Naperville Winter 2025

The competition hall at Northern Illinois University - Naperville hummed with the rhythmic plastic clatter of turning layers on February 1, 2025. Groups of competitors gathered around solving stations, adjusting timers and inspecting scrambled puzzles under the bright lights before their official attempts. For many in attendance, the venue represented the culmination of dedicated practice sessions, while others stepped up to the tables for the very first time. Naperville Winter 2025 brought together 73 competitors across five events and 13 rounds of intense, focused action in Naperville, Illinois, USA.

Stepping into a debut WCA competition brings an unmistakable mix of focus and anticipation. First-time competitors sat alongside seasoned hands, watching the digital displays count hundredths of a second as official judges lifted scrambles. The atmosphere of a live cubing competition offers a distinct shift from practicing at home, requiring solvers to manage nerves under timed conditions across various shapes and sizes of twisty puzzles. For new participants, the single-day gathering marked their entry into official speedcubing, turning casual solves into certified marks in the global ledger.

Among those making their official debuts, several solvers established their first benchmark marks. Evert Canning stepped onto the competition floor for the very first time, logging an initial single of 16.69 seconds on the classic Rubik's Cube and an 8.74 on Pyraminx across two events entered. Brooks Heyman also experienced their first official speed cubing meet, recording an opening attempt of 35.41 on the 3x3 and a 10.68 on Pyraminx. Sean Isu Choe entered three disciplines in their first appearance, notching a 24.01 in the 3x3 and a 13.09 on Pyraminx, while Camden Hendricks completed three events with a 47.49 on the 3x3 and a 13.46 on Pyraminx.

The day also saw dramatic progress from returning competitors who delivered significant personal milestones. Geoffrey Gunawi secured a 3x3 personal best single of 12.12 seconds, improving by 42 percent over their previous best of 20.89. Asher Hearn took on three events and dropped their Pyraminx mark to 6.75 seconds, an improvement of 38.5 percent, alongside a 17.00 single on the 3x3. Matthew Strauch made a first official attempt at Pyraminx with a 29.17 and cut their 3x3 personal record to 1:13.36, which was 38.3 percent faster than before. Franklin Posadas took on two events and achieved a 3x3 best of 11.37 seconds, slicing 28.6 percent off their previous mark.

In the flagship 3x3x3 Cube, the competition narrowed across three rounds from an initial field of 72 entrants down to the final bracket. Brian Johnson captured first place with an impressive winning average of 6.29 seconds, having delivered a best single of 5.86 seconds during the event. Luke Garrett claimed second place on the podium with a 6.74 average, while Zeke Mackay finished third with a 7.28 mark. The 3x3 results demonstrated intense consistency at the top of the standings, with all three podium finishers staying comfortably under the eight-second barrier across the final round.

Johnson continued his commanding run across multiple puzzle formats throughout the afternoon. In the Square-1 event, which featured 34 competitors over three rounds, Johnson secured another victory with a winning average of 6.84 seconds and a top single of 5.38. Mackay earned the runner-up spot with an average of 9.90 seconds, followed by Garrett in third place at 10.70. Johnson then claimed a third victory in Pyraminx, leading the 63-competitor field with a final average of 2.58 seconds and a tournament-best single of 1.91, once again ahead of Mackay at 2.87 and Garrett at 3.06.

The complex, twelve-sided Megaminx puzzle drew 40 entrants over three rounds, producing one of the tightest podium races of the day. Mackay secured first place with a winning average of 40.19 seconds and a single of 38.14. Lucy Grace Bryson followed closely behind to take second place with a mark of 40.59 seconds, while Garrett rounded out the podium in third at 42.74 seconds. The decisive margins highlighted the precision required to manipulate the dodecahedron puzzle smoothly across multi-minute solve attempts.

The largest puzzle on the schedule, the 7x7x7 Cube, tested endurance and strategy across two rounds among 33 competitors. Garrett emerged victorious with a winning average of 2:15.86, backed by a tournament-low single of 2:05.71. Henry Lichner pushed the contest to the wire, finishing in second place with an average of 2:16.18, just 0.32 seconds behind Garrett. Mackay collected third place on the podium with a time of 2:48.90, concluding the large cube proceedings in Naperville.

When the final timers stopped, all 15 podium positions at Naperville Winter 2025 went to United States competitors, wrapping up a full day of racing across diverse formats. From first-time entrants discovering the rhythm of the competition floor to seasoned solvers trading victories in the finals, the gathering highlighted the vibrant community of speedcubers in Illinois. As the year unfolds, the personal bests and debut marks established in Naperville set the stage for continued growth in the upcoming season.