Grand Rapids Cubes 2024

Elijah Layne secured the headline 3x3x3 Cube title with a 9.72 winning average, clinching the event over Elliott Perkins who finished close behind at 9.92. The action took place on August 18, 2024, at 6th Street Hall in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. Behind the scenes, the tireless efforts of local organizers, delegates, and community volunteers kept the tournament flowing seamlessly across twelve rounds of play, providing a well-structured stage for all fifty-eight competitors who gathered for the full-day showdown.

Running a smooth cubing competition takes precise scheduling and committed staff, from scramble tables to judging stations. Thanks to the dedicated crew on site, Grand Rapids Cubes 2024 moved efficiently through six different official events. The organizers managed a busy room full of timers, display mats, and score sheets, ensuring that participants could focus entirely on their solves while family members and fellow solvers looked on throughout the day.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube bracket featured fifty-seven competitors battling through three full rounds. In the decisive final, Elijah Layne turned in a best single of 8.76 on the way to his 9.72 average. Elliott Perkins took the runner-up spot on the podium at 9.92, while Thomas Grahor rounded out the top three with an average of 9.95. The official 3x3 results demonstrated intense speedcubing skill at the upper tier, with less than a quarter of a second separating the entire top trio.

Gabriel Williams V had an outstanding day across multiple formats, earning a pair of tournament victories. In 3x3x3 Blindfolded, Williams claimed first place with a single time of 24.05, outperforming Cameron Cook who clocked 35.52 for second, and Justin Sui who completed the podium in 1:26.62. Williams followed up that success in the Clock event, capturing another gold with a winning average of 5.19, edging out Thomas Grahor at 5.52 and Micah David Theis at 6.01 over two rounds.

The larger puzzles and side events also produced great matchups across the venue. Ansel de Jong paced the 4x4x4 Cube competition with a winning average of 38.43, holding off Hunter Mackler who averaged 40.05 and Logan Bellinger at 40.91. In Pyraminx, Micah David Theis averaged 2.22 to seize the top step over Thomas Grahor at 2.50 and Cyrus Gearhart at 3.24. Meanwhile, Linus Vork took first place in Skewb with a 3.50 average, finishing ahead of Hunter Mackler at 3.85 and Liam Cook at 4.16.

Beyond the top podium steps, the tournament served as an important proving ground for emerging talent. Alek Ruzicka demonstrated massive growth by cutting their Pyraminx mark down to 5.26, an improvement of 68.8 percent over their previous best, while also slicing their 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 27.65. Jolene Nguyen entered five separate events, logging a first official Clock attempt of 18.74, a first 4x4x4 Cube solve of 1:10.00, and trimming her Pyraminx personal record to 7.80, a 38.7 percent drop.

Several other competitors expanded their event repertoires significantly throughout the day. Evan Tamlyn dropped his Pyraminx best by 42 percent to 6.29 and made his first Clock run in 16.84, while Logan Sicilia recorded a 1:08.52 in his first 4x4x4 Cube attempt and lowered his 3x3x3 Cube mark to 10.88. Ava Lankford entered three events, recording a first Pyraminx solve of 7.19 and improving her classic Rubik's Cube best by 35.6 percent to 14.48. Miles Thompson tackled six events, logging his first official Clock time of 22.13. Debutants Canaan Melton and Eunhyeok Kim both completed their very first WCA competition appearances, with Melton posting a 7.53 Pyraminx single and Kim notching a 19.52 on the 3x3x3 Cube.

The single-day event highlighted the healthy state of speed cubing in the region, bringing together newcomers and experienced competitors under one roof. With eighteen podium spots claimed across six disciplines, the gathering in Grand Rapids concluded as a testament to the organizers and volunteers who make grassroots speedcubing events possible year after year.