Naperville Winter 2024

The competition hall at Northern Illinois University - Naperville hummed with quiet focus on March 16, 2024, as competitors leaned over timing mats under the bright venue lighting. Tension peaked late in the afternoon when the Skewb final came down to an excruciatingly narrow margin. Just twenty-two hundredths of a second separated the top two finishers, delivering the tightest podium battle of the entire weekend.

Simon Kellum claimed the Skewb title with a winning average of 3.06 seconds, narrowly holding off Sebastian Carrillo who secured second place with an average of 3.28. Kellum secured the event victory backed by a best single of 1.95 seconds, while Luke Garrett took third place on the podium with an average of 4.08. That sliver of time in the final round highlighted the razor-thin margins that define elite speedcubing at a dedicated cubing competition.

Naperville Winter 2024 brought together a total field of 77 competitors across 13 rounds of action, with the United States claiming all 15 available podium spots across five disciplines. The single-day WCA competition showcased a demanding schedule that tested dexterity, turning speed, and mental stamina across classic and alternate twisty puzzles alike.

In the main Rubik's Cube division, Luke Garrett proved untouchable over three rounds featuring 75 entrants. Garrett captured the title with a tournament-leading 5.66 winning average in the final, bolstered by a scorching 4.84 single that stood as the fastest mark of the day. The 3x3 results saw Carter Thomas take the runner-up spot with an average of 7.81, while Kellum rounded out the podium in third at 8.49.

Garrett also showcased complete control in the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, securing first place with an impressive 9.41 average and an 8.66 single across three rounds. Thomas secured another silver medal with a 13.90 average, just edging past Kellum who finished third with a 13.99 average in a thrilling one-handed duel.

Kellum added two more titles to his ledger in the short-format puzzles. In Pyraminx, Kellum delivered a winning average of 1.94 alongside a best single of 1.70, besting Garrett who took second with 2.40 and Thomas in third with 3.98. Kellum also earned the 2x2x2 Cube crown with a 1.60 average and a 1.30 single, overcoming Sujan Feist who placed second at 2.10 and Garrett in third at 2.50.

Away from the podium battles, several competitors made substantial progress on the clock. Liam Strauch achieved a personal best of 3.86 in Pyraminx, an improvement of 49.1 percent over his previous best, while also notching a 2.57 in 2x2x2 Cube. Sanskriti Bukkapatnam improved her Pyraminx personal best by 47.6 percent to 5.50 and set an 8.98 personal record in Skewb. Dylan Yin cut his Skewb personal best by 42.3 percent to 6.33, took on his first official Pyraminx attempt at 7.49, and logged a 15.55 in 3x3x3 Cube. Asher Cowen Donahoe posted a 43.95 personal best in 3x3x3 One-Handed, a 37.6 percent drop, alongside his first official 2x2x2 Cube attempt at 6.51.

Fresh milestones and debuts continued throughout the lower brackets. Ryan Frank lowered his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 39.4 percent to 6.04 and took his first attempt at Pyraminx at 18.19. John Hruska logged a 3.04 personal best in 2x2x2 Cube, a 28.5 percent drop, and took on 3x3x3 One-Handed for the first time with a 28.97 mark. Jonah Shapley took seventh in 2x2x2 Cube while dropping his Pyraminx personal best by 28.9 percent to 3.18. Luis Garcia completed all five events on the schedule, setting a Skewb personal best of 12.05, representing a 19.7 percent improvement, while recording first-time attempts in both Pyraminx at 13.56 and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 42.49.

The 2024 gathering in Naperville, Illinois, USA wrapped up with strong multi-event displays across the board. From Garrett and Kellum sweeping every event title between them to newcomers setting personal milestones across all five disciplines, the one-day meet delivered a premier showcase of speed cubing excellence.