Minnesota Warm Up 2024

Max Siauw delivered an extraordinary display at Minnesota Warm Up 2024, capping a five-event gold run by taking the premier 3x3x3 Cube title with a 6.05 winning average and a 4.48 single. The action took place inside the expansive Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, USA, on July 13 and July 14, 2024. The busy retail atmosphere outside gave way to focused concentration inside the tournament area as 140 competitors gathered to test their skills across 13 events and 21 rounds. The weekend brought together solvers from across the country for high-level Rubik's Cube action.

The 3x3 results formed the centerpiece of the tournament schedule as 137 solvers tackled three full rounds of classic puzzle solving. Siauw set the standard in the final round with his 6.05 mark, finishing just ahead of Dylan Miller, who claimed second place with a 6.18 average. Brian Johnson earned third place on the podium with an average of 6.68. The tight margins at the top reflected the deep talent pool present at this WCA competition, where every turn counted toward securing a spot in the final round.

Siauw spent much of the weekend collecting hardware across larger twisty puzzles and side disciplines. In the 5x5x5 Cube, he secured victory with a 47.99 average, leading Johnson in second at 55.99 and Tommy Cherry in third at 56.71. Siauw also claimed first place in the 6x6x6 Cube with a 1:30.52 average ahead of Carter Bitz and Zeke Mackay, before adding the 7x7x7 Cube title in 2:15.70. A victory in Square-1 with a 5.44 average pushed Siauw to five total titles across the busy two-day schedule.

The 2x2x2 Cube event saw Brian Johnson take the top step of the podium after three demanding rounds with a 1.61 winning average and a 1.42 best single. Nathan Rahn secured second place with a 1.71 average, while Cherry picked up third place with a 1.74 mark. The short format generated intense speedcubing drama, with several competitors posting rapid individual attempts across the preliminary stages before the finalists lined up for the decisive session on Sunday.

Bitz claimed the top spot in the 4x4x4 Cube with a 27.78 average, while Carter Kucala captured the 3x3x3 One-Handed title with an 11.23 average from a field of 67 solvers. Simon Kellum produced a dominant double in the specialty categories, winning Pyraminx with a 2.23 average and Skewb with a 1.87 average. Dylan Miller secured the Megaminx title with a 37.78 average, while Ivan ThanhDanh Duong finished first in Clock with a 4.12 average, edging out Joseph Ong and Chris Van Der Brink in a fast final.

The 3x3x3 Blindfolded event tested pure spatial memory and precision execution without visual feedback, drawing 28 competitors to the tables. Tommy Cherry claimed victory with an 18.04 single solve, securing the win despite a DNF average. Kucala followed closely to take the silver position with a 22.00 single, while Andy Wong rounded out the podium places with a 25.29 effort, highlighting the specialized concentration required under tournament conditions.

Beyond the podium battles, several competitors achieved meaningful milestones across their personal solving journeys. Ian Nielson dropped his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 4.00, an improvement of 73.5 percent over his previous 15.12 mark, while also recording his first ever official attempts in Megaminx and Skewb. Harrison Toppings lowered his Clock personal best to 14.01, running 30.1 percent faster than his prior 20.04 record, and entered Square-1 and 3x3x3 One-Handed for the first time. William Daniels cut his 3x3x3 Cube best by 29.6 percent down to 34.70 and tried both 2x2x2 Cube and Skewb for the first time. Elijah Budd advanced his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 19.23, which was 25.3 percent faster than before, while also recording initial official marks in 2x2x2 Cube and Skewb.

The broad slate of events gave other dedicated solvers plenty of opportunities to expand their repertoires. Max Talamantes improved his 2x2x2 Cube best to 3.67, a 23.5 percent drop from 4.80, while logging first official attempts in Skewb and 4x4x4 Cube. Alec Jordan tackled 10 separate disciplines over the weekend, registering his first official times in 2x2x2 Cube, Megaminx, and 3x3x3 One-Handed, alongside a 38th-place finish in Megaminx. Taber Siler took on 13 events, posting initial attempts in 3x3x3 One-Handed, Clock, and 2x2x2 Cube, while Sam Wu registered initial marks in 4x4x4 Cube, 5x5x5 Cube, and 3x3x3 Blindfolded, finishing 12th in the blindfolded discipline.

The two days of speed cubing at Minnesota Warm Up 2024 demonstrated the strength of the Midwest puzzle community across every format. With 21 rounds completed without delay, the gathering brought together experienced champions and developing competitors under one roof at the Mall of America. As the equipment was packed away, the participants closed out another competitive chapter and turned their sights toward the next challenges of the regional calendar.