Minnesota Championship 2024

Brian Johnson set the standard across the fastest formats of the weekend, delivering a decisive 1.93-second final average in the 2x2x2 Cube and securing the 3x3x3 Cube title with a flat 7.00 average. The performances anchored a packed schedule of speedcubing action at the Brooklyn Park Activity Center in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, USA. Held from November 30 to December 1, 2024, the tournament brought together 119 competitors for 26 rounds across 12 distinct events, testing solvers in everything from high-speed turning to complex multi-layered puzzles.

The 3x3x3 Cube final delivered exceptional speed, putting the premier speed cubing discipline directly in the spotlight. Johnson took top honors with his 7.00 average, posting a best single solve of 5.53 seconds along the way. The fight for the remaining podium steps came down to an exact tie in the final averages, as Nathan Rahn and Carter Kucala each recorded a 7.72 mark across five solves, taking second and third place respectively. The deep field of 114 competitors in the event battled through four rounds of intense solving to finalize the weekend 3x3 results.

In the 2x2x2 Cube, Johnson maintained his blistering pace to claim another gold medal. His winning 1.93 average led the 99-player bracket, supported by a rapid 0.98 single in the final round. Walker Welch took the runner-up position on the podium with a 2.23 average, while Carter Kucala secured third place with a 2.31 mark. The rapid-fire event highlighted technical control and high turn speeds, setting a competitive tone for the entire cubing competition across both days of play.

Carter Kucala demonstrated his versatility by capturing two individual event victories during the tournament. In the Skewb final, Kucala led 91 competitors with a winning average of 1.78 seconds, which included a single solve of 1.32. He followed that performance with a victory in 3x3x3 One-Handed, navigating three rounds among 61 competitors to win with a 10.83 average and a 9.98 single. Brian Johnson earned second place in One-Handed with an 11.20 average, and Andy Wong completed the podium in third with an 11.96 average.

Beyond the podium battles, several competitors marked significant personal milestones across the schedule. Luke Otto tackled 10 events over the weekend, recording a first official attempt in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 41.31 and an initial 5x5x5 Cube solve of 2:36.28, while also lowering his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 3.39 seconds, an improvement of 62.1 percent over his prior mark of 8.94. Gage Flowers entered seven events, securing a 6th place finish in 3x3x3 One-Handed alongside debut efforts of 43.50 in the 4x4x4 Cube, 8.63 in Skewb, and 2:32.82 in the 5x5x5 Cube. Cayce Damschen reached 17th place in 3x3x3 One-Handed while registering first-time results in Square-1 at 41.45, Skewb at 8.95, and Pyraminx at 8.11. Haresh Nanthakumar logged first attempts in Skewb with an 8.72, 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 43.00, and Pyraminx with a 10.36.

The expansive schedule also gave many others an opportunity to broaden their competitive repertoire at this WCA competition. Joseph Palmateer took on all 12 disciplines, earning 27th place in the 7x7x7 Cube with an initial 6:31.44 solve while also completing first-time official solves in the 6x6x6 Cube at 3:50.02 and Square-1 at 1:25.28. Zach Bowers completed nine events, recording his first attempts in Pyraminx at 13.70, Megaminx at 2:47.58, and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 53.88. Scotty DeLong V entered seven events, logging debut marks of 1:55.18 in the 4x4x4 Cube, 3:54.35 in the 5x5x5 Cube, and 1:00.76 in One-Handed. Kristi Potter took on eight events, putting up first attempts in the 4x4x4 Cube at 2:07.74, 5x5x5 Cube at 4:44.46, and Clock at 38.50.

Big cube specialists found plenty of room to operate, led by Nathan Phillips, who took three titles in the multi-layered categories. Phillips won the 5x5x5 Cube in a narrow finish, recording a 52.24 average to edge out Kaius Young at 52.39, while Brian Johnson finished third with 54.98. Phillips went on to sweep the remaining big puzzle events, winning the 6x6x6 Cube with an average of 1:33.42 and the 7x7x7 Cube with a 2:25.20 average. Tyler Johnson claimed second place in both the 6x6x6 and 7x7x7 events, posting averages of 1:41.21 and 2:39.75 respectively.

Mid-sized and specialty puzzles rounded out the competitive program. Kaius Young took first place in the 4x4x4 Cube with a 25.58 winning average ahead of Brian Johnson at 26.40. In Square-1, Johnson picked up his third gold medal of the competition with a 6.77 average. Volodymyr Kapustianskyi of Ukraine claimed the Clock title with an average of 2.82 seconds, Simon Kellum captured the Pyraminx final with a 2.33 average, and Tyler Robinson won Megaminx with a 41.93 mark. United States competitors earned 35 podium places while Ukraine secured one.

From standard Rubik's Cube solving to specialized mechanics, the Minnesota Championship 2024 showcased remarkable depth across every bracket. With 119 competitors filling the venue over two days, the Minnesota Championship 2024 concluded the late-autumn calendar with dominant short-format solving and strong multi-event turnouts across the board.