Minnesota Slice 2023

Eighty-two competitors gathered as the spring calendar picked up momentum, taking their stations for eleven rounds of head-to-head action. Held on April 15, 2023, the single-day gathering in Maple Grove, Minnesota, USA, served as a crucial mid-season testing ground for regional talent looking to establish benchmark marks. With five distinct disciplines on the schedule, Minnesota Slice 2023 tested adaptability across mechanical variations far removed from the classic Rubik's Cube format.

The Maple Grove Community Center saw intense action throughout the day, drawing solvers from across the state and beyond to the official WCA competition. Rather than standard speedcubing events alone, the lineup placed special emphasis on non-standard hardware and specialty formats. Across 11 total rounds, participants pushed for podium spots and personal progression in an intense sprint of a tournament that required absolute precision from the morning qualifiers through the late afternoon finals.

Brian Johnson set the tone early with a pair of victories across different mechanical challenges. In Pyraminx, which featured 76 competitors across two rounds, Johnson earned top honors with a winning average of 2.47 seconds after dropping a single of 1.69. Carl Overbye secured the second spot with a 2.57 average, narrowly edging Carter Kucala, who logged a 2.68 for third. Johnson duplicated his mastery in Square-1, prevailing through three full rounds among 47 entrants to win with a 7.71 average and a 6.60 single, holding off Kucala at 8.23 and Nathan Rahn at 9.53.

Tyler Robinson proved equally dominant in the remaining twisty puzzles, securing a pair of titles of his own. Robinson captured the Skewb crown against a 76-person field across two rounds, averaging 2.57 seconds with a sharp 2.24 single. Simon Kellum placed second at 2.78, while Johnson added to his medal tally in third with 3.34. Robinson then stepped up to Megaminx, taking victory across two rounds of 54 entrants with an average of 47.58 seconds and a single of 39.93, besting Johnson at 48.95 and Kucala at 49.44.

Blindfolded solving added its unique psychological weight to the program, challenging twenty-one entrants over two rounds of pure memory and execution. Will Cerne emerged victorious in the 3x3x3 Blindfolded category, stringing together a winning average of 20.12 seconds and a single of 17.16. Carter Kucala grabbed his third podium finish of the day by taking second with a 22.51 average, while Andy Wong rounded out the podium in third with a 24.98 average.

Away from the top steps of the podium, personal milestones defined the true depth of the competition. Luke Marvin took on five events and posted a massive 70.4 percent improvement in Square-1 with a personal best of 26.21 seconds, while also trimming his Pyraminx mark to 5.38 seconds, 28.4 percent faster than before. Gabriel Massey sliced 60.7 percent off his previous Skewb record to finish with a 4.91 personal best. Hari Bagwe achieved a 54.8 percent reduction in Square-1 to reach 42.82 seconds and dropped his Skewb mark by 45.4 percent to 8.26. Ezra Henderson made huge gains as well, cutting 54.3 percent off his Skewb best to record 6.88 seconds.

The day also served as a proving ground for competitors expanding their repertoires and entering the arena for the first time. Ellis Walsh entered three disciplines, taking a first ever attempt at Megaminx with a 3:29.31 and shaving 48.7 percent off his Pyraminx record for a 5.32 best. Dylan J. Stangler tackled four events, registering his first ever attempts in Square-1 at 9.61 seconds and Megaminx at 2:10.39. Jackson Yacoub stepped into his first WCA competition, logging three first-ever marks including a 17.14 in Pyraminx. Raylen Reider likewise completed his first speed cubing tournament, establishing opening marks across three events with an 8.08 Pyraminx and 9.92 Skewb.

The blindfolded rounds also yielded a series of official results and attempts across the 21-person field. Andy Wong notched a single of 21.82 seconds before registering a DNF average, while Nathan Phillips logged a 1:25.36 single. Simon Kellum produced a single of 1:34.09, Brian Johnson secured a 2:33.45 single, Shain Papalotl Longbehn finished a single in 3:09.74, and Nathan Rahn recorded a single of 3:16.00, with all six recording DNF results for their overall averages. Others including August Roberts, Oliver Phillips, Jacob F. Becker, and Alfred Lawson registered DNF marks across both single and average columns.

By the time the final awards were distributed, United States competitors had claimed all 15 podium positions available across the five events. While standard 3x3 results often command the spotlight, Minnesota Slice 2023 offered an intensive platform for niche puzzles, blindfold specialists, and emerging talents to establish their form. The single-day tournament delivered memorable triumphs and valuable experience as the 2023 speedcubing season moves deeper into its schedule.