Milford Winter Warm Up 2025

Inside the bustling hall at Milford Primary School, the rhythmic click of turning plastic filled the air across two busy days of action. A total of 66 competitors converged in Auckland, New Zealand on June 14 and June 15 for a packed schedule of speedcubing across eight official disciplines. With 21 total rounds staged over the weekend, the sheer depth of the roster ensured that every advancement demanded absolute precision from the opening solve to the final table.

Making the cut for the final rounds was a formidable challenge throughout Milford Winter Warm Up 2025. The premier Rubik's Cube event drew 64 entrants through a demanding three-round elimination ladder, leaving little room for error. When the 3x3 results were decided, Alexander Vujcich secured the victory with a 6.82 winning average, narrowly fending off Chris Mills who averaged 6.84 for second place. Richard Yiheng Tao rounded out the competitive podium with a 7.15 mark, while Vujcich also posted the weekend's best single solve at 5.53.

The 3x3x3 One-Handed bracket delivered similar tension across its two rounds of single-handed speed cubing. Richard Yiheng Tao claimed the title among 35 contenders, locking in a winning average of 12.71 alongside the fastest single of the event at 11.20. Chris Mills captured second place on the podium with a 12.80 average, while Jesse Brooke took third with a 13.46 mark. Every step toward the top of the table required flawless execution against a deep field of entrants.

Vujcich proved to be the standout performer of the entire competition, sweeping through three additional disciplines with remarkable consistency. In the 4x4x4 Cube, where 31 competitors contested three full rounds, Vujcich took first place with a 26.73 average and a 24.64 single, leading Tao with 27.60 and Angela Braganza with 28.72. Vujcich repeated his winning form in the 5x5x5 Cube, finishing first among 22 entrants with a 49.23 average over Tao at 50.87 and Mills at 55.70. He capped off his multi-puzzle showcase in Megaminx, taking the crown with a 31.88 average over Brandon Harris at 39.34 and Mills at 46.43.

The shorter puzzle events brought intense pacing and narrow margins to the tables. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Connor Johnson topped a field of 48 competitors over three rounds, securing first place with a 1.44 average and a sub-second 0.99 single. Elyas Eyou followed closely in second with a 1.61 average, while Vujcich took third at 1.74. Eyou rebounded to take the Pyraminx title out of 36 entrants, averaging 1.94 to beat Johnson at 2.24 and Ashley Foster at 2.94. In the Clock event, Lachlan Gibson led the 26-competitor field with a 2.29 average, ahead of Edwin Shen at 3.99 and Johnson at 4.63.

Beyond the championship podiums, Milford Winter Warm Up 2025 featured extraordinary individual milestones that reflected the dedication across the venue. Theo Lindsay dropped their Pyraminx personal best to 4.74, a remarkable 57.6 percent improvement over their previous 11.17 mark, while also taking on six events and attempting 3x3x3 One-Handed for the first time with a 49.88. Chenrui Shen cut their 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 61.2 percent down to 2.92 and improved their 3x3x3 Cube best to 13.62. Jed Comision trimmed their 2x2x2 Cube mark by 38.7 percent to 2.80, while Apollo McVey shaved 31.8 percent off their Pyraminx record to finish with a 6.58.

The weekend also marked exciting new territory for several competitors expanding their repertoires. Nathan Vockerodt took on their first WCA competition, tackling four events and recording a 15.52 in 3x3x3 Cube to finish 29th, alongside a 1:05.12 in 4x4x4 Cube. Timothy Philip Albert Taylor also made their competition debut, logging first attempts in three disciplines including a 13.92 in Pyraminx and an 18.61 in 2x2x2 Cube. Oswald Kuik entered seven events, posting a first Megaminx result of 1:30.29 and placing 14th in 2x2x2 Cube, while Tiffany Li entered six events and logged a first Clock time of 12.27 alongside an 18th-place Megaminx result.

By the close of the gathering, New Zealand competitors had swept all 24 podium positions across the eight events. From newcomers navigating their opening solves to seasoned finalists trading sub-seven averages, the cubing competition highlighted the growing depth across the regional community. With 21 rounds completed in Auckland, the 2025 season continues with strong momentum as competitors carry their personal bests into the next chapter of the year.