Mt. Prospect Mini Marathon 2023

Inside the Mt. Prospect Public Library, the familiar cadence of spinning layers and resting timers echoed across the tables long before the first official attempts began. Competitors gathered to trade advice, compare puzzle hardware, and share solving methods across five distinct events. The gathering in Mount Prospect, Illinois, USA on February 4, 2023, brought a tight-knit community together for a full slate of competition, turning an ordinary winter Saturday into an energetic showcase of dexterity and camaraderie.

A field of 37 competitors assembled for the one-day gathering, diving straight into seven intense rounds. The Mt. Prospect Mini Marathon 2023 offered an engaging mix of puzzles that went well beyond the standard Rubik's Cube. Between heats, participants gathered in small circles to discuss turn efficiency and inspect one another puzzles, reinforcing the cooperative spirit that defines the speed cubing scene. For many in attendance, the shared journey between rounds mattered just as much as the final standings on the scorecards.

The 3x3x3 One-Handed event stood as the central focus of the day, drawing all 37 entrants across two rounds. Zeke Mackay delivered an exceptional performance in the final, taking the victory with a winning average of 12.36 seconds and the fastest single of the discipline at 10.41 seconds. Carter Kucala secured second place with a 13.39 average, while Simon Kellum claimed third with 13.58. Speedcubing enthusiasts tracking the 3x3 results also saw several official personal bests set throughout the bracket, showing impressive depth across the board.

Big cube specialists enjoyed an outstanding run courtesy of Aryan Kejriwal, who swept both large-puzzle disciplines. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Kejriwal topped a field of 32 entrants with an average of 48.76 seconds, bolstered by a 46.68 single. Henry Lichner followed in second with 51.00 seconds, and Brian Johnson finished third at 57.42. Kejriwal maintained that commanding form in the 7x7x7 Cube, capturing first place with a 2:11.57 average and a 2:09.04 single, while Lichner earned silver in 2:27.16 and Ethan Cho completed the podium in 2:48.95.

The specialty events generated plenty of their own excitement throughout the afternoon. In Megaminx, Henry Lichner took top honors among 27 entrants with a winning average of 48.40 seconds and a sharp 44.09 single, edging Brian Johnson at 49.91 and Zeke Mackay at 50.81. Clock brought rapid action across two rounds, where Carter Thomas took the title with a 4.69 average and a 3.62 single. Reed W. Richardson took second place close behind at 4.76, while Mackay returned to the podium in third with a 5.72 mark.

Beyond the podium battles, the Mt. Prospect Mini Marathon 2023 served as an ideal platform for competitors expanding their repertoires and hitting major milestones. Simon Poldi produced an astonishing 43.4 percent improvement in Clock to set a personal best of 15.71 seconds, while also logging a first attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 39.88 seconds. James Elliott dropped his Megaminx personal best by 39 percent down to 1:14.79 and tackled five events. Jackson Clark shaved 34.4 percent off his 3x3x3 One-Handed mark for a new best of 19.04 seconds, while Julian Glasser cut 29.3 percent off his One-Handed time to post 28.04 seconds alongside a first Clock attempt of 10.14.

Milestones continued throughout the roster across diverse disciplines. Sadie Sullivan lowered her Clock personal best by 18.4 percent to 8.78 seconds while recording a first 3x3x3 One-Handed solve of 25.06 seconds. Noah A. Wilson improved his One-Handed personal best by 24.1 percent to 30.58 seconds and took his first attempt at Clock in 14.33 seconds. Daniel Perez registered first career attempts in Megaminx at 2:34.92, Clock at 15.10, and 5x5x5 Cube at 2:55.01. Andrew Moy lowered his Clock mark by 16.1 percent to 8.07 seconds and improved his 7x7x7 time by 15.9 percent to 3:58.15 across five events.

For debutants Rachit Nimmatoori and Luke Mackey, this WCA competition marked their first official appearances, recording 3x3x3 One-Handed times of 27.74 and 1:14.45 respectively. The Mt. Prospect Mini Marathon 2023 wrapped up with all 15 podium positions going to United States competitors, leaving the venue full of shared achievements and new benchmarks as participants look forward to the next stops on the cubing competition calendar.