Ephrata Fall 2025

The competition floor inside Alive Church Ephrata bustled with focused energy as timers clicked and inspection clocks ran down. A packed gathering of 87 competitors assembled for a demanding single-day schedule across five events and 11 total rounds. In an environment where tiny fractions of a second separated round progression from an early exit, navigating the brackets required absolute consistency from the very first scramble in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, USA on September 27, 2025.

Ephrata Fall 2025 showcased the sheer depth of talent present in the regional speedcubing community. The classic 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube drew 85 entrants, forcing competitors through three intense rounds of speed cubing to reach the podium. Emerging on top of the premier event was Kavin Prince, who delivered a winning average of 7.73 seconds alongside the tournament's fastest single solve of 6.75 seconds. Fiona Bao pushed Prince hard to claim second place with a 7.89 average, while Casey Ding rounded out the top three at 7.95 in a very tight finish.

The 3x3 results formed only one part of an extensive schedule that tested different solving mechanics and puzzle styles. Kyle Meade emerged as a double winner during the weekend, showcasing remarkable speed across both geometric and twisty challenges. Meade secured top honors in the 2x2x2 Cube with a 2.04 winning average, besting Jomar Hidalgo at 2.18 and Fiona Bao at 2.42. That event saw 78 hopefuls, creating another massive preliminary cut where competitors had to be near flawless to advance.

Meade continued his strong form in Pyraminx, leading a 69-person field across three rounds to take victory with a stellar 1.60 average and a best single of 1.33 seconds. Yuki Nagai finished as runner-up with an average of 1.93, followed by Livia Kleiner in third at 2.14. Meade also added a third-place finish in Clock with an average of 5.40, underscoring a versatile performance that yielded three podium placements across the tournament.

Fiona Bao matched that multi-event excellence by collecting two titles of her own. In Clock, Bao outpaced 45 competitors over two rounds, winning the final with an average of 4.06 seconds and logging the round's best single at 2.78. Yuki Nagai took second with 4.72, just ahead of Meade. Bao then conquered the 37-person field in the 5x5x5 Cube, recording a winning mark of 51.79 seconds and the quickest single solve at 48.88. Meade placed second at 53.26 and Kleiner finished third at 57.60.

Away from the top of the podium, the open bracket allowed numerous competitors to achieve significant personal breakthroughs. Calvin Libson delivered one of the largest leaps of the day, logging a Pyraminx personal best of 3.90 seconds, which was 61.3 percent faster than his previous standard of 10.07, while also making his first attempt at Clock with an 18.75. Michael Gilbert improved his 3x3x3 Cube benchmark by 48.3 percent down to 23.15 seconds, and recorded first attempts in 2x2x2 Cube with 7.44 and Pyraminx with 10.14. Charlie Lampart cut his 3x3x3 Cube best by 47.1 percent to 16.01 and his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 40.2 percent to 5.47, alongside a first Pyraminx solve of 10.99.

Bennett Robertson advanced his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 47.5 percent to 3.73 seconds, tackled Clock for the first time with a 22.98, and placed 34th in 5x5x5 Cube. Ryan Kusterer took on three events, dropping his 2x2x2 Cube best by 40.3 percent to 5.71 seconds, his 3x3x3 Cube time by 33.1 percent to 23.40, and completing a first Pyraminx solve of 11.53. Hudson Newpower improved his Pyraminx best by 39.1 percent down to 8.54 seconds while posting first official attempts in 2x2x2 Cube and Clock. Andrew Nash dropped his 3x3x3 Cube time by 34.5 percent to 43.24 seconds, while first-time tournament participant Luke Meuleners entered five events, recording initial times of 5.50 in 2x2x2 Cube, 29.33 in 3x3x3 Cube, and placing 34th in 5x5x5 Cube.

With 15 total podium spots collected across five puzzle disciplines, the event highlighted the immense concentration of talent in Pennsylvania. Every final round proved demanding, with large preliminary numbers pushing participants to their limits at this cubing competition. As the year 2025 proceeds, the high level of execution seen at this WCA competition demonstrated that advancing deep into any puzzle category requires both nerves and sharp execution under pressure.