Michigan Mini 21 2024

Inside the Plymouth Arts and Recreation Center, the competition floor buzzed with activity as timers clicked, puzzle faces turned, and scorecards circulated between tables. Solvers gathered in Plymouth, Michigan, USA on August 6, 2024, bringing an energetic atmosphere to the single-day meet. While many participants came from across the local region, others made lengthy journeys across state and national borders, converging to test their skills at speedcubing across seven rounds of play.

The 32 competitors in attendance represented varied journeys to Plymouth, including international representation from China and Canada as well as Mexico. Traveling distances both long and short, every participant brought focused preparation to this compact cubing competition. The lineup featured three classic events, offering a balanced mix of traditional speed solving, specialty mechanical puzzles, and memory-intensive challenges under the official sanctioning of the World Cube Association.

Leading the way across multiple events was Caleb Lalik of the United States, who assembled an exceptional day on the competition tables. Lalik took victory in the 3x3x3 Cube, posting a winning average of 10.09 seconds to finish atop the field of 32 entrants. His campaign across three rounds of Rubik's Cube solving was highlighted by a best single time of 7.92 seconds, securing the top spot on the podium ahead of Hunter Mackler, who finished second with a 10.27 average, and Elijah Layne, who placed third with a 10.51 mark.

Lalik carried that same winning momentum into Skewb, capturing his second title of the meet. In a competitive field of 23 solvers across two rounds, he secured first place with an average of 4.08 seconds, backed by a tournament-best single of 2.88 seconds. Hunter Mackler claimed another silver medal with a 5.11 average, while Eli Katz took third place with a 5.35 average to round out the podium finishers for the event.

The 3x3x3 Blindfolded contest added technical drama to the day, requiring competitors to commit puzzle layouts to memory before completing their solves entirely without sight. Cindy Xiaoyue Huang, representing China, seized first place among 11 contenders across two rounds. Huang delivered a winning single time of 36.72 seconds, finishing as the lone competitor under the forty-second threshold. Caleb Lalik earned second place with a single of 52.60 seconds, while Tyler Rose completed the top three with a solve of 2:20.11.

Beyond the podiums, the official score sheets reflected substantial personal breakthroughs for competitors who rarely reach the spotlight. Jillian Franz delivered one of the steepest drops of the day in Skewb, logging a personal best of 5.49 seconds to improve 51.5 percent over her previous mark of 11.31, alongside a personal best of 21.38 seconds in the main event. Ivan C. Michalik carved significant time off his classic 3x3 results, registering a personal best of 22.12 seconds that was 31.9 percent faster than his prior 32.50 mark. Miles Grant also surged forward, establishing a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 33.50 seconds, cutting 30.2 percent from his earlier 47.98 benchmark.

Other solvers expanded their event portfolios with impressive first attempts and sharp improvements. Brian Dumouchelle entered three events, taking on his first ever 3x3x3 Blindfolded solve in 3:52.87 on his way to a 7th-place finish, while also lowering his Skewb mark to 6.39 seconds for a 29.6 percent improvement and his 3x3 best to 10.63 seconds. Santiago Zamora Rodriguez tackled his first official Skewb attempt with an 8.09, and recorded a 14.66 single on the main cube, improving by 28.2 percent. Andrew Schreiber placed 6th in blindfolded solving with a debut of 2:15.62, tried Skewb for the first time at 9.43, and set a 19.95 personal best in 3x3. Miles Thompson made his first Skewb attempt in 7.09 and lowered his 3x3 best to 16.44, an 18 percent gain, while William P. Rauch attended his first career WCA competition, recording debuts of 12.12 in Skewb and 36.52 in the 3x3x3 Cube.

The action at Michigan Mini 21 2024 proved how much can be packed into a single day of focused speed cubing. United States competitors earned eight total podium positions across the three events, with China claiming one victory. From newcomers setting initial benchmarks to experienced solvers trimming fractions off their averages, the competition delivered memorable performances for all who made the journey to Plymouth.