Launceston Autumn 2023

The sports hall at St Thomas More's Catholic School was filled with focused intensity on March 25, 2023, as timing displays lit up and solver after solver took their turn at the stations. A gathering of 44 competitors arrived in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia for a packed day of speedcubing across four official disciplines. Reaching a final round required navigating through a dense field where mere fractions of a second separated the contenders across nine total rounds of tournament action.

The 2023 edition showed the true depth of regional speed cubing, as large starting rosters made qualification spots exceptionally scarce. The flagship 3x3x3 Cube contest drew 43 participants into a rigorous three-round format, forcing entrants to maintain supreme consistency. With only the top performers earning passage through the knockout phases, every round placed immense pressure on each Rubik's Cube turn and inspection sequence.

At the summit of the standings, Jode Brewster delivered a commanding performance across every discipline on the schedule. In the 3x3x3 Cube final, Brewster captured first place with a 7.11 winning average and delivered the round's fastest single of 4.67 seconds. Arisandra Soo earned second place on the podium with an 8.45 average, while Darcy Andrikonis secured third place with an 11.61 mark, concluding a hard-fought battle for the 3x3 results at Launceston Autumn 2023.

Brewster continued this winning form in the 2x2x2 Cube, topping a 41-person field through three complete rounds with a 2.24 average and a best single time of 1.54 seconds. Adhyan Daga claimed second place with a 3.06 average, followed closely by Darcy Andrikonis in third with 3.72. The event witnessed strong marks right through the bracket, including personal record performances across multiple stages of the competition.

Beyond the podium battles, several competitors achieved remarkable progression through the ranks. Eli Taylor took on four events, securing a best finish of fifth in Pyraminx with a personal best single of 3.31 seconds that was 54.6 percent faster than their previous mark, alongside a 2.56 in 2x2x2 Cube and a 12.94 in 3x3x3 Cube. Rayna Carnie improved across three separate puzzles, taking seventh in 3x3x3 Cube while dropping their Pyraminx best to 4.67 seconds, their 2x2x2 Cube mark to 3.15, and their 4x4x4 Cube time to 1:15.73. Max Morton recorded a 6.62 personal best in Pyraminx to finish eighth, improved their 2x2x2 Cube time to 3.72, and completed their first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube with a 1:26.16.

Debut milestones and rapid development continued throughout the day. James Gluskie secured fourth in 2x2x2 Cube with a 3.45 personal best, alongside drops to 50.10 in 4x4x4 Cube and 3.86 in Pyraminx. Mitchell J. Hills entered their first WCA competition, taking on four events to earn fifth place in 3x3x3 Cube with a 10.53 debut single, a 54.11 in 4x4x4 Cube, and a 5.25 in 2x2x2 Cube. Henry Midson also tackled their first official tournament, earning ninth in 4x4x4 Cube with a 1:10.04 first attempt, while James Palmer completed inaugural attempts in four events including a 34.69 on 3x3x3 Cube. William Larsen entered four events, posting a 6.80 in their first ever attempt at Pyraminx alongside a 16.79 personal best in 3x3x3 Cube.

The 4x4x4 Cube event tested the roster on larger mechanisms, demanding complex edge pairing and parities over a single direct round. Jode Brewster took the title with an average of 28.09 seconds and a standout 25.66 single against 22 competitors. Beren Fontana finished in second place with an average of 38.50, and Arisandra Soo joined the podium in third place with a 43.56 average, completing an all-Australian medal table at Launceston Autumn 2023.

In the Pyraminx competition, 34 entrants faced off across two rounds of rapid tetrahedral turning. Brewster finished the sweep with a 4.43 winning average and a 3.06 single. Veer Liu Dogra took second place on the podium with a 5.37 average, while Mitchell Anderson rounded out the top three with a mark of 5.84 seconds.

With all twelve podium positions across four disciplines claimed by Australian athletes, this cubing competition highlighted the rising standard of play in Tasmania. The depth of the field pushed established leaders and newcomers alike to sharp turn rates and fast decisions. As the final tables cleared, Launceston Autumn 2023 demonstrated the continuing growth and competitive standard of the local scene heading toward the next season.