Indiana Finally Returns 2023

A total of 113 competitors gathered at Herron-Riverside High School on February 25, 2023, turning Indiana Finally Returns 2023 into a grueling test of consistency across five distinct events. With 11 total rounds on the schedule, advancing through the elimination brackets required flawless execution from the opening scrambles. The deep turnout in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, meant even seasoned solvers faced immense pressure just to survive the early cuts. From the classic Rubik's Cube to towering big cubes, every round highlighted the intense level of modern speedcubing.

Nowhere was the depth of the field more demanding than in the 3x3x3 Cube, where all 113 competitors vied across three rigorous stages. Navigating through multiple rounds of speed cubing, Luke Garrett captured the title with a winning average of 5.49 seconds, anchored by the day's best single solve of 3.95 seconds. Henry Lichner pushed hard to claim the second step on the podium with an average of 6.88 seconds, narrowly edging Andrew Moy who finished third in 6.92 seconds. The final 3x3 results proved how narrow the margins were at the top.

Garrett duplicated his dominance in the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, leading a field of 78 competitors across two demanding rounds. Finishing with a winning average of 10.77 seconds and a best single of 9.84 seconds, Garrett secured his second gold of the weekend. Carter Kucala took second place with an average of 12.44 seconds, while Brody Lassner rounded out the podium in third with an average of 12.82 seconds. The physical demand of solving with a single hand tested the stamina of every participant on stage.

Big cubes brought heavy action to the venue, starting with the 5x5x5 Cube where 69 solvers battled over three separate rounds. Henry Lichner claimed victory with a winning average of 46.69 seconds and a standout best single of 44.42 seconds. Kate Grahame followed closely in second place with an average of 49.53 seconds, while Luke Garrett earned another podium finish by taking third place with a 52.53 average. The event showcased the intricate layer alignments and edge-pairing speed required at the highest tier of the discipline.

Kate Grahame owned the top of the podium in the two largest puzzles of the day. In the 6x6x6 Cube, which drew 53 competitors across two rounds, Grahame won with an average of 1:27.93 and a best single of 1:23.38. Henry Lichner trailed just behind in second at 1:28.43, and Carter Bitz took third in 1:38.10. In the single-round 7x7x7 Cube contest featuring 45 solvers, Grahame struck gold again with a winning average of 2:19.29, besting Lichner's 2:24.20 and Bitz's 2:29.52.

Behind the podium battles, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across the schedule. Tyler Gross took on five events, earning a 30th-place finish in the 7x7x7 Cube with a first official attempt of 5:43.40, while setting personal bests of 3:34.24 in the 6x6x6 Cube, which was 54.7 percent faster than before, and 1:53.77 in the 5x5x5 Cube, an improvement of 34.7 percent. Cooper Black cut 43.3 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube mark to achieve a 23.69 personal best and logged a first-ever 3x3x3 One-Handed solve of 1:07.49. Stevie Skelton improved by 40.1 percent in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 23.90 personal best and lowered his 3x3x3 Cube best by 26.6 percent to 12.94.

The personal achievements continued across various brackets. Ian Newman tackled five events, making his first 5x5x5 Cube attempt in 3:19.00 and cutting his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 26.6 percent down to 13.16 seconds. Alex Lengacher entered five events, recording his first 7x7x7 Cube solve at 4:45.88, his first 6x6x6 Cube attempt at 2:41.60, and a 5x5x5 Cube personal best of 1:18.00, which was 24.2 percent faster than his prior record. Hayden Thomas Willard logged a first 5x5x5 Cube mark of 3:18.85 alongside a 22.9 percent reduction in 3x3x3 One-Handed to 29.41 seconds. Luka Fowler posted first-time marks in 7x7x7 Cube at 5:19.86, 6x6x6 Cube at 3:53.30, and 5x5x5 Cube at 1:59.49. Sebastian Morber also completed five events, recording a 1:16.80 first attempt in 5x5x5 Cube, a 2:54.78 first attempt in 6x6x6 Cube, and a 5:07.87 first attempt in 7x7x7 Cube.

Every single podium place across all five events went to representatives from the United States, capping a unified weekend of domestic talent. From newcomers logging their first completed solves to seasoned champions posting world-class times, the single-day gathering tested endurance from start to finish. Indiana Finally Returns 2023 demonstrated the sheer depth present across the midwestern cubing competition circuit as solvers wrap up another memorable WCA competition.