube event saw lightning-fast action through two rounds, where Siddharth Reddy claimed top honours with a winning average of 1.72 seconds, aided by a best single of 1.31. Jake Maddox finished as runner-up with an average of 2.09 seconds, while Pilat added another medal by taking third with 2.27. Maddox went on to take victory in Skewb, posting a winning average of 4.38 seconds, while Pilat led the Pyraminx field with a top average of 1.90. In Clock, Robbie Villarica of the Philippines took first place with a 4.44 average, ahead of Dylan Baumbach at 5.22 and Sankar at 5.67.

Longer puzzles and specialized disciplines delivered tense final sessions. Vishwa Sankar won the 6x6x6 Cube with a 1:34.53 average, finishing ahead of Bai at 1:39.04 and Pilat at 1:39.08. Dylan Baumbach won Square-1 across three rounds with a 5.58 average and a best single of 4.81. In the blindfolded disciplines, Fletcher Berry secured victory in the 3x3x3 Blindfolded final with a fast single of 20.79 seconds, while Nathan Benson took the 4x4x4 Blindfolded title with a winning single of 5:27.48. In all, competitors from the United States collected 35 podium places, while the Philippines earned one.

As the equipment was packed away at the University of North Texas Union, DFW Eclipse Cubing 2024 left behind an impressive trail of breakthrough times and personal triumphs. Solvers who took on unfamiliar events built vital experience across the table, while frontrunners established benchmarks for the 2024 calendar. With big time cuts across all age groups and puzzle styles, the speed cubing gathering in Denton highlighted the relentless drive of solvers chasing their own limits.