Fall Bozeman 2024

Jonathan Truchot delivered a commanding performance at Hyalite Elementary School, sweeping four individual disciplines to headline an action-packed day of competition. His most dominant showing arrived in the 3x3x3 Cube final, where he posted a winning average of 9.22 seconds and a best single of 8.05. Across three rounds of standard Rubik's Cube solving, Truchot maintained a blistering pace that left the rest of the 33-competitor field chasing his marks. Caleb Surdock secured the runner-up spot with an average of 10.92 seconds, while Lucas Chandler Moorehead earned third place with an average of 11.49.

While high-level solving often evokes the quiet calculation of puzzle analysis, the speed cubing scene in Bozeman, Montana, USA relied on rapid mechanical precision and instant execution. Held on November 16, 2024, Fall Bozeman 2024 brought together local enthusiasts and regional talents for a packed schedule spanning 7 events and 13 total rounds. The single-day WCA competition showcased a broad spread of disciplines ranging from the tiny 2x2x2 Cube all the way up to large-cube endurance and blindfolded solving.

Truchot was far from finished after collecting his victory in the 3x3 results. He translated his speed directly onto the bigger layers, capturing first place in the 4x4x4 Cube with an average of 30.35 seconds after recording a single of 26.43. Lucas Chandler Moorehead followed in second at 40.77 seconds, and Tye Gorder took third in 42.40. Truchot then conquered the 5x5x5 Cube, where he was the only competitor to break the minute mark, winning in an average of 58.08 seconds ahead of Gorder with 1:25.31 and Luke Meszar with 1:30.90.

To cap off a standout weekend, Truchot took home his fourth victory in Square-1, recording a final average of 17.04 seconds and a best single of 14.11 across two rounds. Luke Meszar captured the second spot on the podium with a 30.63 average, while Yura Trilisky rounded out the top three with 38.78. Truchot also claimed a pair of second-place finishes during the event, confirming his presence in almost every major podium race on the schedule.

Tye Gorder emerged as the other primary protagonist of the day, securing two individual victories of his own. In the fast-paced 2x2x2 Cube event, Gorder posted a winning average of 2.71 seconds alongside a best single of 1.64 to edge out Truchot, who placed second with an average of 3.77, and Moorehead in third with 4.08. Gorder then demonstrated his mastery of complex geometry by winning the Megaminx with an average of 1:10.48, besting Truchot's 1:12.12 and Meszar's 1:25.77 in a tight single-round contest.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several solvers posted massive breakthroughs across multiple events. Ridge Linford dropped his 2x2x2 Cube personal best down to 2.39 seconds, an improvement of 53 percent over his previous mark of 5.08, while also making his first ever attempt at the 4x4x4 Cube in 1:37.56. Dustin Jacobson tackled six events, logging his first official attempts at Megaminx in 2:33.39 and Square-1 in 39.26, while carving 26.2 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube best with a 15.67 single. Owen Emory Stark cut 24.1 percent off his standard cube personal best with a 12.48 and dropped his Megaminx mark by 20.4 percent down to 2:05.61. Anthony Warren improved his 2x2x2 Cube single by 24.4 percent to 3.44 seconds and made his first Square-1 attempt in 33.79.

The depth of progress continued through the rest of the roster as solvers took on demanding new formats. Ryder Simms improved his 5x5x5 Cube personal best by 25 percent to 2:47.90 and dropped his 2x2x2 mark by 34 percent to 4.95 seconds. Landon Linford logged his first ever attempts at both the 4x4x4 Cube with 1:52.57 and the 5x5x5 Cube with 3:04.89, finishing 7th in 2x2x2. Sam Noland sliced 26.2 percent off his 5x5x5 personal best with a 1:58.89, while newcomer Alex Mueller completed their first WCA competition by taking 8th in the main event and recording a debut 3x3x3 single of 13.36 seconds.

The weekend concluded with the intense mental test of the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event, which requires total memorisation before attempting execution without sight. Roger D. Persons stood alone as the sole competitor to log a successful solve, winning the event with a single time of 8:35.28 after three other finalists registered DNFs. The performance provided a memorable finish to an intense cubing competition.

With 22 podium positions claimed by competitors from the host nation, Fall Bozeman 2024 served as a vibrant showcase for regional speedcubing talent in the Mountain West. The mix of multi-event dominance from Truchot and Gorder alongside dozens of personal bests proved that the community continues to grow in speed and depth as the season moves forward.