Groundhog Day in Somerfield 2024

Fifteen competitors stepped up to the tables across 16 rounds of intense speedcubing action, turning the weekend into an unrelenting showcase of rapid progression. Groundhog Day in Somerfield 2024 took place over November 9 and 10 at the Somerfield Community Centre in Christchurch, New Zealand. Solvers tackled eight different events, testing everything from the classic Rubik's Cube to towering big cubes and mechanical novelties. With an intimate roster on hand, every round offered ample stage time for competitors to refine their craft, push their limits, and establish new high-water marks in standard tournament play.

The 3x3 results at the top of the standings were defined by Dwyane Ramos, who assembled an outstanding weekend across multiple disciplines. In the 3x3x3 Cube final, Ramos claimed victory with a winning average of 7.05 seconds, backed by a best single solve of 6.00 seconds. Jasper Murray pushed hard throughout the final, finishing second with a 7.26 average, while Connor Johnson secured third place with an average of 8.23. The brisk pace set the tone for the entire WCA competition, establishing a sharp standard at the very head of the field.

Ramos extended his mastery deep into the heavier puzzle lineup, stringing together first-place finishes with remarkable consistency. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Ramos won the title with a 48.51 average and a 45.03 single, holding off Murray in second at 51.79 and Finn Trass in third at 52.74. Moving to the 6x6x6 Cube, Ramos clocked a winning average of 1:32.36 and a 1:29.51 single, finishing ahead of Daniel Fraser at 2:19.91 and Johnson at 2:44.98. He completed his big-cube collection in the 7x7x7 Cube, posting an average of 2:46.78 and a 2:29.42 single, clear of Trass with 2:58.76 and Fraser with 3:51.86.

The one-handed discipline also belonged entirely to Ramos, who produced a winning 3x3x3 One-Handed average of 9.09 seconds alongside an 8.59 single solve. Murray earned runner-up honours with an 11.40 average, while Johnson stepped onto the podium in third place with 15.10. Across five different events, Ramos demonstrated complete command of both standard and complex hardware, ensuring his name remained at the very summit of the tournament rankings throughout the two days of competition in 2024.

Beyond the top podium steps, significant milestones unfolded right across the running order. Bryn Gordon tackled eight events and delivered a massive 6x6x6 Cube personal best of 3:21.17, which was 32.5 percent faster than his previous mark of 4:58.01, while also logging a personal best of 14.21 in 3x3x3 One-Handed and a fourth-place finish in 3x3x3 Cube. Ryan Lau entered eight disciplines, logging his first ever official attempt at 7x7x7 Cube with a 4:47.14 solve, a 28.1 percent improvement on 6x6x6 Cube to 2:40.36, and a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 1.26 that was 17.6 percent faster than his former best.

Joey Connor entered six events and cut his 5x5x5 Cube personal best by 16.2 percent down to 1:56.63, dropped his one-handed best to 25.81, and made his first ever official Clock attempt with a 26.34 solve. Jordan Harvey contested seven events, logging his first ever attempts at 6x6x6 Cube with 2:49.18 and 7x7x7 Cube with 5:43.87, along with an 11.6 percent 5x5x5 Cube personal best of 1:10.43. Jacob O'Callaghan improved his Pyraminx personal best by 10.5 percent to 3.48 and placed sixth in Clock. Zee Capangpangan lowered his Clock best to 5.84, a 9.5 percent improvement, Jayden Smith trimmed his 5x5x5 Cube mark to 2:35.15, and Jigs Ibarra took on three first-time events, posting his debut official marks in Clock at 48.79, 3x3x3 One-Handed at 1:00.57, and 2x2x2 Cube at 6.54.

Sprint events brought intense head-to-head racing to the venue floor. Connor Johnson captured first place in the 2x2x2 Cube with a winning average of 1.71 seconds and a 1.08 single solve, edging Murray at 2.14 and Cooper Jones at 2.15. In Clock, Johnson topped the leaderboard once more, turning in an average of 5.30 seconds and a best single of 4.78. Ramos took second place in Clock with 6.30, followed by Murray in third at 6.42. The Pyraminx final reversed the order at the top, as Murray secured victory with an average of 1.83 and a 1.08 single, finishing ahead of Johnson at 1.98 and Jones at 3.34.

The gathering proved to be a triumph of local speed cubing, with New Zealand competitors sweeping all 24 podium spots awarded over the course of the weekend. Groundhog Day in Somerfield 2024 stood out for its blend of elite precision from established winners and substantial time drops from solvers across the broader ranks. As the cubing competition wrapped up in Christchurch, New Zealand, the collection of new benchmarks provided plenty of momentum heading into the next chapter of the regional circuit.