Kent Spring 2024

A blistering 1.75 second average in the 2x2x2 Cube final by Max Siauw set an electric benchmark at Kent Spring 2024, held at the Kent Commons Community Center. While analytical puzzle formats like Fewest Moves rely on quiet, pen-and-paper deliberation across a full hour, the action in Kent, Washington, USA presented the exact opposite discipline of pure reaction time and high-speed turning. Across five fast-paced events on May 25, 2024, a field of 119 competitors tested their reflexes over eight intense rounds of action.

The classic 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube brought together 117 entrants across three elimination rounds, culminating in another premier victory for Siauw. In the final, he logged a winning average of 6.11 seconds along with a tournament-best single solve of 4.96. Canada's Ethan Rusnak secured second place with an average of 7.27 seconds, while William Greninger took third at 7.83. For spectators tracking the official 3x3 results, the rapid turnarounds highlighted how the premier event rewards consistent high-velocity execution.

Big cubes demanded an entirely different level of physical endurance and spatial tracking. Kevin Hays captured top honors on the 6x6x6 Cube, delivering a winning average of 1:28.00 and the best single of the bracket at 1:24.71 across a field of 40 competitors. Siauw claimed the runner-up spot with a mark of 1:36.28, and Jack Anderson finished third in 1:45.14. Hays repeated his dominant form on the 7x7x7 Cube, posting a 2:05.45 average and a best single of 1:52.36 to finish ahead of Siauw and Anderson.

Blindfolded solving brought its own unique mental rigor to the venue, where competitors memorized the cube before executing algorithms completely without sight. Timothy Castle emerged victorious in the 3x3x3 Blindfolded contest, recording a winning single of 18.85 seconds to lead the 26-person field. Ethan Davis took second place on the podium with a single mark of 20.54 seconds, while Siauw capped off a busy weekend by placing third with a time of 22.46.

Siauw also secured top honors in the 2x2x2 Cube event, where his 1.75 second final average paced a competitive 102-person roster. India's Ian Cantius Fredric took second place with an average of 2.43 seconds, while Ethan Rusnak claimed third at 2.82. The event proved exceptionally fast throughout the earlier stages, featuring a standout 0.92 single solve from Siauw. Across all podium positions on the day, competitors representing the United States took 12 places, Canada earned two, and India captured one.

Beyond the trophy contention, several competitors logged remarkable breakthroughs that revealed substantial personal progress. Rainier O'Callaghan achieved a dramatic 68.3 percent improvement on the 2x2x2 Cube, cutting their previous best down to 4.92 seconds. Gavin Weston recorded a personal best of 21.04 seconds on the 3x3x3 Cube, an improvement of 51.9 percent, and also completed a first ever attempt in the 2x2x2 Cube with a time of 9.15. Christian Ignacio dropped their 2x2x2 mark by 48.4 percent to 3.19 seconds and finished 15th overall.

Other competitors embraced new challenges and expanded their repertoires across the schedule. Jesse Dosch logged a first ever attempt on the 6x6x6 Cube with a time of 6:29.17 and set a 2x2x2 personal best of 4.10 seconds. Kaleb Kidney tackled the 6x6x6 Cube for the first time, notching 6:29.44, and improved their 3x3x3 mark by 32.8 percent to 16.84 seconds. Marlo Petrola took on four events, making a first ever attempt at the 7x7x7 Cube in 8:20.76 and dropping their 6x6x6 personal best by 22.1 percent to 4:57.65. Beckett Long posted a first 2x2x2 attempt of 26.48 seconds alongside a 42.02 personal best in the 3x3x3 Cube, while Evan Orchard registered a first 2x2x2 attempt of 5.92 seconds and improved their 3x3x3 best by 23.8 percent to 22.98.

The vibrant gathering in Kent demonstrated the broad spectrum of modern speedcubing, pairing rapid sprinting puzzles with the immense stamina demanded by the largest cubes. Every sanctioned WCA competition thrives on this balance between elite podium chases and individual milestones across the tables. With eight rounds completed in a single day of speed cubing, Kent Spring 2024 delivered an unforgettable showcase of technical precision and athletic execution that will propel these solvers forward into the upcoming season.