New Jersey Championship 2024

Inside the halls of Georgian Court University, three days of focused intensity culminated in a weekend of relentless solving across thirty-seven rounds of competition. The Lakewood, New Jersey, USA venue bustled from May 25 to May 27 as 195 competitors gathered for the New Jersey Championship 2024. Timers clicked softly against tournament mats while judges observed every move across twelve separate events, setting the stage for a memorable holiday weekend of speedcubing action in 2024.

The 4x4x4 Cube final turned into the tensest duel of the entire tournament, coming right down to the final turns. Ari Randers-Pehrson applied massive pressure by putting together a 24.07 average, but Matty Hiroto Inaba delivered under intense scrutiny, securing a clutch 23.79 winning average to take first place by twenty-eight hundredths of a second. Jerry Yao earned third on the podium with a 29.60 average. That narrow margin set the tone for Inaba, who went on to assemble an exceptional multi-event display throughout the weekend.

In the classic 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube, Inaba dominated the field through four demanding rounds. Inaba clinched the victory with a 5.78 winning average and the best single time of the event at 5.20. Carson Widjaja followed in second place with a 7.22 average, while Zayn Khanani earned third place with a 7.48 average. The premier speed cubing discipline drew 188 entrants, and these definitive 3x3 results solidified Inaba's status at the top of the leaderboard.

Inaba extended his dominance by capturing two additional titles across the schedule. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, Inaba took top honors with an 11.07 average and an 8.03 single, holding off Jerry Yao who placed second with 11.69 and Shaun Mack who took third with 11.91. Inaba then conquered the 5x5x5 Cube, winning with a 47.77 average and a 40.26 single, finishing ahead of Ari Randers-Pehrson's 51.74 and Yao's 51.99. Inaba concluded the New Jersey Championship 2024 with four championship victories.

Beyond the championship podiums, this WCA competition offered countless personal victories across the tournament floor. Thomas Rosky took on eight events and logged a massive personal best in Skewb of 5.25 seconds, which was 60 percent faster than his previous mark of 13.12, while also posting a 2.96 personal best in 2x2x2 Cube and recording a first ever Megaminx attempt of 1:28.24. Oskar Pfitsch Kawinski cut his Pyraminx mark by 52.1 percent down to 4.98 seconds, tackled Skewb for the first time with a 6.14, and made his first 3x3x3 One-Handed attempt at 54.07. Ryan Jian dropped his Pyraminx personal best by 50.8 percent to 5.54 seconds while attempting both 2x2x2 Cube and Clock for the first time. Ari Smith Posner improved his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 51.6 percent to 5.63, shaved his Pyraminx best to 10.96, and recorded a first Skewb attempt of 21.88.

Ambitious event debuts continued across the board as competitors tested their skills on unfamiliar puzzles. Justin Rose took on ten events, lowering his 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best by 30.6 percent to 33.11, dropping his Skewb best by 38.1 percent to 4.07, and making his first 5x5x5 Cube attempt in 2:38.86. Andrew Sherman entered eight events, cutting his 3x3x3 One-Handed time by 48.5 percent to 54.39, his Skewb by 40.4 percent to 10.14, and logging his first Clock attempt in 59.89. Yehuda Weinmartin took on eleven events at the New Jersey Championship 2024, recording first attempts in 6x6x6 Cube at 5:23.56, 7x7x7 Cube at 6:43.99, and Square-1 at 13.69. Noah Brown tackled nine events, posting first attempts in 5x5x5 Cube at 2:51.88, Square-1 at 20.81, and 4x4x4 Cube at 1:27.12.

Short-format events also delivered blistering speed, led by Zayn Khanani's remarkable showing. Khanani secured the 2x2x2 Cube title with a 1.14 average and a 0.97 single, leading Jerry Yao at 1.57 and Hassan Khanani at 1.61. Zayn Khanani added another gold in Skewb with a 2.26 winning average. In Pyraminx, Shaun Mack won the title with a 2.51 average. Carter Williams captured the Clock crown with a 4.52 average, edging Eric Hsu at 4.72 and Rex Ozsvath at 4.79. In Square-1, Hassan Khanani earned victory with a 5.55 average.

The big-cube and specialty events rounded out the schedule at Georgian Court University. Ari Randers-Pehrson claimed victory in the 6x6x6 Cube with a 1:33.03 average, finishing ahead of Paul Mahvi at 1:37.63 and Dana Yi at 1:43.22. Mahvi went on to win the 7x7x7 Cube with a 2:27.41 average, followed by Yi at 2:40.70 and Randers-Pehrson at 2:43.16. In Megaminx, Declan Wilhelm topped the field with a 40.59 average. Across all twelve disciplines, this cubing competition proved to be a comprehensive showcase of talent.

With thirty-six podium spots claimed across the weekend, the New Jersey Championship 2024 showcased both masterclass performances and individual milestones from start to finish. From dramatic final-solve victories on the championship stage to hundreds of personal benchmarks across thirty-seven rounds, Lakewood witnessed an unforgettable weekend of speedcubing excellence.