North Star Cubing Challenge 2024

Inside the spacious hall of the Eagan Community Center, rows of competition tables were lined with timers, mats, and cases packed with puzzles of every dimension. The atmosphere was charged with focused concentration as competitors warmed up their fingers, turning layers and adjusting hardware ahead of intense rounds of solving. North Star Cubing Challenge 2024 brought together a packed schedule across January 20 and January 21, drawing 110 competitors to Eagan, Minnesota, USA. Over two days and 24 grueling rounds, the weekend demanded precision, mental clarity, and relentless stamina across nine distinct events.

The larger puzzles placed the greatest physical and mental demands on the field, requiring prolonged focus through complex reduction stages and edge pairing. In the 5x5x5 Cube, 54 solvers took to the tables across two rounds of play. Nathan Phillips demonstrated outstanding endurance to claim victory in the event, posting a winning average of 52.69 seconds alongside the fastest single of the contest at 49.82 seconds. Kaius Young secured the runner-up spot with an average of 58.32 seconds, while Carter Kucala rounded out the podium in third place with a mark of 58.84 seconds.

The 4x4x4 Cube brought another rigorous test of speedcubing stamina, featuring a 75-competitor field across two full rounds. Kaius Young captured the top step of the podium with a composed winning average of 29.65 seconds, anchored by a best single solve of 25.95 seconds. Brian Johnson pushed hard to take second place with an average of 30.43 seconds, followed closely by Nathan Phillips in third at 31.03 seconds. The high-level execution on these complex layers highlighted the discipline required when standard speed cubing fundamentals meet extended puzzle formats.

Across the shorter disciplines, Brian Johnson established a commanding presence throughout North Star Cubing Challenge 2024. In the classic Rubik's Cube, Johnson topped 108 competitors through three rounds, claiming first place with a 6.49-second average and a 5.95 single. The 3x3 results saw Carter Kucala take second with an average of 7.91 seconds, while Kaius Young secured third at 8.22 seconds. Johnson continued his sweep by winning the 2x2x2 Cube with a 1.61 average, the Pyraminx with a 2.74 average, and 3x3x3 One-Handed with an average of 10.99 seconds.

Away from the top of the podiums, the official scorecards captured remarkable progress across the roster. Joshua Carey tackled seven events, logging his first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube with a time of 3:16.90, his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed at 41.06, and dropping his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 70.9 percent to 1.50 seconds. Alvin Tri Nguyen entered seven events, making a first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 10.37 and a first ever attempt at One-Handed in 49.64, alongside a Skewb personal best of 4.89 seconds that was 72.3 percent faster than before. Bennett Story took on six disciplines, recording a first ever attempt at Skewb in 5.67 seconds, improving his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 57.9 percent to 2.19, and cutting his 3x3x3 Blindfolded best by 50.7 percent down to 2:57.89. Harrison Story logged his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Cube at 20.96 seconds while improving his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 2.79 seconds, a 61 percent improvement.

That same commitment to improvement defined numerous other competitors during this WCA competition. Aiden Jennings contested eight separate events, logging a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 2:28.13, a first ever attempt at Clock in 20.89 seconds, and cutting his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 55 percent to 3.97 seconds. Colton Mrozinski entered seven events, recording a first ever attempt at One-Handed in 24.96 seconds, a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 2:34.06, and lowering his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 48.6 percent to 1.99 seconds. Lucas Yu made his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube with a time of 2:23.57 and dropped his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 46.3 percent to 15.80 seconds. Adelaide Hebert took on six events, putting up a first ever attempt at Skewb in 14.46 seconds, a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:37.24, and improving her 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 17 percent to 5.19 seconds.

Specialist events also produced thrilling finishes throughout the weekend. Carter Kucala earned victory in Skewb with a winning average of 1.82 seconds, holding off Simon Kellum at 2.64 seconds and Brian Johnson at 2.74 seconds. In Clock, Nathan Rahn prevailed with a winning average of 4.90 seconds and a best single of 3.94 seconds. The mental strain peaked during 3x3x3 Blindfolded, where competitors relied on pure memorisation; Andy Wong captured first place with a single of 22.27 seconds, followed by Carter Kucala at 27.52 seconds and Kaius Young at 57.97 seconds.

With all 27 podium positions claimed by United States competitors, North Star Cubing Challenge 2024 concluded as a thorough showcase of precision and endurance. From the marathon focus demanded by the 5x5x5 Cube to the rapid turns of short-format puzzles, the 2024 tournament highlighted the broad depth of the regional scene. As equipment was packed away at the Eagan Community Center, the weekend left behind a rich tally of milestones, breakthrough attempts, and personal benchmarks.