Helena 2024

Twenty competitors gathered in East Helena, Montana, USA on April 13, 2024, for an action-packed day across fourteen rounds of play. Staged at Eastgate Elementary School, Helena 2024 brought regional talent and international speedcubing contenders together under one roof. Leading the charge for the domestic lineup was Lucas Chandler Moorehead, who put together an exceptional multi-discipline display on home soil. Across nine official events, the field battled through a full schedule of puzzles, celebrating local pride alongside high-level technical execution.

Lucas Chandler Moorehead delivered an outstanding series of podium finishes that delighted the Montana crowd. In the marquee 3x3x3 Cube event, he secured second place with a rapid 9.70 average across three rounds, trailing only tournament champion Clément Cherblanc of France who won in 9.36. Moorehead was a constant presence near the top of the standings all afternoon, taking second place in the 2x2x2 Cube with a 3.39 average and adding bronze-medal finishes in the 4x4x4 Cube, 6x6x6 Cube, 7x7x7 Cube, and Clock events to complete a remarkable haul.

The 3x3 results formed the centerpiece of the program as twenty solvers took on the classic Rubik's Cube. Clément Cherblanc captured the gold with a 9.36 winning average and a round-best 8.04 single, while Moorehead claimed silver with 9.70 and Tye Gorder took bronze with a 9.99 mark. The tight margins between the top three solvers highlighted the quality of the speed cubing on display, with Gorder joining Moorehead to ensure two United States competitors stood on the final 3x3 podium.

Beyond the main event, Clément Cherblanc authored a comprehensive sweep across every category offered at Helena 2024. The French standout secured victories in nine separate events, including a 2.99 average in the 2x2x2 Cube, a 36.02 average on the 4x4x4 Cube, and an 8.00 average in Clock. Cherblanc added triumphs in the large cubes with a 1:57.54 average in 6x6x6 and 3:20.87 in 7x7x7, while also winning the Megaminx with a 55.79 average, the 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with 28 moves, and the 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 1:36.73 single.

International visitors Laura Plourde of Canada and Thomas Pierroz of Switzerland also made their mark on the podium standings throughout the competition. Plourde earned second place in Clock with a 12.43 average and captured third in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a solution of 46 moves. Pierroz secured second place in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a mark of 40 moves and claimed bronze in the 2x2x2 Cube with a 3.66 average, adding diversity to the medal distribution alongside the fifteen podium finishes achieved by United States competitors.

Behind the top tier of the results sheet, numerous competitors achieved major personal milestones on the tournament floor. Dan Noland produced one of the most dramatic drops of the day, lowering his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 8.95, which was 41.6 percent faster than his previous mark, while also recording his first ever attempt at the 3x3x3 Cube with a 57.22 single. Trenton Dell entered six disciplines, cutting his 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 18.7 percent down to 1:37.95 and making his first career attempts in both the 6x6x6 Cube at 6:15.18 and the 7x7x7 Cube at 13:39.00.

Wilson Littman enjoyed an outstanding afternoon across four events, setting personal bests in the 2x2x2 Cube with 3.40, the 4x4x4 Cube with 59.83, and the 3x3x3 Cube with 9.88, which improved his previous best by 11.2 percent. Owen Emory Stark lowered his 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 17.8 percent to 1:17.34 and set a new Megaminx best of 2:38.53. Sam Noland took on seven events, recording first attempts in the 4x4x4 Cube at 1:17.81, the 6x6x6 Cube at 6:15.18, and the 7x7x7 Cube at 10:45.00, while Caleb Surdock logged his first Clock attempt at 23.44 and improved his Megaminx personal best to 2:02.24.

Several newcomers stepped forward to make their official debuts at this WCA competition. Bruno Flowers competed in five events for the first time, notching a 7.58 in 2x2x2 Cube, a 1:34.19 in 4x4x4 Cube, a 39.30 in Clock, and a seventh-place finish in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves. Jackson Olmes took on three events in his first tournament appearance, finishing sixth in Clock with a 22.25 single while posting a 32.23 in 3x3x3 Cube and a 6.91 in 2x2x2 Cube to cap a memorable initial outing.

The 2024 edition of Helena 2024 concluded as a memorable showcase of skill, community spirit, and competitive drama at Eastgate Elementary School. From Moorehead giving the local fans plenty of reasons to celebrate across multiple podium finishes to the sweep engineered by Cherblanc, the cubing competition delivered highlights across every format. With both seasoned contenders and fresh newcomers testing their limits, the event underlined the vibrant growth of the regional scene in Montana heading into the next competitive cycle.