Empire State NxN 2024

Inside the halls of the Albany Capital Center, stacks of matching cubic puzzles sat neatly aligned on timing stations as judges reset displays and smoothed out timer mats. Solvers paced behind the waiting tables, warming their hands on plastic layers and studying scrambles under bright indoor lighting. The single-day schedule gathered a focused roster of 28 competitors ready to run through pure twisty puzzle disciplines, from rapid two-layered sprints to taxing big-cube marathons, setting an intense atmosphere in Albany, New York, USA.

The fiercest battle of the entire weekend materialized in the 2x2x2 Cube final, where the gap across the podium was razor thin. Evan Liu secured first place with an average of 2.50 seconds, holding off Evan Waters, who finished second at 2.77 seconds. Just thirteen hundredths of a second behind Waters came Livia Kleiner in third place with an average of 2.90 seconds. With only four tenths of a second separating the entire top three, the event delivered the tightest finish of the tournament.

The 2x2x2 Cube event spanned three rounds and 19 competitors, creating plenty of quick single attempts before the final settled the medal order. Anthony J. Pranzo locked in the best single of the event at 2.14 seconds, edging out the 2.14 single Evan Liu managed across his winning sets. Evan Waters recorded a single of 1.63 seconds earlier in the bracket, while Livia Kleiner delivered a single of 1.64 seconds. The high pace of the short format demanded total precision, as any slight hesitation reshuffled positions instantly.

The classic Rubik's Cube drew all 28 entrants across three full rounds of head-to-head speedcubing. In the final, Evan Liu captured his second victory of the day by recording an average of 8.84 seconds, alongside the competition's best single of 7.44 seconds. Louis Truong took second place on the podium with an average of 9.47 seconds, followed closely by Jesse Hartnett in third at 9.51 seconds. These 3x3 results capped a demanding multi-round contest at the core of the cubing competition schedule.

Beyond the main podium races, several participants delivered huge individual milestones that elevated their standing. Anthony J. Pranzo took on 2 events and posted a massive 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 2.14 seconds, an improvement of 41 percent over his previous mark of 3.63, while also earning 4th in 3x3x3 Cube. Clark Baverstock brought his 3x3x3 Cube personal best down to 16.03 seconds from 20.20, an improvement of 20.6 percent, and completed his first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube with a 5.58. Arjun Ragalwar dropped his 4x4x4 Cube mark by 22.1 percent to 2:22.12. Yechiel Segal tackled all 6 events, lowering his 5x5x5 Cube mark by 14.5 percent to 2:19.72 while logging first ever attempts in both the 6x6x6 Cube at 5:45.26 and the 7x7x7 Cube at 11:20.00.

Fresh debuts and heavy event lineups brought further depth to the floor. Liliana Pranzo entered 4 events, taking 10th in 5x5x5 Cube while making first ever attempts at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:02.67, 2x2x2 Cube in 4.53, and 5x5x5 Cube in 2:20.87. Julian Rose registered a 6x6x6 Cube best of 3:10.06, an 8 percent cut from 3:26.49, alongside a 3x3x3 Cube best of 9.77 seconds. Caden Hubbell took 12th in 5x5x5 Cube and cut his 4x4x4 Cube best by 18.5 percent down to 56.30 seconds. Lucas Yang took part in his first WCA competition, tackling 4 events and establishing initial marks including 4.57 on 2x2x2 Cube, 9:31.04 on 4x4x4 Cube, and 13:58.00 on 5x5x5 Cube.

The big cubes belonged largely to Livia Kleiner, who mounted an exceptional campaign across the larger hardware. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Kleiner took the top spot across two rounds with an average of 31.90 seconds and a single of 27.20 seconds, finishing ahead of Evan Liu in second at 34.88 and Louis Truong in third at 40.48. Moving up to the 5x5x5 Cube, Kleiner won with an average of 1:00.08, once again beating Liu, who posted 1:03.12, and Jesse Hartnett, who took third in 1:09.99.

The 6x6x6 Cube brought another direct clash at the front between the two leading contenders. Evan Liu captured the title with an average of 1:42.55 and a single of 1:32.78, holding off Kleiner who took second place at 1:44.36, while Daniel I. Rice earned third with an average of 2:35.81. Kleiner returned to claim the top podium step in the 7x7x7 Cube, putting together an average of 2:24.37 and a single of 2:18.81. Liu secured second place at 2:49.89, and Truong collected third with 3:53.73.

By the conclusion of the 11 rounds, United States competitors filled all 18 podium positions across the 6 events held throughout June 2, 2024. The dedicated speed cubing program gave specialists and newcomers an uncompromising proving ground across every cubic dimension. With balanced titles split between the leading pair and dozens of personal barriers broken on the floor, Empire State NxN 2024 finished as a showcase of consistency under pressure.