El Paso 2025

Forty competitors gathered at the Starlight Event Center on June 14, 2025, stepping into a pivotal midseason test in El Paso, Texas, USA. As the summer schedule picked up momentum, the single-day gathering provided an intense battleground across five distinct events. With eleven rounds packed into a focused timetable, contenders looked to sharpen their form and establish regional dominance as the competitive campaign crossed into its prime stretch.

The centerpiece of the weekend featured Zachary Bussey putting together a commanding series of performances on the classic Rubik's Cube. In the three-round 3x3x3 Cube contest, Bussey claimed victory with a winning average of 10.25 seconds after setting a best single solve of 8.16 seconds. Mario Flores secured the second spot with a 10.85 average, while David Lozano Olvera took third with 11.79 in the official 3x3 results.

Bussey expanded his title tally by asserting control in the shorter and specialized formats. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Bussey captured top honors with a 4.28 average and a 3.24 best single, edging out David Spitzer who recorded a 4.42 average and Lozano Olvera who posted a 4.49 mark. The 3x3x3 One-Handed event delivered a third gold for Bussey, who produced a winning average of 19.03 seconds and a sharp 14.68 single to finish ahead of Flores at 22.63 and Lozano Olvera at 24.99.

The larger puzzle category provided a stage for Mario Flores to capture top honors in the 5x5x5 Cube. In a direct final round featuring 16 competitors, Flores solved his way to a 1:21.84 average alongside a fastest single of 1:16.33. David Spitzer claimed second position with a 1:31.21 average, and Mia Sponseller completed the podium by securing third place with an average of 1:35.41.

David Spitzer added a gold medal of his own by topping the standings in the Pyraminx event. Navigating two rounds against 25 competitors, Spitzer posted a 4.97 winning average and a 3.51 single in the final. Joseph Nakajima earned the runner-up position with an average of 5.78 seconds, while Flores collected another podium placement by taking third with a 7.71 average.

Beneath the top podium battles, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones in this WCA competition. Mateo Alejandro Rodriguez lowered his 2x2x2 personal best to 2.92 seconds, representing a 53.6 percent improvement, and trimmed his Pyraminx mark to 7.51 seconds for a 40.6 percent drop. Kayden Gamble reduced his 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best by 45.3 percent down to 49.92 seconds and set a 2x2x2 best of 4.82. Leon Gabrielle P. Villaraza took on five events, earning a 4th-place finish in 5x5x5 with a first attempt of 1:55.72 and logging a first one-handed solve of 31.98. Alfonso Ligorio Silva Espino recorded a 6.34 2x2x2 mark for a 36.3 percent improvement alongside a first Pyraminx solve of 9.46.

Debutants and dedicated participants added genuine depth to the speed cubing drama at El Paso 2025. Alejandro Buenrostro entered his first tournament across five disciplines, registering initial official marks of 8.71 in 2x2x2, 13.22 in Pyraminx, and 1:45.89 in one-handed. Luis Montelongo debuted with four events, earning 5th place in Pyraminx with a 6.21 single and notching a 30.64 in 3x3x3. Francisco Javier Guemez Stone made his first appearances in four events, finishing 9th in 5x5x5 with a 2:39.92 attempt. Samuel Smith debuted across four events, finishing 5th in 5x5x5 and posting a 2.11 single in 2x2x2.

The international balance showed United States competitors claiming 12 podium spots while Mexico took three across the schedule. As speedcubing contenders look ahead to the second half of the year, this cubing competition provided clear proof of rising form and deep personal progress across the Southwest circuit.