Northampton Newcomers C 2024

Cameron Soulagnet produced an unblemished sweep at Northampton Newcomers C 2024, capturing top honors across all three events on the schedule with an emphatic display of speedcubing. The headline performance came in the classic 3x3x3 Cube, where Soulagnet recorded a winning average of 7.58 seconds alongside a best single solve of 6.56 seconds. The victory capped a dominant single-day outing in Northampton, Massachusetts, USA, setting the standard across both standard and big cube disciplines on March 10, 2024.

Held in the Davis Ballroom, the gathering welcomed 11 competitors who contested six rounds across three puzzle disciplines. For competitors stepping onto the official stage, entering a cubing competition brings the unique challenge of managing official timers, strict inspection protocols, and the focus required in a public arena. Whether tackling their first official events or building experience in speed cubing, participants encountered a full schedule that demanded adaptability across increasingly complex twisty puzzles throughout the day.

The 3x3 results served as a major highlight of the afternoon. Soulagnet led the final round with a 7.58 average to secure the title. Margot Audero delivered a strong silver-medal performance with an average of 8.71 seconds, highlighted by earlier tournament marks including a 7.46 single and an 8.61 average. Louis Truong rounded out the podium in third place with a final average of 10.61 seconds, having posted an 8.39 single and an 8.79 average during the preliminary stages of the competition.

The schedule moved seamlessly from the standard Rubik's Cube into larger puzzle categories, where Soulagnet extended his winning margin. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Soulagnet topped the standings with a final winning average of 31.67 seconds and a best single of 28.95 seconds. Phil Thomas earned second place with an average of 36.65 seconds, while Margot Audero claimed a second podium spot of the day, taking third place with a mark of 37.17 seconds across the final round.

Soulagnet completed the treble in the 5x5x5 Cube, finishing with an average of 52.32 seconds and a sharp single solve of 45.97 seconds. Phil Thomas captured another silver finish with a time of 1:11.97, edging out Louis Truong who finished closely behind in third place at 1:12.34. The USA sweep of all nine available podium positions across the three events reflected the high standard maintained at the top of every final round.

Beyond the trophies, the spirit of Northampton Newcomers C 2024 shone brightest in the personal breakthroughs achieved by competitors expanding their repertoires. Declan Gallagher took on all three events, recording his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube with a time of 1:23.62 and his first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 3:02.57, while also lowering his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 20.60 seconds, an improvement of 9.4 percent over his previous mark of 22.73. Gordon R. Holey delivered a major milestone in the 4x4x4 Cube, clocking a personal best of 1:18.63 to finish 11.3 percent faster than his previous best of 1:28.62 across three entered events.

Other competitors made significant individual strides across the tournament floor. Yannai Arazi contested all three events, recording an 8th-place finish in the 3x3x3 Cube with a personal best single of 13.86 seconds, a 5x5x5 Cube personal best of 3:11.85, and a 4x4x4 Cube personal best of 1:20.36 that was 7.3 percent faster than before. Jesse Mailloux achieved a personal best of 1:17.66 in the 5x5x5 Cube alongside a 6th-place finish in 3x3x3 Cube. Rohan Volety took on all three events and claimed a best finish of 7th in the 3x3x3 Cube, while Alex Cohen completed three events with a weekend-best finish of 5th place in the 5x5x5 Cube.

The tournament successfully combined competitive precision at the top of the table with substantial developmental milestones for the rest of the field. Every participant navigating the rounds of Northampton Newcomers C 2024 contributed to an active and focused day of solving at the Davis Ballroom. As the 2024 speedcubing calendar moves forward, the results established in Northampton provide a sturdy benchmark for competitors looking ahead to their next WCA competition.

With six full rounds completed across three distinct puzzles, the event showcased both the technical mastery required for speed on larger cubes and the rapid reflexes needed for the standard 3x3. The balance of experienced execution and milestone-setting solves made Northampton Newcomers C 2024 a memorable chapter in regional cubing competition history.