NxN Minnesota 2023

Inside the New Brighton Community Center, the hum of turning layers and the steady snap of timers set the rhythm for a full day of head-to-head racing. Staged in New Brighton, Minnesota, USA on December 9, 2023, the gathering drew 51 competitors who took on a demanding schedule built around multi-phase brackets. With 14 rounds spread across six classic cubic events, the tournament tested who could manage the pressure of tight cutoffs and advancing rounds. From the rapid pace of the smaller puzzles to the endurance demands of the largest cubes, the structure required consistency from morning to night.

The format placed a premium on pacing, as competitors had to navigate preliminary heats before earning spots in the deciding sessions. In NxN Minnesota 2023, the classic 3x3x3 Cube featured three distinct stages, challenging 51 entrants to maintain their speed as the field narrowed. When the final round arrived, Brody Rhoades secured victory with a winning average of 7.95 seconds alongside the day's best single of 6.97. Ethan Cho placed second with an 8.34 average, while Kaius Young took third in 9.15, rounding out the top of the official 3x3 results.

The 2x2x2 Cube followed an equally rigorous three-round path for its 46 competitors. Walker Welch navigated the early stages with control before unleashing a 2.49 winning average in the final round, highlighted by a sharp 1.65 single. James Ekins claimed second place with an average of 3.22, while Tyler Johnson secured third with a 3.33 mark. Surviving multiple eliminations in such a sprint format demanded near-flawless execution across every five-solve set, leaving no room for handling errors or hesitation.

Mid-sized puzzles tested competitors through two-round brackets that quickly filtered the fields. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Kaius Young topped the 36-player roster by capturing first place with an average of 28.76 seconds, backed by a quick 26.13 single. Ethan Cho finished runner-up at 32.68, and Tyler Johnson took third with 34.54. Moving up to the 5x5x5 Cube, Ethan Cho led the 21-person event through both rounds, sealing first place with a 52.86 average and a 49.32 best single, ahead of Johnson at 56.22 and Young at 1:00.67.

The true endurance tests came in the largest events on the schedule, where 6x6x6 and 7x7x7 cubes pushed solving times past several minutes. Tyler Johnson claimed victory in the 6x6x6 Cube final with a mark of 1:42.35, setting the standard with a 1:31.58 single to edge Young and Welch. In the 7x7x7 Cube, Ethan Cho earned his second title of the weekend, posting a 2:29.87 average and a 2:25.58 single across two rounds. Johnson took second in 2:48.89, while Welch earned third in 2:51.55.

Beyond the championship podiums, the multi-round setup offered dozens of solvers a proving ground to establish new benchmarks. Cayce Damschen made significant strides in the classic Rubik's Cube, recording a personal best of 13.01 seconds, which was 44.8 percent faster than their previous best of 23.55, alongside a first attempt at the 4x4x4 Cube of 50.98. Dusty Durfee dropped their 2x2x2 mark to 3.07 seconds, an improvement of 42.6 percent, while also logging a 1:13.09 in their first 4x4x4 Cube attempt. Keegan Moore-Kistner chopped 38.8 percent off their 3x3x3 best with a 10.25 solve and debuted on 2x2x2 with a 3.15. Ezekiel Jennings also made dramatic progress, delivering a 10.36 single on 3x3x3 that was 31.6 percent faster than their prior mark, while tackling the 4x4x4 Cube for the first time.

The expansive schedule invited competitors to test themselves in unfamiliar disciplines, turning personal debuts into major highlights. Wesley A. Johnson took on five separate events at the meet, completing first attempts in 2x2x2 at 4.12, 4x4x4 at 56.96, and 7x7x7 at 5:05.94. Ben Christman entered all six disciplines, notching a sixth-place finish in 2x2x2 while making debuts on 5x5x5 with 1:37.78 and 6x6x6 with 4:06.19. Jared Sikes also tackled six events, recording first-time marks of 3:36.04 on the 6x6x6 and 6:40.67 on the 7x7x7. Zackary Andrew Candy entered their very first speedcubing competition, registering a 14.01 on 3x3x3 and a 54.68 on 4x4x4.

Every podium spot at the tournament went to athletes representing the USA, reflecting the depth of talent assembled in the upper Midwest. For newcomers and seasoned veterans alike, this speed cubing showcase proved how demanding tournament formats can elevate individual performance. As the tables were cleared and the stops packed away, NxN Minnesota 2023 concluded as a memorable cubing competition defined by structured advancement, relentless pacing, and milestone solves across every bracket in this dynamic WCA competition.