New Orleans 2024

Inside Bricolage Academy, the steady pattern of turning plastic and dropping timers set the tempo for an energetic gathering in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Thirty-one competitors assembled on November 2, 2024, stepping onto the competition floor to test their skills across five official events and twelve total rounds. For many in attendance, the day offered an introduction to the sport, bringing new faces to the tables alongside seasoned speed cubing entrants looking to set the benchmark for the season.

A major story of the day was the surge of new participants making their presence felt at the cubing competition. Alongside those making official debuts, several returning solvers expanded their horizons by tackling events they had never contested before. This blend of fresh enthusiasm and technical challenge gave the single-day schedule a vibrant atmosphere, as new personal milestones were recorded across every tier of the standings.

The 3x3 results brought the signature drama of the classic Rubik's Cube to the forefront. Dylan Miller delivered a composed performance through three rounds of the 3x3x3 Cube, ultimately securing first place with a 7.89 winning average and a best single of 7.23 in the final. Teri McAcy applied constant pressure right to the end, finishing as the runner-up with an average of 7.93, while Ishmael Glover completed the podium in third place with an average of 9.08.

The rivalry between Dylan Miller and Teri McAcy defined the top of the leaderboards across multiple disciplines. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, Dylan Miller captured victory with a 13.23 average, edging out Teri McAcy who finished in second place at 13.38, followed by RJ Gohn in third with 16.17. Dylan Miller also earned the top step in Megaminx, logging an impressive 38.00 winning average to lead Teri McAcy at 58.16 and Gunner Engelsman at 1:08.72.

Teri McAcy struck back decisively in the puzzle events that demanded different layers of spatial control. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Teri McAcy took first place with a 54.64 average and a best single of 50.92, finishing ahead of Dylan Miller at 1:04.67 and Ordway Persyn at 1:15.94. Teri McAcy added another gold in Pyraminx with a sharp 3.48 winning average, narrowly holding off Peyton Tumy at 3.55 and Seth Talbot at 3.64.

Away from the top of the podium, the under-the-radar storylines featured dramatic breakthroughs. Aaron Pea achieved a massive Pyraminx personal best of 2.61, improving by 50.5 percent over a previous mark of 5.27, and earned a fourth-place overall finish while also setting a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 11.19. Bradley Parker took on five events, establishing a first ever attempt in the 5x5x5 Cube of 4:34.62, while shaving 41.6 percent off a previous mark with a Pyraminx personal best of 4.95 and cutting his 3x3x3 Cube best to 23.25. Noah Thomas Hebert logged a first ever attempt at Megaminx with 3:24.55 and improved his Pyraminx personal best by 41.4 percent to 2.80. Porter Benefield made huge strides in the 3x3x3 Cube, dropping his personal best to 15.18 from 22.36, an improvement of 32.1 percent.

The progress continued across the scorecards as Britton Wright recorded a Pyraminx personal best of 8.64, which was 29.3 percent faster than a previous 12.22 mark. Parker Chocheles notched personal bests of 7.23 in Pyraminx and 11.19 in the 3x3x3 Cube, lowering the latter by 20 percent. For Jasper Edwards, New Orleans 2024 served as a first WCA competition, marked by a first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 12.01 and a 3x3x3 Cube debut of 23.04. Josiah Hunt also made a first WCA competition appearance, logging a first ever attempt at Pyraminx with a time of 12.53.

By the conclusion of the final rounds, all fifteen podium spots across the five events were claimed by United States competitors. The depth of participation and the steady flow of new milestones underlined the healthy growth of local speedcubing. As the venue cleared at Bricolage Academy, the combination of debut milestones and hard-fought victories ensured that the 2024 contest in Louisiana will remain a memorable chapter for everyone who took part.