PBQ and a Little Eggstra Oxford 2024

Eighteen competitors gathered in Oxford, Ohio, USA on March 30 to March 31, 2024, setting the stage for an intense championship format that packed 13 rounds into two days of high-stakes solving. Hosted inside the Engineering Building, PBQ and a Little Eggstra Oxford 2024 placed specialist events at the forefront. With podium honors on the line across six challenging disciplines, every single turn and blindfolded memorization phase carried massive weight for the elite speedcubing field.

Stanley Chapel delivered an extraordinary display across the blindfolded disciplines, claiming gold in three separate categories. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event, Chapel secured the victory with an average of 16.23 seconds and a best single time of 15.33. Rowe Hessler took the runner-up spot with an average of 22.23 seconds, while Carter Kucala earned third place with a 23.02 average in an event where competitors must decipher and solve the classic Rubik's Cube without visual feedback.

Chapel extended his dominance in the extended blindfolded categories, demonstrating supreme focus throughout the cubing competition. In 4x4x4 Blindfolded, Chapel captured the title with a winning single time of 1:07.10, leading Hessler who finished second in 2:32.20 and Kucala who placed third in 3:03.63. Chapel also topped the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event by successfully solving 41 out of 41 cubes in 50 minutes and 17 seconds, while Kucala finished second with 29 of 33 cubes in 58:10 and Brandon Lin secured third with 18 of 20 cubes in 52:06.

Rowe Hessler halted Chapel's sweep in the 5x5x5 Blindfolded competition, putting together a winning single time of 4:36.62 across two demanding rounds. Kucala finished in second place with a single of 6:15.99, while Chapel and Luke Garrett tied for third position. The rigorous nature of big cube blindfolded events tested the stamina of the entire lineup, demanding exceptional spatial memory under strict time limits.

In 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, competitors faced the ultimate strategic challenge, searching for optimal solutions within sixty minutes rather than relying on rapid execution. Carter Kucala captured first place with a winning average of 24.00 moves and a single of 22. Brian Johnson followed closely in second place with an average of 24.33 moves, and Chapel collected third place with a 28.67 average. These tactical 3x3 results highlighted the technical depth required to navigate the WCA competition standard.

Away from the championship podiums, several competitors delivered remarkable personal milestones throughout the weekend. Joey Reindl achieved a massive breakthrough in Clock, recording a personal best single of 18.73 seconds, which was 49.5 percent faster than his previous mark of 37.06. Chris Nankervis tackled all six disciplines on the schedule, achieving an eighth-place finish in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, a 3x3x3 Fewest Moves personal best of 34, and a 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal best single of 2:53.21 that was 27 percent faster than his previous record. Lucas Hatfield stepped up across two events and secured a top-eight finish in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind.

The progress continued as Zach Baruch took on four events, securing a personal best of 3 out of 3 cubes in 23:53 in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, a fifth-place finish in Clock, and a Clock personal best of 6.78 seconds, which was seven percent faster than before. Justin Sui contested all six events, earning fourth place in Clock and setting a 3x3x3 Fewest Moves personal best of 31 moves, an improvement of 3.1 percent. Steven Wintringham achieved a seventh-place finish in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a personal best of 31 moves, 6.1 percent faster than his earlier best. Harsha Paladugu posted a Clock personal best of 4.39 seconds alongside a 3x3x3 Fewest Moves personal best of 25 moves, while Jacob Dyland Bennett recorded a strong fifth-place finish in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves.

The Clock event closed out the tournament with rapid-fire speed cubing action across three competitive rounds. Luke Garrett emerged victorious with a winning average of 5.60 seconds, bolstered by a blistering best single of 3.35 seconds. Chapel followed in second place with an average of 5.81 seconds, and Keenan Darkins completed the top three with an average of 6.28 seconds. PBQ and a Little Eggstra Oxford 2024 concluded having showcased the complete spectrum of speedcubing mastery across an unforgettable weekend in Ohio.