Don't DNS Denton 2023

4.65 seconds on the Clock was the fastest winning average of the weekend, setting the tone for a sharp two days of action in Denton, Texas, USA. Held on September 30 to October 1, 2023, at the University of North Texas Union, the cubing competition brought together 26 competitors for 15 rounds across nine events. Noah Swor delivered a commanding overall showing, matching blazing turns on the mechanical dials with an equally blistering performance across the classic Rubik's Cube blindfolded disciplines.

Swor took the top spot in Clock with that 4.65 winning average, backed by a tournament-best single of 3.80 seconds across two rounds of play. Robbie Villarica of the Philippines took second place with a 5.62 average, while Ryan Pilat claimed third on 7.15. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event, which challenged 17 competitors across three rounds of memorisation and execution, Swor secured another gold medal with an unbeatable 17.73 single. Pilat followed in second place with 34.44, and Fletcher Berry grabbed third with 31.01.

The 3x3 results from the Fewest Moves event also saw Swor ascend to the top of the podium. Across three intense rounds featuring 21 entrants, Swor calculated his way to a 24.67 winning average and a single of 24 moves. Ray Bai earned the silver medal with a 27.33 average, while Pilat added another bronze to his tally with a 29.33 mark. Swor's versatile speed cubing weekend demonstrated remarkable mastery across radically different formats.

Ryan Pilat put on an endurance masterclass in the larger puzzles, capturing three individual titles. In 7x7x7 Cube, Pilat won with a 2:42.66 average and a 2:40.16 single in a direct final. Pilat then dominated the big-cube memory challenges, securing first place in 4x4x4 Blindfolded with a 3:34.61 single ahead of Jeremy Sheng and Joshua Gao, as well as the 5x5x5 Blindfolded title with an 8:11.48 single ahead of Gao and Leia Jiang.

Square-1 action provided high-velocity drama as Dylan Baumbach secured victory with a 6.76 average and a best single of 5.15 seconds, outpacing Pilat's 8.05 and CJ York's 9.31. In the 6x6x6 Cube final, Ray Bai recorded an impressive 1:46.57 average to take first place, edging Pilat's 1:48.54 and Villarica's 1:52.00. Meanwhile, Joshua Gao excelled in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, solving 19 of 26 cubes within the one-hour time limit to lead Sheng and Michael Conard.

Beyond the championship podiums, Don't DNS Denton 2023 featured a wealth of breakthrough performances from competitors across the field. Luke Cowan produced a major leap in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, cutting his personal best by 34.9 percent down to 28 moves, while also recording a 15.32 in Clock and taking his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Blindfolded with an 8:05.86. John Wanger II improved his Square-1 best by 31.2 percent down to 13.91 seconds and lowered his Fewest Moves best to 40 moves across six events. Trishan Reddy Katamreddy chopped 29.2 percent off his Clock mark to reach 14.75 seconds and logged first attempts in Square-1 and Fewest Moves.

Other competitors took on daring new challenges throughout the WCA competition. Selena Wiechman lowered her Square-1 personal best by 18.9 percent to 41.69 seconds and earned a 4th-place finish in 5x5x5 Blindfolded across eight events. Siwoo Kim improved his Square-1 best by 17.2 percent to 40.74 seconds and logged a first 3x3x3 Blindfolded success at 6:14.59. Jadon Castillo improved his 7x7x7 Cube personal best by 14.5 percent down to 2:58.24 to finish 5th. Sever Verdín Arambula tackled six events, registering first attempts in 7x7x7 Cube, 6x6x6 Cube, and Fewest Moves, while Ryan Tran completed his first 3x3x3 Multi-Blind attempt with a solid 9/12 result to place 6th.

The gathering in Denton concluded an action-packed weekend of speedcubing across diverse disciplines. From the lightning-fast turns of Clock and Square-1 to the immense mental stamina demanded by multi-cube blindfolded solving, Don't DNS Denton 2023 offered a comprehensive showcase of talent. Competitors walked away with personal milestones and hard-fought results, closing out an exceptional 2023 tournament on the University of North Texas Union stage.