Hillsboro Newcomers 2025

Inside the Hillsboro Public Library Brookwood, the steady rhythm of twisting plastic and the tap of timer pads filled the venue as tables bustled with activity. The gathering marked a classic cubing competition scene, where newcomers stepped up to the official mats alongside experienced hands. With 80 competitors assembling on March 22, 2025, the single-day meet in Hillsboro, Oregon, USA provided an accessible stage across four core events and eight rounds of play.

For many in the room, Hillsboro Newcomers 2025 was the gateway into official speedcubing. Debuting at a sanctioned WCA competition involves navigating the call to the staging area, presenting puzzles for scrambling, and managing the tension of the inspection period. The schedule featured tests on standard puzzles from the pocket cube up through the five-layered cube, offering everyone from brand-new entrants to seasoned solvers a complete day of speed cubing action.

A major contingent of developing solvers delivered remarkable breakthroughs throughout the day. Logan Nantz took on three events, logging a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube of 1:36.71, a first attempt at 2x2x2 Cube of 6.70, and a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 15.24 that improved on a previous mark of 27.33 by 44.2 percent. Felix Lamb trimmed his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 25.73, an improvement of 47.3 percent from 48.84, while also making a first official try at 2x2x2 Cube with a time of 5.17. Gavin Gurfinkel took eighth place in the 5x5x5 Cube while resetting multiple personal bests, including a 44.02 on the 4x4x4 Cube that dropped 40.8 percent from 1:14.35, an 8.97 on the 3x3x3 Cube, and a 1:21.15 on the 5x5x5 Cube. Jared Young entered all four events, earning a 22nd-place finish in 5x5x5 Cube with a debut mark of 2:14.89 alongside personal bests of 58.70 on the 4x4x4 Cube and 5.09 on the 2x2x2 Cube.

The surge of progress continued through several other competitors expanding their event repertoires. Kevin Uhl entered three disciplines, recording a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 1:32.12, a first 2x2x2 Cube solve of 4.92, and a 3x3x3 Cube mark of 13.84 to cut 26.7 percent from an earlier 18.89 standard. AJ Espiritu tackled four events to finish 18th in the 5x5x5 Cube with an initial attempt of 2:03.53 and set a first 4x4x4 Cube mark of 51.49. First-time tournament entrants also made immediate impacts across multiple disciplines: Davis Carter Priest took on four events to secure a 25th-place finish in the 5x5x5 Cube at 3:48.19 while adding first attempts of 21.00 on the 3x3x3 Cube and 1:42.16 on the 4x4x4 Cube. Hank Richmond similarly took on all four categories, recording a 26th-place finish in 5x5x5 Cube and registering initial attempts of 19.18 on the 3x3x3 Cube, 5.76 on the 2x2x2 Cube, and 3:08.56 on the 4x4x4 Cube.

The marquee Rubik's Cube contest drew 79 competitors through three rounds of sharp turns and precise execution. When the final round assembled, Hudson Allen Moore captured first place on the 3x3x3 Cube with a winning average of 7.44 and a best single of 6.82 for the United States. Benjamin Gottschalk secured the runner-up position with an average of 8.23, while Clancy Caster earned third place with a mark of 8.71. The 3x3 results capped a fiercely contested bracket that tested endurance from the preliminary stage to the last solve.

In the 2x2x2 Cube, 62 competitors vied across two rounds of rapid scrambles and instant completions. Ezra Severson claimed the victory for the United States with a winning average of 1.91 and a round-best single of 1.41. Viet Nguyen placed second with a 2.03 average, and Ian Cantius Fredric earned third place for India with a 2.80 average. The event also generated an extensive list of benchmark single and average times recorded across the preliminary round by competitors from both India and the United States.

The big cube brackets belonged to Quan Trần Thanh Lương, who swept the podium summits in both events for Vietnam. In the 4x4x4 Cube, which drew 44 competitors across two rounds, Lương posted a winning average of 33.46 and a best single of 31.51 to take top honours ahead of Benjamin Gottschalk with a 37.86 average and Clancy Caster with a 39.67 average. The control required on the four-layer puzzle proved decisive in separating the finalists across both rounds.

Lương followed up by taking first place in the 26-competitor 5x5x5 Cube final, logging a winning average of 1:00.33 alongside the event's top single solve of 58.49. Gottschalk claimed his third podium of the competition by taking second place with a 1:02.37 average, while Dwayne Joan Navarro Astudillo took third place with a time of 1:04.16. Across the four events, the United States accounted for nine podium spots, Vietnam earned two, and India captured one.

With all eight rounds concluded at the Hillsboro Public Library Brookwood, Hillsboro Newcomers 2025 fulfilled its mission of delivering a full tournament experience for seasoned competitors and debutants alike. As the timers were packed away, the personal milestones and official times entered the books, establishing a solid baseline for every solver looking toward upcoming dates on the circuit.