Don't Pop Princeton 2024

The competition hall at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton filled with the rapid clatter of plastic and the steady focus of timers on March 23, 2024. Competitors, judges, and supporters settled into their stations as an energetic day of speedcubing got underway in Princeton, New Jersey, USA. Eighty-three competitors gathered for the single-day gathering, bringing a packed schedule spanning five events and twelve rounds of head-to-head resolving across various puzzles.

The morning schedule opened with early qualification rounds that set an intense pace for the entire WCA competition. Solvers took to the tables for preliminary heats in Clock and big cubes, balancing speed against mechanical stability. While classic Rubik's Cube fans often look for traditional 3x3 results, this specialized roster put larger layers and unconventional mechanisms center stage. Competitors navigated the delicate gears of Clock and the dense layers of 5x5x5, 6x6x6, and 7x7x7 Cubes right from the initial turns of the day.

As the schedule progressed toward midday, Benjamin Wei established complete control over the large cube disciplines. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Wei secured first place with an impressive 47.98 average to go along with a best single of 45.73 across two rounds of play. Livia Kleiner took the second step on the podium with an average of 55.78, while Daniel Karnaukh followed closely in third position at 58.07. The event drew 65 competitors, making it one of the most hotly contested brackets of the meeting.

Wei carried that commanding momentum directly into the afternoon sessions for the massive 6x6x6 Cube and 7x7x7 Cube events. In the 6x6x6 division, Wei captured the title with a winning average of 1:26.37 and a top single of 1:24.82, outpacing runner-up Livia Kleiner at 1:37.00 and third-place Dana Yi at 1:40.50. The 7x7x7 Cube contest saw Wei complete the sweep across three rounds, delivering a gold-medal average of 2:03.35 and a single of 1:55.78, once again besting Kleiner at 2:38.90 and Yi at 2:41.42.

Away from the top of the podium, the heart of this cubing competition emerged through remarkable individual strides and new milestones across the field. Frankie Hargrave took on five separate events, posting an initial 6x6x6 Cube mark of 5:40.15 and cutting their Pyraminx personal best down to 13.09, which was 51.8 percent faster than their previous best. Gavin Gruppuso delivered a huge Pyraminx improvement, dropping their personal best to 2.29 for a 48.2 percent cut. Charlie Vater achieved a 2.81 Pyraminx personal best, 40 percent faster than before, while making a first 7x7x7 attempt of 7:39.60. Vincent Li also debuted in 7x7x7 with 8:30.11 and lowered their 6x6x6 personal best by 41.9 percent to 4:27.25.

The progress continued across all levels as solvers expanded their competitive repertoires. Aarav Guglani took on five events, earning an 11th-place finish in 6x6x6 Cube with a personal best of 1:53.75 that was 18 percent faster, alongside a first Clock attempt of 8.34. Adam McLaughlin notched a first 5x5x5 Cube solve of 2:06.29 and trimmed their Clock record by 12.5 percent to 8.12. First-time competitors also made their mark, as Liam Plunkett tackled four events with debuts of 6:27.84 in 7x7x7, 4:28.89 in 6x6x6, and 2:24.12 in 5x5x5. Declan Donohue completed his first official solves across three puzzles, putting up 8.45 in Pyraminx, 26.17 in Clock, and 3:16.23 in 5x5x5.

The side events provided rapid-fire action late in the day, highlighted by an exhilarating Clock tournament. Kyle Meade captured the Clock crown with a sharp winning average of 4.02 and a best single of 2.97 out of 71 entrants. Ayden Dincher claimed second place with an average of 4.47, while Carter Williams locked up third place at 4.59. The quick dials and precise button presses delivered one of the closest podium finishes of the entire weekend.

In the Pyraminx competition, Daniel Goodman proved untouchable across three rounds featuring 74 participants. Goodman clinched the victory with a stellar 2.29 winning average and a single of 1.44. Yuki Nagai finished in second place with an average of 2.81, edging out Shaun Mack who took third at 2.84. The tight margins capped off a thrilling showcase of speed cubing excellence in the triangular discipline.

By the time the final timers stopped, Don't Pop Princeton 2024 had delivered a masterclass in large-puzzle dominance and competitive depth. United States competitors collected all fifteen podium placements across the five featured disciplines. As tables were cleared at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton, solvers packed away their cubes, celebrating personal breakthroughs and looking ahead to their next meeting on the competitive circuit.