North Carolina Championship 2023

One hundred and eighty-three competitors gathered at the UNC Charlotte Popp Martin Student Union for a packed two-day schedule on November 4 and 5, setting the stage for a showcase of high-level puzzle solving. Across 13 events and 23 total rounds, the North Carolina Championship 2023 delivered a dramatic weekend of action in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. Two standout competitors set an unrelenting pace from the earliest rounds to Sunday afternoon, claiming nine individual event titles between them in an extraordinary display of versatility and speed.

Leading the charge across the larger puzzles was Vishwa Sankar, who took five victories over the course of the cubing competition. Sankar asserted complete dominance across the big cubes, winning 4x4x4 Cube with a 26.48 average and a 24.33 single, then topping the 5x5x5 Cube podium with a 55.05 average to beat Katie Hull at 57.02 and Tyler Hicks at 1:02.95. Sankar added a Megaminx victory with a 47.50 average and a best single of 45.80, proving nearly untouchable whenever the complexity scaled up.

Sankar carried that supreme form into the massive six- and seven-layered puzzles as well. In 6x6x6 Cube, Sankar posted a winning average of 1:34.42, accompanied by a 1:30.99 single, keeping Kerry Creech at 1:49.14 and Tyler Hicks at 1:50.34 in second and third place. The 7x7x7 Cube contest followed a similar script, where Sankar secured first place with an average of 2:31.50 and a 2:28.58 single, ahead of Katie Hull who registered 2:56.71 and Bhuvanesh Ganta with 3:04.23.

Parallel to Sankar was Kerry Creech, who dominated four events spanning short puzzles, side formats, and the marquee 3x3 results. In the classic Rubik's Cube main event featuring 181 contenders across three rounds, Creech captured the title with a 7.43 average and a 6.58 single. Zachary Ochs secured the silver medal with a 7.80 average, while Andreas Lambropoulos finished third with a 7.92 average to cap off a thrilling final round.

Creech added three more victories across the weekend. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Creech secured gold with a 1.66 average, finishing ahead of Zachary Ochs at 2.41 and Micah Heckerling at 2.66. Creech also clinched the Pyraminx title with a 2.56 average and a 1.76 single out of 132 entrants, before concluding an outstanding multi-event haul by winning Square-1 with a 10.35 average and an 8.69 single over two rounds of play.

Beyond the top steps of the podium, several competitors made significant personal strides across new formats. Durham Lee Wells tackled 12 events at the North Carolina Championship 2023, logging a 34th-place finish in 7x7x7 Cube while posting first ever attempts in 5x5x5 Cube at 2:06.03, 6x6x6 Cube at 3:46.20, and Square-1 at 30.09. Lucas Sweeney entered eight events and recorded first official marks in Skewb at 4.35, Clock at 16.08, and 4x4x4 Cube at 2:16.58. Stephen Moseley took on 11 disciplines, earning 15th place in Skewb alongside first attempts in Megaminx at 2:17.65, 7x7x7 Cube at 7:47.67, and 5x5x5 Cube at 1:49.02. Fletcher Perry contested 13 events, finishing 13th in 3x3x3 Blindfolded while logging first ever times in Clock at 25.65, 7x7x7 Cube at 7:35.69, and Megaminx at 3:03.33.

Davy Hallihan broadened their repertoire across nine events, placing 27th in 7x7x7 Cube with a first attempt of 5:05.87 and adding first marks in Megaminx at 1:45.70 and 6x6x6 Cube at 3:15.43. William Vandergrift stepped up in 12 events, achieving 29th place in Megaminx with a first attempt of 1:40.49 alongside debuts in 6x6x6 Cube at 3:18.69 and 7x7x7 Cube at 6:18.31. Aaryn Humphrey reached 15th place in 6x6x6 Cube with a first attempt mark of 2:22.86 while establishing opening results in 4x4x4 Cube at 46.48 and Megaminx at 2:42.73. Kisely J. Cunningham registered initial official marks in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 41.40, 4x4x4 Cube at 1:54.05, and Pyraminx at 5.12.

Specialist events rounded out the weekend's competition. Andreas Lambropoulos doubled up with victories in both Clock and 3x3x3 One-Handed, recording a 5.62 average in Clock to edge Daniel Mullen at 5.73 and Kerry Creech at 5.75, followed by an 11.45 average with a 10.96 single in One-Handed. Zachary Ochs won the Skewb title with a 4.14 average ahead of Ashten Jampayas at 4.43 and Eddie Szuster at 4.92. In 3x3x3 Blindfolded, Jacob Ambrose solved without sight in 1:01.97 to lead Orion Leavitt-Lytle at 1:11.93 and Miles Greco at 1:29.49.

The 2023 edition showed the tremendous depth of regional speed cubing, with all 39 podium spots claimed by United States competitors across the full slate. From big cubes to specialty puzzles, the North Carolina Championship 2023 served as an ideal showcase of discipline and technical mastery as the WCA competition calendar advances toward another exciting year of speedcubing.