Ohio State Summer 2024

Inside the Ohio Union in Columbus, Ohio, USA, the familiar cadence of turning plastic, tapping timers, and focused concentration set the tone for two full days of high-level puzzle solving. From June 1 to June 2, 2024, the venue welcomed 53 competitors ready to test their preparation across eight official events spanning 14 rounds. Tables lined the hall as participants warmed up their fingers, checked alignments, and prepared for the rapid-fire action that defines a high-stakes cubing competition.

The premier contest of the weekend came down to the classic 3x3x3 Cube, where 51 entrants stepped up across three rounds of intense action. Luke Garrett set a blistering pace, taking the championship with a winning average of 5.68 seconds alongside the best single of the weekend at 5.33 seconds. Phillip Lewicki secured the runner-up spot with a solid 7.61 average, while Chris Chi joined them on the podium in third place with a mark of 7.73. The deep roster delivered thrilling 3x3 results from start to finish.

Garrett carried that lightning speed directly into the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, proving his mastery over single-handed turning mechanics. Across two rounds featuring 43 competitors, Garrett captured another first-place finish with a 10.59 winning average and a single solve of 9.80 seconds. Jacob Dyland Bennett earned second place on the podium with a 14.72 average, narrowly edging out Phillip Lewicki, who collected third place with a time of 15.25 seconds in an impressive showing of dexterity.

The fast-paced momentum continued into Square-1, an event known for its shape-shifting challenges and rapid algorithm execution. Evan Wright rose to the top of the 29-competitor field, clinching the victory with a 7.96 winning average and a sharp single of 6.21 seconds. Dominic Cater pushed hard to claim second place with an average of 8.30 seconds, while Jacob Dyland Bennett earned his second podium finish of the tournament by securing third with an 8.41 average.

Away from the top of the podium, several participants marked personal milestones that highlighted the breadth of talent across the venue. Stavro Ghally delivered a massive breakthrough in 3x3x3 One-Handed, setting a personal best of 40.93 seconds to improve by 45.6 percent, while also tackling Megaminx for the first time with a 2:11.75 result. Matt Vitelli logged a first attempt in Square-1 at 35.69 seconds and shaved 10 percent off his Megaminx best with a 2:03.62 mark. Chase Farrell took on 3x3x3 Blindfolded for the first time, posting a successful 5:08.27 single, while Evan Gorz slashed his 3x3x3 Cube best by 27.7 percent down to 14.51 seconds.

Other competitors took on ambitious schedules across the weekend. Eric Dodson competed across six disciplines, earning a 6th-place finish in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with a successful first attempt of 2/2 in 16:41 and cutting his One-Handed mark by 12.2 percent. Clara Litman recorded a 10th-place result in 3x3x3 One-Handed, tried Megaminx for the first time with a 1:33.40, and dropped her Square-1 mark by 36.9 percent to 19.91 seconds. First-time WCA competition entrant Brady Gessner debuted in four events, posting 12.39 on the classic cube, while Philip Schleich entered his debut speed cubing tournament to finish 10th in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 4:36.15 solve.

Beyond the sprint formats, blindfolded events demanded absolute precision and intense memorisation. Wesley Barwinski secured the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind title by resolving 9 of 13 cubes within 59:38, followed closely by Donna Krueger with 7 of 9 in 59:39 and Carson Miller solving 4 of 4 in 34:49. In the standard 3x3x3 Blindfolded discipline, Luke Garrett took the top step with a 37.78 single, ahead of Chris Chi at 49.58 and David Miguel-Santiago at 1:14.37.

Garrett extended his blindfolded dominance to the larger puzzles as well, capturing both 4x4x4 Blindfolded with a winning time of 3:42.13 and 5x5x5 Blindfolded in 12:05.00. Owen Widdis took second in 4x4x4 Blindfolded at 11:17.00, while Wesley Barwinski earned silver in 5x5x5 Blindfolded with a time of 17:41.00. Garrett rounded out his weekend by winning Megaminx with a 39.58 average, beating Phillip Lewicki at 42.32 and Lucy Grace Bryson at 48.59.

With 24 podium spots earned across the eight disciplines, Ohio State Summer 2024 concluded as an emphatic demonstration of high-level speedcubing skill. Competitors walked away from the Rubik's Cube tables with fresh personal bests, new event debuts, and valuable experience to carry forward into future competitive appearances.