Kenmore Mini C 2024

Thirty-six competitors converged on the Kenmore Community Club on February 17, 2024, creating an intense atmosphere where every single advancement had to be earned. The Kenmore Mini C 2024 condensed high-level solving into a compact schedule of three events and six rounds. With a focused group of dedicated solvers traveling to Kenmore, Washington, USA, the margin for error was razor-thin. Securing a spot in any of the finals required consistent execution across the board, proving that a smaller entrant list often elevates the competitive tension rather than diminishes it.

The 3x3x3 Cube contest stood out as the centerpiece of the program, drawing all 36 participants into a ruthless two-round elimination format. Zhouheng Sun delivered a masterclass at the table, taking the victory with a winning average of 7.30 and posting the best single solve of the event at 5.98. The chase behind him was relentless, as Jack Desloge captured the second spot on the podium with an 8.75 average, while Peter Barnwell of Canada rounded out the medal positions with an average of 9.71. Every final round seat was fiercely contested in this premier Rubik's Cube category.

The depth of the field meant that world-class speedcubing was required simply to stay competitive across both rounds of 3x3. In the opening and closing stages, solvers repeatedly pushed their limits, producing a dense cluster of sub-ten-second marks. The quality of the 3x3 results was highlighted by strong showings from Ash Black, who logged an 8.62 average alongside a 7.87 single, and Vikram Haldar, who posted an average of 9.15. Canada was well represented in the upper ranks by Kevin Lê, while Eli Kirk also made noise by recording an impressive 8.14 single.

Zhouheng Sun continued his dominant form in 3x3x3 One-Handed, an event that brought 25 contenders to the competition floor. Solvers demonstrated remarkable control and finger dexterity across two tight rounds of one-handed solving. Sun took top honors with an outstanding 9.48 average and a top single of 8.72, distancing himself from a strong chasing pack. Ash Black secured second place with an average of 13.77, while Jack Desloge earned his second podium finish of the day by placing third with a 16.71 mark.

The Skewb event featured 22 competitors and delivered lightning-fast action through its two rounds. Ash Black claimed the championship title in decisive fashion, recording a winning average of 2.54 and setting the standard with the best single of the event at 1.74. The battle for the remaining podium positions was equally swift, as Kevin Lê locked up second place with a 3.60 average. Vikram Haldar claimed third place with a 4.46 average, closing out a highly entertaining contest of speed and precision in the corner-turning puzzle.

Away from the top of the podium, the weekend was defined by major individual breakthroughs and significant milestones across the roster. Irene Qin took on three events and delivered a massive leap in 3x3x3 One-Handed, recording a personal best of 27.26 that improved upon her previous standard of 51.31 by 46.9 percent, alongside setting personal bests in Skewb with 9.88 and 3x3x3 Cube with 15.71. Archie Braendlein tackled three events, achieving a best finish of 7th in Skewb with a first ever attempt of 6.58 while also logging a first attempt in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 40.55. Aarush Neerudu dropped his 3x3x3 Cube mark by 22.2 percent down to a 12.82 personal best and registered his first one-handed solve at 30.76. Rohan Remany cut his Skewb record by 43 percent to 6.63 on his way to 10th place and improved his one-handed best to 32.16.

The momentum continued down the order as Reajnithdra Thesis Ly sliced 44.6 percent off his Skewb record to post a 7.05 personal best and secured a 9th-place finish in the 3x3x3 Cube. Kai Wanka improved his 3x3x3 Cube best by 11.6 percent to 17.87 while attempting 3x3x3 One-Handed for the first time with a 47.50 result. Sanmannireth Ouk Kongsaisy saw a 34.2 percent drop in one-handed solving down to 37.46 and brought his 3x3x3 Cube mark to 16.33. Making his WCA competition debut, Geo Durocher entered three events, recording a 9th-place finish in Skewb with a 7.16 first attempt, alongside a 17.03 3x3x3 Cube single and a 55.69 one-handed solve.

Across the entire day of speed cubing, the United States, China, and Canada shared the honors, with American competitors capturing five podium spots, while China and Canada secured two each. The variety across three distinct events challenged participants to adapt quickly from two-handed efficiency to single-handed stamina and rapid corner rotations. Every round tested the composure of the 36 contenders in Kenmore, ensuring that each advancement through the brackets had to be earned with clean turns under the clock.

As the Kenmore Mini C 2024 concluded at the Kenmore Community Club, the tournament underscored the immense skill present across the local and regional cubing scene. With multiple personal milestones reached and two double-podium performances at the top of the standings, the one-day gathering set a high competitive standard for the rest of the 2024 calendar. Solvers departed with valuable experience and fresh benchmarks, ready to carry their momentum forward into the next chapter of the season.