Ohio State Weekend of Madness 2024

Nineteen rounds across nine distinct disciplines set the stage for an intense weekend of puzzle solving in Columbus, Ohio, USA. Held at the Ohio Union on March 16 and March 17, Ohio State Weekend of Madness 2024 welcomed a field of 79 competitors ready to navigate a demanding schedule of qualifications, cutoffs, and finals. With events ranging from rotational side puzzles to big cubes, advancing through the brackets demanded absolute consistency. Every stage pushed solvers to balance raw speed against the risk of elimination, making precision essential from the opening turns of the first round.

The multi-stage progression proved especially defining in the headline twisty puzzles. In 4x4x4 Cube, Luke Garrett navigated two rounds of competition against 66 contenders, securing the title with a winning average of 26.96 seconds alongside the round single of 23.24 seconds. Garrett was closely pursued on the podium by Stanley Chapel, who logged a 28.30 average, and Brian Johnson, who finished third at 28.64. Garrett carried that momentum directly into 3x3x3 One-Handed, another two-round test where 64 entrants vied for spots. Garrett topped the field with a 10.30 average and an 8.89 single, edging Johnson by eight hundredths of a second.

Unlike the multi-round events, 5x5x5 Cube presented a high-pressure, single-round format where 55 entrants had just one chance to set an average. Luke Garrett rose to the challenge once more, locking up his third championship of Ohio State Weekend of Madness 2024 with a winning average of 55.97 seconds and a best single of 50.58 seconds. Stanley Chapel earned second place with a 57.99 average, while Brian Johnson captured third in 59.97. Garrett's sweep across multiple dimensions underscored his versatility, demonstrating an ability to master both one-handed control and the heavier mechanics of big cubes.

In 3x3x3 Blindfolded, the two-round format tested pure mental fortitude and spatial recall over 35 competitors. Stanley Chapel dominated the final round, taking first place with a single of 16.48 seconds, having also posted a regional record single of 15.65 and an average of 17.28 during the weekend. Noah Swor secured the runner-up spot with an 18.25 single, and Mason Langenderfer placed third with a mark of 39.21. For spectators tracking speedcubing progress beyond traditional Rubik's Cube solving, blindfolded execution requires intense memorisation where even minor errors derail an entire solve attempt.

Beyond the championship podiums, Ohio State Weekend of Madness 2024 served as a platform for remarkable individual breakthroughs and milestones. Jacob Boyd took on eight separate disciplines and delivered a massive personal best in 3x3x3 Blindfolded of 4:08.27, which was 51.8% faster than his previous mark, alongside a 1:15.07 in Megaminx that improved by 15.2% and a 10.43 Clock personal best. Patrick Ferguson knocked 38.5% off his Clock record with a 22.51 finish, lowered his Skewb best to 6.82, and registered a first ever attempt in Square-1 at 54.24. Grant Tanski took on seven events, cutting his 3x3x3 One-Handed best by 28.1% to 35.15 while making his first ever attempt in 5x5x5 Cube at 3:46.45. Margo Dorman achieved a 16.7% improvement in Megaminx at 1:15.88 and made debut attempts in Clock at 21.75 and Square-1 at 27.26.

The personal milestones continued throughout the lower brackets as competitors expanded their event repertoires. First-time WCA competition participant Toby Watson tackled eight disciplines in his debut, securing a best finish of 46th in 5x5x5 Cube with a 3:03.33 mark and recording initial times in Pyraminx at 11.62 and Clock at 19.50. Fellow debutant Henry Beard entered five events, recording his first official Clock solve at 18.59, a 4x4x4 Cube time of 1:30.99, and a 1:13.76 in one-handed solving. Russell Poling took on seven events and completed his first ever attempts in Skewb at 10.59, Megaminx at 3:39.01, and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 39.18. Tony Pugh recorded a 14.8% improvement in 5x5x5 Cube with a 3:47.81, lowered his Pyraminx mark by 16.8% to 12.46, and made a first Clock attempt of 26.43.

Side events brought fast-paced action through extended rounds that demanded rapid execution. Clock featured three full rounds for 68 competitors, culminating in a victory for Noah Swor, who posted a winning average of 4.06 seconds and a best single of 3.76. Luke Garrett took second at 4.45, while Reed W. Richardson took third at 4.46. In Pyraminx, Harsha Paladugu conquered a 65-person bracket across three rounds, claiming first place with a 2.06 average and a 1.97 single. Meanwhile, Evan Wright won the two-round Square-1 contest among 49 competitors with an average of 6.25 seconds.

International representation also left its mark on the podium in the two-round Megaminx competition. Henri Gerber of Germany bested 56 competitors to capture the title with an average of 35.71 seconds and a single of 32.29, finishing ahead of Brian Johnson's 42.43 and Andy Denney's 42.83. Johnson earned his own victory in Skewb, pacing 64 entrants across two rounds with a winning average of 2.92 seconds. The United States claimed 26 total podium spots over the weekend, while Germany secured one. Solvers reviewing the official 3x3 results and bracket progressions saw standard-setting displays across every stage.

The conclusion of Ohio State Weekend of Madness 2024 marked the end of an intense two-day test in Columbus. With 79 participants pushing through multiple round cuts and challenging formats, the cubing competition showcased exceptional speed cubing technique across nine different events. The balanced schedule tested endurance, single-solve focus, and rapid bracket turnarounds in equal measure, leaving competitors with new personal benchmarks as they look ahead to the next season of tournament play.