PBs in Palisades Open 2025

Ninety-five competitors stepped onto the competition floor with everything on the line as speedcubing returned to Rockland County for a packed one-day showdown. Across nine rounds of intense bracket progression, the stakes were clear from the opening scrambles to the deciding solves. Held on January 18, 2025, at the bustling Palisades Center venue in West Nyack, New York, USA, the tournament challenged entrants to navigate high-pressure elimination stages across five distinct disciplines. PBs in Palisades Open 2025 gave regional standouts and eager contenders the ultimate stage to test their preparation under championship conditions.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube tournament drew a massive field of 94 competitors, requiring three exhausting rounds to determine the champion. In a tense final where every fractional turn mattered, Ayden Dincher took the title on the strength of a 7.11 winning average and a decisive 6.84 single solve. Dincher held off Carson Widjaja, who secured the silver spot on the podium with a 7.28 average, while Zavian Valedon rounded out the top three with a 7.44 mark. The final 3x3 results reflected the precision demanded of competitors navigating the classic Rubik's Cube under strict tournament pressure.

Dincher was not done with a single championship triumph. In the rapid-fire 2x2x2 Cube event, which brought together 84 competitors across two stages of play, Dincher dominated the bracket to take top honors with a blistering 1.35 winning average and a 1.04 single solve. Chris Chi pushed hard to take second place with an average of 1.81, followed closely by Raymond Tyrrell in third at 2.06. Dincher captured a standout mark of 1.12 single and 1.37 average during the rounds, cementing a commanding dual-event sweep at PBs in Palisades Open 2025.

Beyond the traditional twisty puzzles, specialty disciplines raised the competitive temperature in West Nyack. The Clock event engaged 56 entrants across two rounds, where Clem Tucker seized victory by posting a 3.96 winning average and a 3.10 single. Davis Johnson followed in second place with a 4.09 average, while Dincher added yet another accolade to his day by claiming third place with a 4.19 mark. In the demanding Megaminx event, Matthew Liong earned top honors representing Indonesia, securing gold with an impressive 34.77 average ahead of Carter Williams at 40.36 and Timothy Yang at 52.32.

The big-cube contest brought 47 participants to the tables for the 5x5x5 Cube, where endurance and spatial awareness proved decisive over a single high-stakes round. Brandon Nunez commanded the field, turning in a victorious 42.94 average paired with a sharp 41.72 single solve. Carson Widjaja earned another second-place podium finish by averaging 54.27, while Dincher once again proved his versatility across puzzle sizes, taking third place on the podium with an average of 56.09 in the 2025 tournament.

Behind the top steps of the podium, several competitors made substantial breakthroughs across the schedule. Benjamin Wancier delivered one of the most dramatic leaps of the entire cubing competition, slicing an astonishing 65 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube mark to record a new personal best of 25.36. Niall Roche-Kelly tackled five events and set new personal records across three disciplines, improving his Clock time by 47.5 percent to 12.89, shaving his Megaminx mark by 29.2 percent down to 1:30.33, and posting a 15 percent drop in the 5x5x5 Cube with a 2:04.70 result. Tyler Nichols entered five events, recording a 38.3 percent improvement in 3x3x3 Cube with an 18.70 personal best while making first-time tournament attempts in Clock at 17.46 and 5x5x5 Cube at 3:41.23. Logan Furlong also surged, dropping his 3x3x3 Cube best by 38 percent to 11.35 alongside a 26.5 percent drop on 2x2x2 Cube with a 3.14 finish.

Other athletes embraced fresh disciplines and expanded their competitive range throughout the day. Owen Bahr entered five events, achieving a 31.1 percent reduction on his 3x3x3 Cube best at 10.56, improving his Megaminx mark by 18.4 percent to 1:41.16, and logging his first tournament effort in the 5x5x5 Cube with a 2:24.70. Alex Tompa took on five categories, registering first-ever marks in Clock at 7.55 and Megaminx at 1:11.00 while slicing 18 percent off his 5x5x5 Cube time down to 1:57.25. Amy Blankemeier made her initial Megaminx attempt with a 2:38.70, carved 36.9 percent off her 2x2x2 Cube standard to reach 6.15, and trimmed 13.6 percent from her Clock time down to 18.82. For Elliot McPherson, PBs in Palisades Open 2025 marked their first official WCA competition, tackling five separate events including initial marks of 28.27 in the 3x3x3 Cube, 16.19 in Clock, and 7.71 in 2x2x2 Cube.

By the time the final timers were cleared from the Palisades Center, the United States accounted for 14 podium finishes alongside Indonesia's single victory. Whether executing high-tempo short-form solves or grinding out complex geometric turn sequences, competitors met the standard required at an elite speed cubing tournament. The energy and milestones established at PBs in Palisades Open 2025 set an exacting benchmark as competitors look forward to their next championship tests on the circuit.