Fleur-de-Lis Fall LA 2024

The competition floor inside the Denham Springs High School STEM and Robotics Center buzzed with focused energy as timers initialized and display mats filled up across several stations. Solvers rotated through marshaling queues while the familiar clatter of turning layers echoed throughout the facility. Denham Springs, Louisiana, USA served as the backdrop for a packed single-day schedule on September 14, bringing together a roster of 63 entrants ready to test their routines across 15 separate rounds.

Veteran competitors quickly found their rhythm at Fleur-de-Lis Fall LA 2024, demonstrating the composed technique that comes with tournament mileage. The main event featured a broad field of 62 contenders in the classic Rubik's Cube, but seasoned frontrunner Dylan Miller took control across three rounds of play. Miller captured first place in the 3x3x3 Cube with a winning average of 6.22 seconds, highlighted by a blistering 4.70 single. Teri McAcy placed second with an average of 7.01, while Noah Bass secured third at 9.06 to round out the 3x3 results.

Miller continued his steady form in the 4x4x4 Cube, which drew 38 participants over three elimination rounds. In a tight final group, Miller delivered a winning average of 30.11 and the event best single of 26.73 to claim the title. McAcy finished directly behind in second place with an average of 30.53, while RJ Gohn completed the top three with an average of 40.32. The disciplined performance underscored how familiar hands maintain consistency even under the strict time constraints of larger multi-layered puzzles.

The shorter formats saw Rowan Stough stage a masterclass in swift execution. Stough swept the 2x2x2 Cube across three rounds, posting a 1.65 winning average in the final round and recording a best single of 1.00. That event also saw McAcy land on the podium in second with a 2.09 average, while Miller took third at 2.40. Stough went on to earn a second gold in Skewb, topping a 33-person bracket across two rounds with an average of 4.98 seconds, staying ahead of runner-up RJ Gohn at 5.25 and third-place Peyton Tumy at 5.37.

Beyond the championship finals, the broader field delivered a wealth of breakthroughs that standard podium summaries often overlook. Brady Alden Frey achieved the most dramatic single-solve jump of the day, logging a 3x3x3 personal best of 48.96 seconds to improve by 73 percent over a previous 3:01.04 mark. Alex Wagner took on six events and achieved a 4.09 personal best in Skewb, 65.7 percent faster than before, while also recording a first ever Clock attempt at 16.31. Nayan Sai Janumpally entered six events, lowering their 2x2x2 personal best to 2.18 for a 60.7 percent drop, alongside a first Clock attempt of 12.37. Jax Cressend took on five events and posted a 6.47 Skewb personal best, improving by 56.1 percent.

Other competitors took their first strides into new categories and fresh tournament settings. David Dunaway Jr. registered a 5.57 personal best in 2x2x2, dropping 54.8 percent, and recorded a first Pyraminx attempt of 14.34. Graisyn Dale Marsh took on five events, earning a 5th place finish in 7x7x7 Cube with a first official attempt of 4:27.86 alongside a first Pyraminx solve of 7.81. Making their official debuts at a WCA competition, Louis Jon Lee completed three events including a 16.16 3x3x3 solve, while Grant Mertz stepped onto the floor for the first time across three events, notching a 23.10 3x3x3 single.

Peyton Tumy emerged on top in Pyraminx, outpacing 48 competitors over two rounds with a sharp 3.15 winning average and a 2.86 single. Seth Talbot took second place at 3.71, while McAcy added another medal with a 4.18 average for third. In the mechanical gear challenge of Clock, Gunner Engelsman led 26 competitors through a single round of action to finish first with a 4.76 average and a top single of 2.74, edging out Stough at 5.34 and Everett Flott at 6.25.

The heavy endurance test of the day came in the 7x7x7 Cube, where Teri McAcy converted consistent form into a victory over eight contenders, winning with a 2:52.55 average and a 2:46.78 single. Ordway Persyn followed in second place with a 3:24.73 average, while Seth Talbot secured third at 4:03.43. The variety across 7 events kept judges and organizers active throughout the entire program.

By the conclusion of Fleur-de-Lis Fall LA 2024, all 21 podium positions belonged to United States competitors, reflecting depth across every puzzle style. The Denham Springs gathering provided an ideal platform for both established figures and newer participants to measure their progress in 2024 speedcubing. As the speed cubing calendar moves forward, the high-caliber standard set in Louisiana offers plenty of momentum for the remainder of the tournament season.