Empire State Side Events 2024

Twenty-one competitors assembled at the Albany Capital Center on March 24, 2024, stepping directly into an intense single-day slate that signaled a pivotal moment in the competitive calendar. As early-season preparation shifts toward major championships, smaller specialty fixtures offer participants a critical proving ground. Empire State Side Events 2024 embraced that role fully, delivering fourteen rounds across six distinct disciplines in Albany, New York, USA. The targeted program gave contenders a focused platform to refine complex solves under full tournament pressure before the summer rush begins.

The 3x3x3 Cube contest stood at the center of the weekend, drawing nineteen entrants across two demanding rounds. Aaron Jake Wong captured the title with a tournament-best average of 7.46 seconds, alongside the event best single of 6.54 seconds. Elijah Rain Phelps claimed the runner-up position with an average of 9.26 seconds, while Joseph Guzman rounded out the podium in third place at 9.56 seconds. The 3x3 results served as a reliable benchmark for standard Rubik's Cube speed, demonstrating sharp execution and smooth transitions from the leading finalists in the capital district.

Phelps emerged as one of the most prolific performers throughout the cubing competition, securing podium finishes across four separate categories. In Square-1, Phelps took the victory with a 7.48 average and a best single of 6.22 seconds across three competitive rounds. Wong secured second place with an 11.59 average, followed by Alexei Sinyavin in third with 13.61 seconds. Phelps also secured second place in Clock with a 6.27 average, trailing only Angelo Terpening, who captured the event with a winning average of 5.79 seconds. Ethan Zhuang completed the Clock podium in third place with a 6.49 mark.

The Megaminx tables saw Nicolas Naing produce an authoritative display over three rounds, posting a winning average of 31.27 seconds and the fastest single solve of the event at 28.49 seconds. Sinyavin earned another top-three finish by taking second place with a 33.56 average, while Declan Wilhelm claimed third place with 43.40 seconds. In Skewb, Saisabari Ramesh delivered consistent speed across three rounds to take first place with a 3.69 average and a 2.63 single. Zhuang followed in second at 4.37 seconds, while Phelps added another top finish in third at 5.61 seconds.

The 5x5x5 Blindfolded discipline introduced an unforgiving test of memorization and execution, requiring complete recall of complex piece positions without visual cues. Four competitors took on the challenge in Albany, but only Evan Liu successfully registered a full mean, securing first place with a winning average of 12:13.00 and a best single time of 11:03.00. Fellow entrants Ramesh, Guzman, and Kevin Liu were unable to complete their attempts, highlighting the severe difficulty that defines blindfolded big-cube events at any WCA competition.

Beyond the top podium steps, significant individual progress unfolded across every station. Ethan Qiu highlighted the weekend with massive time drops, improving his Skewb personal best to 4.41 seconds, which was 56.1 percent faster than his prior mark, while trimming his Square-1 best to 29.88 seconds, a 40.4 percent reduction. Qiu also completed his first ever attempt at Megaminx with a time of 2:10.28 across five events. Brando Fusco took on five disciplines, achieving a personal best of 1:35.56 in Megaminx, 26.2 percent faster than before, alongside a Square-1 personal best of 28.14 seconds, a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 12.83 seconds, and a fourth-place finish in Skewb. Clem Tucker entered five categories, setting a Megaminx personal best of 1:24.57 that was 26.1 percent faster, a Square-1 personal best of 14.92 seconds, and a Clock personal best of 3.92 seconds on the way to fourth place.

William Krebs entered four events and posted a Clock personal best of 14.85 seconds, an improvement of 16.5 percent over his previous standard. Edward Habeck IV tackled five events and recorded a personal best of 1:08.72 in Megaminx, 10.8 percent faster than his previous best, while adding a Clock personal best of 4.48 seconds and a Square-1 personal best of 20.24 seconds to place seventh in Megaminx. Zachary Miller competed in five categories and took fifth place in Skewb. Benjamin Epstein completed four events, recording a first ever attempt at Clock with a time of 22.49 seconds. Ian Yu Farley made their speedcubing debut at their first WCA competition, recording a first ever attempt at the 3x3x3 Cube in 22.85 seconds.

With all nineteen podium positions claimed by United States competitors, Empire State Side Events 2024 offered an extensive snapshot of the discipline required across specialty formats. From single-second sprint turnings on Clock and Skewb to the prolonged focus demanded by large blindfolded puzzles, the gathering demonstrated the technical depth present across modern speed cubing. As the 2024 season progresses toward summer, the times logged in Albany establish a strong baseline for competitors preparing for larger stages and stiffer regional tests ahead.