High Plains Solving 2023

Inside Strasburg High School, the rhythmic click of plastic mechanisms and the steady thud of timers reset on competition mats set the tempo for the day. Tables filled early as solvers from across the region gathered in Strasburg, Colorado, USA, preparing their puzzles under the gym lights. High Plains Solving 2023 opened on February 12, 2023, bringing together a field of 69 competitors for a demanding schedule that spanned six disciplines and 14 separate rounds across a single day.

The competitive tension peaked sharply in the mean-of-3 format, where the margin for error effectively vanished. Unlike the standard average-of-5 where a competitor can discard their worst attempt, 3x3x3 Blindfolded demanded absolute perfection across every single solve. A single misremembered corner or miscounted edge cycle ruins the entire three-solve tally. In an event requiring total memorisation before dropping the blindfold, one mistimed fingertip turns an entire round into a failure.

Brayden Wroten mastered that exact pressure to take victory in 3x3x3 Blindfolded. Navigating the 17-competitor field, Wroten secured the title with a winning average of 1:05.98 and a top single of 1:01.18. Stone Amsbaugh claimed the second podium spot with an average of 1:09.13, while Elizabeth Cutting took third place at 1:14.13. Wroten delivered three solid solves without recording a did-not-finish, demonstrating the composure needed when every turn counts directly toward the final score.

Wroten continued to dominate the table in the other non-standard formats throughout the speedcubing gathering. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, a single-round contest featuring 40 entrants, Wroten took top honors with an average of 14.90 and a best single of 12.88, finishing ahead of Oliver Michael Sitja Sichel at 16.81 and Daniel Mullen at 16.89. Wroten added a third victory in Skewb across three rounds, posting a winning average of 2.84 and a single of 2.04 to outpace Liam Finn McCool Kelly and Sitja Sichel.

Away from the top steps of the podium, personal progression drove the energy on the floor. Dhakshin M. Ramalingam dropped their 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 3.04, an improvement of 74.5 percent over their prior mark of 11.94, while also improving their Skewb best to 12.46. Samuel McGee took on five events, shaving 70.6 percent off their 2x2x2 Cube best with a 1.81 single, cutting their Clock mark to 15.58, and registering an 11.79 on their first ever attempt at Skewb. Alex Howell contested five events, establishing a Clock baseline at 31.34 and improving their 2x2x2 Cube single by 47.8 percent to 3.69. Cameron Popp trimmed their Skewb best by 44.2 percent down to 3.82 and cut their 3x3x3 One-Handed mark to 46.32.

That drive extended across new entrants and established solvers exploring unfamiliar disciplines at this WCA competition. Renn Gilbert recorded a 20.29 in 3x3x3 One-Handed, a 52.3 percent leap over their previous 42.56, while setting a new 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 9.97. Finn Eccles lowered their 3x3x3 Cube best to 19.20, an improvement of 43.1 percent, and logged a 14.00 in their first ever attempt at Skewb. Tyler Sellin tackled five events, finishing 14th in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 23.51 personal best and taking on Clock for the first time with a 24.24 single. Colton Schluter took the floor for their first WCA competition, entering five events and posting initial competition marks of 6.67 on 2x2x2 Cube, 8.67 on Skewb, and 38.62 on Clock.

The rotational challenge of Clock brought another clean contest across three rounds of play among 44 participants. Daniel Mullen secured the top position with a winning average of 5.39 and a single of 5.25. Miles Walcott finished runner-up with an average of 6.70, while Raymos Castillo completed the podium in third place at 7.04. Walcott found the top of the podium later in the 2x2x2 Cube final, winning the event with an average of 2.94 and a single of 1.63, narrowly edging Mullen at 3.07 and Wroten at 3.37.

The premier classic Rubik's Cube event capped off the schedule with 69 competitors battling across three elimination rounds. The final 3x3 results confirmed Oliver Michael Sitja Sichel as the champion, taking first place with an average of 7.66 and the day's overall best single of 6.26. Wroten secured second place with an 8.27 average, while Jack Bellomy took third with an 8.88 average in the all-American podium sweep.

Across every bracket, the speed cubing showcase highlighted the balance of precision and speed required to survive multi-round formats. From the razor-thin margins of blindfolded execution to the fast-paced scrambles of the traditional cube, High Plains Solving 2023 offered a comprehensive test of nerve and skill for every competitor involved.