Lawton OKtoberfest Fall 2023

A razor-thin margin in the Pyraminx final set the tone for Lawton OKtoberfest Fall 2023, where Kaden Christopher Dockins captured the title with a 5.69 winning average, edging Jake Maddox by a single hundredth of a second. The single-day tournament held on October 14, 2023, brought 45 competitors to the Life Ready Center (LRC) in Lawton, Oklahoma, USA. With 14 rounds scheduled across six events, the round formats demanded absolute consistency through multi-stage cutoffs to determine the top solvers of the day.

The 3x3x3 Cube served as the centerpiece of the cubing competition, putting 44 competitors through a rigorous three-round gauntlet. Maddox demonstrated superb form across every stage, securing the victory in the finals with an 8.04 winning average and an event-best single solve of 7.08. Azhar Virani pushed hard to claim the second step on the podium at 8.31, while Casey Ngo took third place with a 9.03 mark, highlighting the high standard of the 3x3 results at the meet.

The 2x2x2 Cube followed a similarly demanding three-round schedule, challenging 42 competitors to execute high-speed solutions under immense time pressure. Maddox completed a sprint double by taking first place with an average of 2.22 and a fastest single of 1.42. Dockins followed closely behind in second place with a 2.32 average, while Ngo secured another podium finish in third place with a 2.99 average in the final round of the classic Rubik's Cube variant.

In the events structured around two rounds, Jose Ortiz Jr. proved dominant across both the large puzzles and alternative mechanisms at Lawton OKtoberfest Fall 2023. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Ortiz navigated two rounds against 26 competitors to claim the title with a 1:00.04 average and a 52.15 single. Virani took second with 1:01.12, and Zachary Walden earned third with 1:04.28. Ortiz repeated his winning ways in Clock, taking first place with an 8.44 average ahead of Ngo at 8.89 and Dockins at 9.58.

Square-1 action rounded out the two-round events, testing 20 competitors on the shifting puzzle format. Ngo delivered a standout performance, capturing the victory with a 12.59 average and a sharp single of 9.04. Ortiz added to his medal haul by taking second place with an average of 17.41, while Maddox rounded out the podium in third with an 18.84 average, concluding a competitive run through the event brackets.

Beyond the podium finishes, the competition program provided a testing ground for personal milestones throughout the field. Samuel Threlkeld tackled six events, securing a best finish of sixth in Clock while posting his first ever Clock attempt of 9.76 and dropping his Square-1 personal best to 11.34, which was 56.2 percent faster than his previous mark. Joshua Resendiz cut his Square-1 best by 49.2 percent down to 27.69 and logged first ever attempts in both 2x2x2 and 3x3x3. Blake Linsenmeyer improved his Pyraminx best by 47.1 percent to 5.70, took ninth in 3x3x3, and registered a Clock attempt of 13.32.

Major strides continued across multiple disciplines at this WCA competition. Hunter Bellah took on three events, improving his 2x2x2 mark by 55.7 percent to 3.13, lowering his 3x3x3 best by 43.2 percent to 21.89, and logging a Pyraminx attempt of 10.57. Carter Buxton bettered his Pyraminx time by 42.6 percent to 6.73 while making his first Clock attempt of 18.88. Liam Shipman improved his Square-1 mark by 41.3 percent to 38.60, while Jett F. Knappe entered six events, finishing seventh in 2x2x2 and posting a 43.95 Square-1 best. Brayson Boykin completed six events, placing fifth in Pyraminx and making first attempts in Clock, Square-1, and 5x5x5.

Debuting solvers also made their presence felt across the tournament schedule. Carter Beckham took on four events in their first official meet, recording opening marks in 3x3x3, 5x5x5, and Pyraminx. Daniel Polichetti made a strong first showing across five events, earning a 12th place finish in 3x3x3 with an opening solve of 12.14. Thaddeus Kleehammer and Liam Garber also completed their first official solves across multiple categories, adding valuable tournament experience in Lawton.

With 18 total podium spots earned by United States competitors across six categories, Lawton OKtoberfest Fall 2023 highlighted the strength and depth of regional speedcubing. The multi-round cut structure rewarded consistency from the opening heats to the finals, giving every participant a structured platform to test their progress. As another chapter of speed cubing in Oklahoma concludes, the results establish strong baselines for competitors heading into the next stretch of the season.