Nub Open Yucaipa 2024

Just 0.36 seconds separated the top two spots on the Pyraminx podium at the Yucaipa Community Center on April 20, 2024, providing the most dramatic finish of the entire tournament. Preston Schwartz captured the Pyraminx title with a decisive 3.06-second winning average, narrowly fending off Kyeongmin Choi from Korea, who finished second at 3.42 seconds. Schwartz also secured the event best single with a blazing 2.86 solve. August Barnard claimed third place with a solid 4.32 average, capping off a high-stakes, two-round contest that tested 67 competitors from the opening scramble to the final solve.

The intense Pyraminx showdown set the tone for Nub Open Yucaipa 2024, a packed single-day cubing competition in Yucaipa, California, USA that drew 102 competitors across six events and 13 total rounds. While the triangular puzzle delivered the narrowest margin of victory, the gathering featured elite performances across the board. Speedcubing enthusiasts gathered to watch a mix of seasoned champions and rising talents battle for podium honors, creating a dynamic atmosphere across every table in the hall.

The classic Rubik's Cube drew the largest field of the weekend, with 100 competitors tackling three rounds of intense action. Max Park delivered an authoritative performance to top the 3x3 results, capturing victory with a 5.79 winning average and recording the best single of the event at 4.44. Kyeongmin Choi earned the runner-up spot with an average of 7.38, while Kate Grahame secured third place with an 8.26 average. During earlier rounds, Park set a standard with an average of 5.58 and a single of 4.99, while Choi registered an impressive 7.20 average and a 6.39 single.

Beyond the premier three-layered event, Park dominated the larger mechanical puzzles with remarkable speed. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Park earned the top podium spot with a 19.83 winning average and the best single of 17.82 among 64 competitors. Kate Grahame took second place with a 30.62 average, closely followed by Dan Tran in third at 31.27. Park carried that unmatched form directly into the big cube categories, securing two additional titles with dominant displays that left little doubt about the outcome.

In the 6x6x6 Cube, Park posted a winning average of 1:08.26 and a best single of 1:07.71 across two rounds, once again leading Grahame, who took second with 1:27.10, and Tran, who finished third with 1:42.50. The pattern repeated in the 7x7x7 Cube, where Park notched a 1:39.68 winning average and a 1:36.19 best single. Grahame placed second with a 2:10.13 average, while Tran earned another third-place finish with 2:35.12. United States competitors secured 15 total podium places throughout the competition, while Korean competitors claimed three.

The 12-sided Megaminx provided another highlight of the day, featuring 45 competitors over two rounds. Kyeongmin Choi delivered a commanding performance to capture the title, registering a 33.60 winning average and the fastest single solve at 31.07. Terrence Cao earned second place with a 48.71 average, while Dan Tran picked up his third bronze of the day with a 52.31 average. Choi's victory prevented a complete sweep of the six events by United States competitors and highlighted the international talent on display in Yucaipa.

Away from the championship podiums, the WCA competition offered countless personal milestones and breakthroughs across the community. Nathaneil Gaede delivered one of the weekend's biggest leaps, cutting his Pyraminx personal best by 51.1 percent down to 4.99 seconds while also logging a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:03.94 and trimming his 3x3x3 Cube best to 11.33. William Lucas Liao improved his 3x3x3 Cube best to 15.40 seconds, a 46.1 percent drop, alongside initial attempts in Pyraminx at 9.30 and 4x4x4 Cube at 2:17.45. Alexander Degtjarjov dropped his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 44.2 percent to 21.67 while taking his first attempt at 4x4x4 Cube with a 2:53.41. Adam Pap registered an impressive 41.6 percent improvement on 4x4x4 Cube with a 1:12.47 personal best, improved his 3x3x3 Cube best to 12.45, and completed his first Pyraminx solve in 6.55.

The spirit of speed cubing was equally bright among several other dedicated competitors taking on ambitious multi-event schedules. Teddy Hsu entered six events, reaching ninth place in the 4x4x4 Cube while logging first attempts in the 6x6x6 Cube at 3:06.50 and 7x7x7 Cube at 5:38.16, alongside a 31.7 percent personal best in Pyraminx of 3.93. Nikolas Perez tackled six events, logging his first official attempts in 7x7x7 Cube at 6:51.60, 6x6x6 Cube at 4:10.44, and Pyraminx at 6.81. Avery Neil Jimenez also took on six events, recording first attempts in 4x4x4 Cube at 51.67, Megaminx at 2:04.98, and 6x6x6 Cube at 5:22.16. Mason Zenteno completed their first WCA competition by entering three events, logging initial marks in Pyraminx at 11.95, 3x3x3 Cube at 23.35, and Megaminx at 4:18.87.

From thrilling podium races separated by tenths of a second to individual milestones across every heat, Nub Open Yucaipa 2024 showcased the depth and passion of the speedcubing community. The tournament highlighted fierce rivalries at the top alongside substantial personal growth across the entire roster of 102 solvers. As the tables were cleared and the cubes packed away, competitors left Yucaipa with fresh personal records and renewed focus for the remainder of the 2024 season.