PBQ Utah Championship 2023

Twenty-nine competitors gathered on October 21, 2023, for a demanding day of specialised events at the Veteran's Memorial Building. Behind every official time stood the dedicated team of organizers, delegates, and local volunteers who ensured the single-day schedule ran smoothly across nine total rounds. Staging a focused WCA competition centered on intricate puzzles requires constant coordination, meticulous judging, and precise scrambling. Thanks to the staff operating behind the scenes in Spanish Fork, Utah, USA, the gathering delivered top-tier competition across six challenging formats.

The tournament offered a distinctive test compared to a standard Rubik's Cube meet, emphasizing mental stamina, pure memorisation, and analytical precision. Running events like multi-blind and fewest moves requires extensive floor management and silence, placing immense responsibility on event officials. The crew met every challenge, allowing competitors to focus entirely on their solves. From morning setups to final score entries, the seamless administration provided an ideal environment for speedcubing excellence throughout the entire 2023 contest.

In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded category, which spanned three full rounds, Brendan Bakker (貝庭笙) claimed victory with a decisive single solve of 26.35 seconds in the final round. Jared Blanco secured the runner-up spot with a time of 29.84 seconds, while Ty Baird took third place on the podium with 1:17.71. The technical precision required for blindfolded solving highlighted the competitive standard of the field, setting an energetic tone for the rest of the day's specialized disciplines.

The 3x3x3 Fewest Moves contest proved equally competitive, testing participants over an intense analytical hour. Lewis Isom captured the gold medal by logging an impressive winning average of 26.33 moves, bolstered by a best single solution of 24 moves. Bradley Sampson finished closely behind in second position with an average of 28.33, while Samuel Baird rounded out the podium in third with an average of 33.33 moves across the round.

Away from the top of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones that demonstrated personal growth across diverse disciplines. Joey Day produced a massive breakthrough in Clock, dropping his personal best to 11.70 seconds, which was 53.8 percent faster than his previous mark. Carmine Griego took on Clock for the first time in official play and posted an impressive 9.12 single. Evan Schmidt also debuted in Clock with a solid 15.53, while Quinn Ludwig registered his first official attempt at the event with a 22.37 result.

Other competitors took on fresh challenges across unfamiliar events with equal determination. Milo Zarco tackled three events on the day, recording a first official Clock attempt of 22.02 and a 3x3x3 Fewest Moves debut of 46. Noah Augustine delivered a Clock personal best of 12.84, seven percent faster than his prior record, alongside an initial 66 in Fewest Moves. Trenton Nelson completed his first official 3x3x3 Blindfolded solve with a time of 8:17.22, while Stevie Shogren marked an official blindfold debut at 3:28.05.

The Clock event provided plenty of fast-paced excitement, drawing 26 competitors across two competitive rounds. Calvin Nielson took first place with a crisp winning average of 7.51 seconds, having also posted the best single of the event at 6.26 seconds. Samuel Baird earned second place with an 8.03 average, and Jacob Levie claimed third on the podium with a 9.21 average, demonstrating remarkable dexterity on the geared puzzle.

The extended blindfolded events pushed endurance to the limit, requiring supreme focus from participants and rigorous timing from judges. Mateo Tiul took top honours in 4x4x4 Blindfolded, achieving a winning average of 20:32.00 and a best single of 18:18.00, ahead of Isabelle Evans who finished second with 28:44.00. In 5x5x5 Blindfolded, Jared Blanco secured the title with a swift single of 7:48.87. Meanwhile, Eric Pesci won 3x3x3 Multi-Blind by successfully solving 3 out of 3 cubes in 27:11, topping Bradley Sampson with 7 out of 11 in 57:58 and Canyon Pettitt with 2 out of 2 in 6:45.

As the final timers were cleared and the remaining 3x3 results verified, the success of the PBQ Utah Championship 2023 reflected the dedication of its organizational crew. Managing six specialised events in a single day demonstrated the strength of the local speed cubing community. Competitors departed Spanish Fork with fresh personal records and memorable performances, already looking forward to the tests that await in the next competitive season.