Nebraska Championship 2024

Paul Mahvi set an exhausting standard across the heavy hardware in Falls City, Nebraska, USA, sweeping every major multi-layered event on the schedule. Held at Prichard Auditorium from April 12 to April 14, 2024, the Nebraska Championship 2024 tested endurance across 17 distinct events and 34 rounds. The sheer physical effort required by the large puzzles set the tone early, as competitors tackled complex center-building and edge-pairing algorithms across long brackets. Mahvi captured the 5x5x5 Cube final with a 52.86 winning average, locked down the 6x6x6 Cube in 1:39.57, and completed the triple crown with a commanding 2:23.31 mark in the 7x7x7 Cube.

The big-cube sweep anchored an extraordinary weekend for Mahvi, who also topped the podium in 4x4x4 Cube with a 27.30 average, Square-1 in 13.62, and 3x3x3 One-Handed in 15.17. While the classic Rubik's Cube demands lightning reflexes, the larger cubes require sustained focus over hundreds of mechanical turns. In the 7x7x7 Cube final, Lydia Workman took second place with an average of 2:37.57, while Walker Welch claimed third in 2:49.90. Over three demanding days, 47 competitors took part in the WCA competition, making the gathering one of the state's most comprehensive speed cubing showcases of the 2024 season.

In the flagship 3x3x3 Cube, Jayben Keene took the title across three rigorous rounds. The standard speedcubing division gathered all 47 entrants, and the final 3x3 results saw Keene secure first place with an 8.22 winning average and a round-best single of 6.72. Keene also reached the podium in Square-1, placing second with a 13.88 average behind Mahvi and just ahead of Shain Papalotl Longbehn at 14.16, while also taking the runner-up spot in the 4x4x4 Cube final with a 35.87 average.

Walker Welch delivered a versatile performance of his own throughout the competition, asserting absolute dominance in the memory disciplines and complex side events. Welch captured the Megaminx title with a winning average of 1:01.23, edging Mahvi who finished second in 1:02.85, with Lydia Workman rounding out the podium in 1:17.61. Welch then swept all four blindfolded events on the roster, winning 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 1:29.06 single, 4x4x4 Blindfolded in 8:34.79, 5x5x5 Blindfolded in 21:58.00, and 3x3x3 Multi-Blind by successfully solving 8 of 9 cubes in 56:35. Welch also clinched the 3x3x3 Fewest Moves contest with a 31-move solution.

Short-format specialists also had their share of glory at the Nebraska Championship 2024. Chris Van Der Brink collected two victories, winning the Pyraminx final with a 3.36 average ahead of Welch at 4.48 and Braxton Lee Fowler at 4.99, while also dominating Clock with a 4.50 mark to finish ahead of Trenton Cuzick at 6.30 and Fowler at 6.70. Fowler topped the 2x2x2 Cube final with a 2.39 average, posting a 1.54 single, while Trenton Cuzick won Skewb with a 5.08 average. Across all finals, competitors representing the USA secured every single podium spot, collecting 57 top-three placements across the weekend.

Beyond the championship trophies, the open floor at Prichard Auditorium saw dozens of personal milestones from dedicated entrants. Alex Marchetti dropped their Pyraminx mark down to 4.20, an improvement of 50.9 percent over their previous best, while also logging a 6.76 Skewb personal best and making their first ever attempt at Megaminx with 1:49.72. Nicholas Zayd took 49.1 percent off their previous Pyraminx best by logging a 6.40, while also cutting Square-1 to 27.07 for a 46.9 percent drop and entering Megaminx for the first time with a 2:41.25. William James tackled 11 events, taking their Square-1 best to 39.87, improving their Pyraminx mark to 4.25, and attempting the 6x6x6 Cube for the first time with a 7:54.78. Elliot Clemens achieved a 46 percent improvement in 2x2x2 Cube with a 3.27 personal best, took 20.1 percent off their 4x4x4 Cube time to hit 2:07.79, and made a first Pyraminx attempt of 10.69.

Several other competitors used the Nebraska Championship 2024 to dramatically expand their event repertoire across the schedule. Bodie Ardinger Stibal cut their Square-1 personal best by 32.2 percent down to 14.19, recorded an eighth-place finish in Skewb, and made first career attempts in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 31.03 and Clock at 25.47. Cole Laughlin entered 10 events, making first-ever attempts in 3x3x3 One-Handed with 43.09, 6x6x6 Cube with 3:50.86, and 7x7x7 Cube with 5:25.28. In their first WCA competition, Corey Bunger entered 6 events, earning sixth place in 7x7x7 Cube while recording debut marks of 3.36 in 2x2x2 Cube, 13.81 in 3x3x3 Cube, and 1:27.75 in 5x5x5 Cube. Randy Harrison also made their debut appearance, capturing fourth place in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 14.18 single and posting initial times in Megaminx at 1:54.76 and 5x5x5 Cube at 1:44.54.

The long weekend in Falls City closed after 34 rounds of intense solving across every puzzle type. From the grueling mechanical demands of the 7x7x7 Cube to the rapid turns of the sprint events, the cubing competition highlighted both elite consistency at the top of the table and steady progression throughout the ranks. As the calendar moves ahead, the complete spread of performances in Nebraska leaves a clear benchmark for competitors preparing for their next test on the floor.