Just Solve in Johnsonville 2025

Thirty-two seconds and four hundredths of a second was all Alexander Vujcich required to secure the Megaminx title, setting a formidable tone across the weekend in Wellington, New Zealand. While standard speedcubing contests often revolve around the classic Rubik's Cube, this one-day WCA competition showcased how diverse side disciplines can command the spotlight. Held on January 25, 2025 at the Johnsonville Community Centre, the event welcomed 52 competitors across 14 packed rounds of competition. The twelve-sided Megaminx provided an exacting test of endurance and spatial awareness, demanding far more turning than cubic puzzles.

Behind Vujcich in the Megaminx final, James Macdiarmid claimed second place with a solid 40.89 average, while Jack McDougall rounded out the podium positions with a 51.96 result. McDougall proved to be one of the most consistent multi-event threats throughout the gathering, securing high finishes across several distinct categories. The Megaminx field drew 23 competitors over two rounds, highlighting the growing domestic depth in New Zealand speed cubing. The combination of lookahead and precise algorithmic execution kept the pace rapid on the tournament floor.

Another specialist discipline that thrilled spectators was the Pyraminx, where Jules Graham stormed to the top of the standings. Graham registered a winning average of 1.83 seconds, backed up by a blazing single of 1.50 seconds across two rounds of play. Dylan Himmelfarb took second place with an impressive 2.37 average, while Jack McDougall collected another medal by finishing third in 3.90 seconds. The triangular puzzle demands instantaneous inspection and lightning-fast fingertricks, making sub-two-second averages a hallmark of elite handling.

One-handed solving added further technical flair to the schedule, requiring solvers to control every turn of the puzzle using just five fingers. Matthew Yang took command of 3x3x3 One-Handed, posting a 15.05 winning average and the best single of the event at 11.42 seconds over two rounds. Jack McDougall earned the silver spot with an average of 17.15 seconds, followed closely by Dylan Himmelfarb in third at 19.16 seconds. The event served as a rigorous showcase of dexterity, rewarding solvers who maintained turning fluidity under pressure.

Away from the podium battles, several competitors achieved striking personal milestones throughout the program. Zachary Atkin made significant strides across multiple formats, entering six events and lowering their 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 4.87 seconds, which was 63 percent faster than their previous mark of 13.17, while trimming their 4x4x4 Cube mark to 1:26.02, an improvement of 33.5 percent. Te Kopu Donnell tackled four events, making their first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with 43.70 and recording a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 15.10 seconds, 25.2 percent faster than their earlier best. Archos Andrew Nicolas logged an initial 2x2x2 Cube mark of 8.62 and chopped 42.3 percent off their 3x3x3 Cube standard to finish on 17.70. Tanyaton Chin produced a huge leap in 2x2x2 Cube, logging a personal best of 6.97 seconds that improved their prior standard by 44.8 percent.

First-time experiences and versatile event schedules defined the day for many others at the tables. Archie Houston stepped up for six events, recording their first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube with 7.99, a first 4x4x4 Cube try of 1:15.62, and an inaugural Megaminx result of 3:06.78. Germain Wheatley took on five events, registering a first Megaminx result of 2:56.66, an initial 2x2x2 Cube mark of 3.69, and a debut one-handed solve of 55.15. Junhao Zu registered a first attempt in 3x3x3 One-Handed of 42.35 alongside an initial Pyraminx solve of 11.73. Noah O'Neill marked their first WCA competition by entering four events, putting down an opening 3x3x3 Cube solve of 36.28, a Pyraminx single of 19.30, and a one-handed clocking of 1:20.74.

The larger cubic puzzles brought high-intensity action back to the centre of the room. Alexander Vujcich delivered an outstanding run in the 4x4x4 Cube, winning with an average of 25.69 seconds and logging the single best solve at 22.94 seconds. Jack McDougall captured second place with an average of 34.44 seconds, with Matthew Yang finishing third on 35.07 seconds. Vujcich also proved unstoppable on the 2x2x2 Cube, taking the top spot with a final average of 1.42 seconds after posting a lightning-fast single of 0.81 seconds during the contest.

The 3x3 results brought a fitting conclusion to the entire cubing competition, drawing 51 entrants across three full rounds. Alexander Vujcich secured victory with a 6.94 winning average and the best single time of 5.76 seconds. Matthew Yang took second place with an 8.31 average, while Jack McDougall earned third on 8.59 seconds. With 18 podium spots earned across six disciplines, Just Solve in Johnsonville 2025 demonstrated the immense talent present in Wellington as the 2025 season gathered pace.