Michigan Mini 30 2025

Inside the Plymouth Arts and Recreation Center, the competition floor buzzed with activity as competitors settled into their stations for a fast-paced day of solving. Speedcubing often brings to mind the intense, deliberate quiet of events like Fewest Moves, where solvers work thoughtfully with pen and paper to dissect rotations. On this single-day schedule, however, the atmosphere leaned entirely into raw turning speed and rapid transitions across the tournament tables.

Held on April 7, 2025, Michigan Mini 30 2025 brought 34 competitors together in Plymouth, Michigan, USA for seven rounds of action spanning three distinct disciplines. The compact schedule kept energy high from the opening scrambles to the final podium presentations, creating an intense environment for both seasoned veterans and newcomers attending their very first official cubing competition.

The 3x3x3 Cube served as the centerpiece of the tournament, drawing all 34 solvers through three competitive stages. Ansel de Jong captured the title in the main event, delivering a winning average of 8.25 seconds after logging a best single of 7.75 seconds. Jack Pfeifer secured second place on the podium with an 8.71 average, while Caleb Lalik rounded out the top three with a mark of 9.53. The final 3x3 results demonstrated remarkable consistency at the top of the table.

Jack Pfeifer asserted control across the remaining disciplines, claiming top honors in both large cubes and shape-shifting puzzles. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Pfeifer finished with a winning average of 49.08 seconds alongside a sharp single of 43.91 across two rounds. Ansel de Jong earned runner-up honors with an average of 1:03.94, followed closely by Owen Widdis in third place at 1:05.10. Every single podium place across the event was earned by solvers representing the USA.

Pfeifer completed his double victory in Square-1, leading a field of 15 competitors across two rounds. A decisive winning average of 9.08 seconds, backed by a best single of 8.28, put Pfeifer comfortably ahead of the pack. James Hildreth took the second step on the podium with an average of 11.98 seconds, while Caleb Lalik secured his second podium finish of the event by taking third place with a 14.33 average.

Away from the top steps of the podium, Michigan Mini 30 2025 offered meaningful breakthroughs for solvers across the roster. Ryan Dunning achieved a remarkable personal best single of 1:56.76 in the 5x5x5 Cube, cutting his previous record of 3:45.50 by 48.2 percent. Jonah Dowell showed massive growth in Square-1, dropping his previous best by 44 percent to hit 15.59 seconds, while also logging a first ever official attempt in the 5x5x5 Cube at 1:54.47. Preston Shaffer made substantial progress on Square-1, notching a 26.98 single that was 31 percent faster than his previous mark of 39.11. Brendan Geinzer took on the 5x5x5 Cube for the first time, logging a mark of 3:57.64.

Other competitors delivered memorable milestones during the competition. Stone Henderson improved his personal best single on the classic Rubik's Cube to 20.55 seconds, outperforming his prior standard of 24.59 by 16.4 percent. Thomas Grahor recorded an 8.65 single on Square-1 to best his previous mark by 35.6 percent, while finishing seventh in the 3x3x3 Cube. Cole Shaft earned a fourth-place finish in Square-1 with a personal best of 8.37 seconds, cutting 34.2 percent off his old time. For Alexander Bahena, this marked a successful first official WCA competition, highlighted by initial attempts of 25.89 on the 3x3x3 Cube and 3:17.21 on the 5x5x5 Cube.

The event concluded with all nine podium awards distributed across the three disciplines, capping a memorable gathering of speed cubing talent in Plymouth. With tight turnarounds and high-caliber solving from the opening round to the final solve, Michigan Mini 30 2025 delivered an exceptional showcase of skill for the region as the 2025 season continues.