Michigan Mini 10 2023

Inside the Plymouth Arts and Recreation Center, the competition floor buzzed with focused energy as timers clicked and plastic pieces spun at breakneck pace. Thirty-one competitors took their seats across five rounds of action on November 27, 2023, turning Plymouth, Michigan, USA into a hub of high-stakes puzzle solving. The single-day schedule placed immediate demands on every entrant, leaving no room for tentative starts or sluggish early phases as the rounds progressed rapidly from morning qualification to late-afternoon finals.

The 3x3x3 Cube final delivered the sharpest drama of the meet, coming down to the very last turns to decide the overall title. Ben Saperstein secured first place with a championship average of 8.15 seconds, backed by a best single of 7.46 seconds. Nathan Dwyer pushed the leader throughout the five-solve average, taking second place with an average of 9.40 seconds, while Quinn Lawson claimed third on the podium with a 9.67 mark. The tight spreads among the leaders kept the final round unresolved until the closing solves concluded.

The 3x3 results also reflected substantial qualifying efforts earlier in the program. In the opening round of the traditional Rubik's Cube event, Saperstein posted an average of 8.89 seconds alongside a single of 6.70. Dwyer registered an opening average of 9.16 and a single of 8.30, while Ansel de Jong advanced with an average of 9.54 and an 8.54 single. Elijah Layne turned in an average of 10.41, Caleb Lalik logged a 10.52 average, and Lawson produced an 11.12 average to keep the qualifying bracket closely bunched.

Mid-pack qualifications in the main speedcubing event remained intense as well, with Justin Sui averaging 11.84 seconds and Brandon Michael Kszywonos recording an 11.88 average alongside a standout single of 7.94. James Hildreth delivered a 12.06 average, while Chuchu Houle completed the round with a 12.25 average. Across both rounds of 3x3, the depth of the field meant that fractional margins separated advancing competitors at every cut.

Big cubes rounded out the competition slate, testing consistency and endurance across larger layers. Nathan Dwyer captured top honors in the 4x4x4 Cube event, posting a winning average of 32.60 seconds along with the round's fastest single at 26.00 seconds. Ben Saperstein finished in second place with an average of 37.69, and Quinn Lawson took third place with a 38.42 mark. The three-man dynamic held across the top tier of the 24-competitor bracket.

Dwyer completed a multi-event sweep by taking the 5x5x5 Cube final as well, logging a winning average of 1:03.20 and a best single solve of 58.23 seconds in the direct final round. Saperstein followed in the runner-up spot with an average of 1:09.28, while Lawson completed his third podium of the meet with a third-place average of 1:10.58. The podium finishers mirrored each other across multiple categories, highlighting a consistent group of frontrunners at this speed cubing gathering.

Beyond the trophy steps, individual progress defined the competition for dozens of participants striving against personal benchmarks. Brandon Michael Kszywonos achieved a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 7.94 seconds, cutting 22.8 percent off his prior mark of 10.28, and went on to claim seventh place overall. Beckett Andresen lowered his personal standard to 27.20 seconds, an improvement of 14.4 percent from 31.78. Tigran Terterian dropped his 4x4x4 Cube mark by 13.6 percent to 58.13 seconds, while Brendan Geinzer shaved 12.1 percent off his standard to post 27.35 seconds in 3x3x3 Cube.

Other competitors took on new puzzles or broadened their tournament experience at the venue. Charlie Jacobs improved his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 10.6 percent to 15.11 seconds. Chuchu Houle trimmed 7.6 percent on 4x4x4 Cube down to 51.59 seconds and lowered his 3x3x3 Cube record to 11.39 seconds. Lorelei Aiedail Kuusisto took on three events and made a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube with a 2:03.89 single, finishing 15th, while Levi Pryor entered two events and registered a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:40.03.

The day also introduced several newcomers to official play as they completed their first WCA competition appearances. Dan Webb from Canada contested all three disciplines, establishing debut marks of 24.36 seconds in 3x3x3 Cube, 2:01.26 in 4x4x4 Cube, and 3:01.92 in 5x5x5 Cube. Oliver Fick posted initial tournament times of 29.09 in 3x3x3 Cube and 2:40.99 in 4x4x4 Cube, while Vaughn Harris and Jesus Alejandro Banda Perez logged debut singles of 47.38 and 57.05 seconds respectively in the primary event.

With all five rounds completed across three distinct puzzles, Michigan Mini 10 2023 wrapped up its schedule in Plymouth with all nine podium places earned by United States competitors. The single-day tournament demonstrated the balance of seasoned podium contenders trading positions and emerging solvers testing their limits, providing a sharp snapshot of competitive cubing in late 2023 as participants prepare for the next season of play.