Mega Minds in Central Square 2023

Inside St Mary Orthodox Church, the steady hum of turning plastic and dropping timers set the tone for an intense day of puzzling. A field of 55 competitors gathered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, on March 11, 2023, ready to contest 11 total rounds across seven distinct disciplines. For the local enthusiasts attending this specialized cubing competition, the focus shifted away from the standard 3x3 results to test mastery across complex shapes, large mechanisms, and blindfolded feats.

American standout Nicolas Naing gave the home crowd plenty to celebrate as he took control of the marquee event at Mega Minds in Central Square 2023. Taking on a deep field of 46 competitors across three full rounds, Naing delivered consistent excellence on the twelve-sided puzzle. He captured the Megaminx title with a decisive 31.65 winning average, also posting the single fastest solve of the competition at 29.17 to solidify his commanding victory.

Nikhil Soares of India secured the silver step on the Megaminx podium with a 36.49 average, while Ray Bai rounded out the top three with an average of 37.17. Bai had already made his mark earlier in the day on the large cubes, claiming the 5x5x5 Cube championship with a winning mark of 51.12. Bai also registered the best single time of the 5x5x5 event at 45.98, holding off Tommy Cherry and Aidan McKenzie on the podium.

Tommy Cherry delivered a historic all-around performance throughout the WCA competition, securing podium places across multiple disciplines and sweeping the blindfolded slate. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event, Cherry navigated two rounds to win with a stellar 15.97 average and a 13.67 best single, ahead of Will Russo and Nikhil Soares. Cherry also earned gold in 4x4x4 Blindfolded with a 1:25.19 single time, while all seven competitors in the 5x5x5 Blindfolded event registered a DNF.

The shorter events provided tight battles at the timing stations. In Pyraminx, Simon Kellum delivered a blistering 2.45 average to capture the title from a field of 45 entrants, narrowly edging out Tommy Cherry who finished in 2.64. Elijah Rain Phelps finished third in Pyraminx with a 4.41 average before topping the Square-1 event, averaging 9.59 across two rounds to claim first place ahead of Tommy Szeliga and Cherry.

Beyond the top podium spots, the weekend served as a launchpad for major personal breakthroughs across the roster. Joon Ho Park chopped an astounding 63.6 percent off his 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal record to finish in 1:47.66 while also tackling the 5x5x5 Cube for the first time with a time of 2:24.47. Ethien D. Baud made a huge leap in Pyraminx, cutting their personal best by 50.4 percent down to 7.75. Lorenzo Millan dropped his Square-1 best by 44.8 percent to 42.39, while Chris Sutedja improved his Pyraminx mark by 42.6 percent to register a 5.03 solve.

New milestones defined the undercard, with several competitors taking on new challenges for the first time. Simon Tiger Houben knocked 40.1 percent off his Square-1 best down to 46.01, while Molly P. Carr shaved 37.5 percent off her Pyraminx best to hit 6.37 after debuting in Megaminx with a 2:15.91. Arya Kodumuru expanded his repertoire by taking on three new events in Cambridge, recording his first marks in Megaminx, Square-1, and 5x5x5 Cube. Making their official Rubik's Cube circuit debut, Dayun Son took on four events, placing fourth overall in Pyraminx with a 3.15 single.

Overall, speedcubing competitors from the United States took 20 podium places, with international solvers from India and Brazil taking three and two podium spots respectively. The vibrant atmosphere at St Mary Orthodox Church highlighted the tremendous technical growth in the New England region as another thrilling speed cubing chapter came to a close in Massachusetts.