FSUbers 7.0 2024

Inside the Student Services Building at Florida State University, tables buzzed with the rhythmic clicking of plastic mechanisms and the low murmur of shared solve breakdowns. Between scheduled heats, participants gathered in tight circles across the hall, trading scrambles, inspecting hardware modifications, and catching up with friends who had traveled from all over the region. Over the weekend of September 7 to September 8, the Tallahassee, Florida, USA venue served as a bustling hub where the social fabric of the speedcubing community stood on equal footing with the intense stopwatch action at the competition tables.

A total of 103 competitors came together to take on 11 distinct events spread across 22 rounds at FSUbers 7.0 2024. For those following the classic Rubik's Cube chase, the three rounds of the headliner delivered tight margins right down to the final solves. Nicolás Sánchez captured the 3x3x3 Cube title with a winning average of 7.07 seconds, edging out Caleb Chen who posted a 7.27 mark, while Tommy Cherry claimed third step on the podium at 8.02. The official 3x3 results reflected just how compressed the top of the field was, with Sánchez also claiming the quickest single solve of the final round at 6.91 seconds.

Sánchez continued his dominant form in the smaller formats, adding a second major victory in the 2x2x2 Cube. In that final, he posted a winning average of 1.53 seconds along with a round-best 1.29 single, again staying ahead of Caleb Chen whose 2.00 average earned second place, and Noah Swor who locked up third with a 2.09. The fast-paced format saw 94 competitors enter the opening round, making it the second most popular bracket of the entire weekend.

The program also highlighted alternate disciplines where Tommy Cherry put on an exceptional multi-event display. In Clock, Cherry claimed the top spot with a 4.32 average and a 3.26 single, holding off Caleb Chen at 4.58 and Justin Barker at 5.27. Cherry followed that success in Skewb, taking first place with a 4.21 average over Swor at 5.25 and Barker at 5.26. He also conquered the 3x3x3 Blindfolded division with an 18.21 single and a 19.50 average across two rounds, proving the value of deep memorisation routines in Tallahassee.

Specialist events broadened the scope of the cubing competition as Caleb Chen secured the 3x3x3 One-Handed crown with a sharp 11.56 average and a 9.38 single, topping Cherry at 13.30 and Swor at 14.57. Square-1 saw Noah Swor rise to the top with a winning average of 7.86 seconds ahead of Sebastian Amador and Cherry. Big cubes were swept by Sean Hartman, who captured first place in both the 6x6x6 Cube with a 1:40.50 average and the 7x7x7 Cube with a 2:40.31 mark, demonstrating remarkable stamina over prolonged, high-turn solves.

Away from the top of the podium, FSUbers 7.0 2024 served as a breakthrough stage for competitors tackling brand new challenges and setting personal milestones. Gordon McLeod achieved a massive 51.5 percent drop on his 2x2x2 Cube personal best, lowering it to 7.55 seconds while also trimming his 3x3x3 Cube best to 24.69. Vishal Choudary Pamulapati shaved 48.2 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube best down to 3.03 seconds and made his first official attempts in both 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 16.29 and Square-1 with a 27.36. Ben Kazee logged a 44.9 percent improvement in Clock down to 6.22 seconds alongside his first Skewb attempt of 9.22, while Damodar Kaul dropped his 3x3x3 Cube best to 22.44 seconds and tried Skewb for the first time with a 13.47 mark.

Other competitors took on demanding schedules across multiple formats. Wesley Twiggs entered 9 events during the weekend, earning a 13th place finish in 3x3x3 One-Handed while recording his first official solves in Skewb at 6.60, 2x2x2 Cube at 2.37, and 6x6x6 Cube at 4:44.68. Alden Ellington competed across 8 disciplines, placing 15th in Skewb and registering his first official marks in Clock at 18.16, 7x7x7 Cube at 9:04.26, and Skewb at 6.04. Evan Bewley took on 6 events and secured 10th in 2x2x2 Cube while trying Square-1 for the first time with a 45.40, and David Khazraee improved his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 4.53 seconds while logging his first official times in One-Handed and Clock.

The blindfolded categories tested concentration to the limit in 2024, concluding with high-stakes single solves. In 4x4x4 Blindfolded, Noah Swor secured victory with an impressive single time of 1:46.01, outpacing Hartman at 5:48.14 and Coleton Pleiss at 9:59.42. The 5x5x5 Blindfolded event saw Tommy Cherry finish in first place with a single solve of 6:03.25, while Hartman claimed second with 12:55.00, capping off a weekend of complex spatial puzzles.

By the time the final timers were packed away, the 2024 gathering demonstrated the sheer breadth of modern speed cubing, with all 34 podium positions claimed by USA competitors. The event blended elite execution across standard and blindfolded events with meaningful personal progress for dozens of entrants. As participants said their goodbyes across the Florida State University campus, FSUbers 7.0 2024 closed as a memorable WCA competition defined by shared enthusiasm and technical skill.