NYU Spring 2025

The competition floor at the NYU Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life hummed with steady activity on April 13, 2025. Rows of timers lit up as competitors warmed up their hands, inspected their puzzles, and readied themselves for a full day of action. Staged in New York, New York, USA, the gathering brought together a dynamic field of solvers eager to test their practice against the clock. The atmosphere inside the hall reflected the fast-moving momentum of modern speed cubing, where rising talent and seasoned solvers meet side by side at the tables.

Across the day, 63 competitors took part in NYU Spring 2025, which featured four official events spanning seven separate rounds. With puzzles ranging from the pocket-sized 2x2x2 Cube up to the intricate layers of the 4x4x4 Cube, the schedule demanded quick adjustments and sharp focus. The rapid evolution of the sport was on full display as newer participants pushed their times downward with remarkable speed, turning this WCA competition into a showcase of rapid personal development across every age bracket.

Carson Widjaja established himself as the standout performer of the day, securing two major tournament victories. In the flagship 3x3x3 Cube, which drew the full field of 63 entrants across three challenging rounds, Widjaja captured top honors with a decisive winning average of 6.33 seconds alongside the round best single of 5.68 seconds. Elias Diaz earned second place on the podium with an average of 7.69 seconds, while Dana Yi claimed third place with a solid 8.27 average in the final round of the classic Rubik's Cube.

Widjaja carried that dominant form straight into the 4x4x4 Cube, topping a field of 52 competitors in a single decisive round. His winning average of 24.81 seconds, anchored by a best single solve of 21.42 seconds, placed him well clear of the chasing pack. Ayden Dincher took the runner-up position with a 29.44 average, followed closely by Chanoe Park in third place at 30.86 seconds. The dual victories cemented Widjaja as the most prolific champion across the single-day schedule at NYU Spring 2025.

The 2x2x2 Cube delivered rapid turnarounds across two rounds and 55 competitors, producing some of the closest margins of the tournament. Eli Rogers captured the title with a blistering winning average of 1.63 seconds and a best single of 1.50 seconds. Diaz collected his second silver finish of the day with an average of 1.70 seconds, narrowly edging Dincher, who rounded out the podium in third place at 1.71 seconds. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, Minghao Zhang from China secured first place among 52 entrants with a winning average of 11.21 seconds, finishing ahead of Jihu Mun at 12.69 and Widjaja at 13.21.

Beyond the championship podiums, the heart of the cubing competition lived in the massive leaps made by developing competitors across the floor. Lucas Pai had an extraordinary day across four events, shaving 66.7 percent off his previous mark in the 2x2x2 Cube with a new personal best of 3.56 seconds, alongside a 38.3 percent drop to 8.25 seconds on 3x3x3 and a first ever official attempt in 3x3x3 One-Handed of 41.19 seconds. Jayden Kong also tackled four events, producing a 54.8 percent improvement on 2x2x2 with a personal best of 4.30 seconds, improving his 4x4x4 best by 17.2 percent to 1:36.95, and logging a first one-handed attempt of 30.59 seconds. Daniel Sun entered four disciplines in just his second career tournament, posting first ever attempts in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 30.19 seconds and 4x4x4 Cube at 53.44 seconds while lowering his 3x3x3 personal best by 16.4 percent to 9.81 seconds. Andrew Cantor took on three events, recording his first official attempts in 2x2x2 at 5.73 seconds and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 41.32 seconds.

The breakthrough performances continued throughout the roster as athletes shattered previous personal benchmarks. Gatsby Aaron Roberts entered four events, logging a first ever one-handed attempt of 38.94 seconds while trimming 26.8 percent off his 3x3x3 best to reach 16.16 seconds. Vasilije Dragojlovic delivered a massive 37.4 percent improvement in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a personal best single of 31.92 seconds, accompanied by a 17.7 percent drop to 1:30.60 on the 4x4x4 Cube. AJ Harned cut his 4x4x4 personal best by 31.9 percent down to 57.88 seconds, while Tyler Del Deo dropped his 2x2x2 single by 23.9 percent to 2.96 seconds and lowered his 4x4x4 mark by 18.3 percent to 58.62 seconds. First-time competitors Christopher Hartman, Grey Ronick, and Ryan Tan also launched their official journeys, with Tan recording a 16.52 single in his opening attempt.

The overall country medal count leaned heavily toward the host nation, with United States competitors earning 11 podium spots alongside one podium finish for China. As the final round of the main event concluded and the official 3x3 results were posted, the day demonstrated the extraordinary pace at which the next wave of solvers is climbing the ranks. NYU Spring 2025 concluded having delivered exceptional masteries, intense finishes, and dozens of career-best marks that set a strong benchmark for the season ahead.