Phoenix Cubing Open 2023

Jeremy Bulambot delivered a masterclass at the Glenview Adventist Academy, capturing four separate championship titles on a day defined by relentless progress and tumbling personal bests. The one-day gathering on December 10, 2023, brought together 93 competitors in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, testing their speed across six distinct disciplines. While Bulambot stood atop four podiums, the broader narrative of the competition was one of athletes breaking through their established ceilings and finding fresh pace across the tables.

The 3x3x3 Cube served as the centerpiece of the program, drawing an imposing lineup of 90 competitors across three rigorous rounds. Bulambot asserted control early and never let go, finishing the final round with a winning average of 7.18 seconds and securing the round's best single solve at 6.56 seconds. The 3x3 results confirmed a tightly contested battle for the remaining podium positions, with Jesse Gonzales taking the second spot on an 8.34 average and Xavier W. NcCorchuk claiming third with an 8.40 average.

Bulambot carried that precise execution into the shorter sprints and big cubes alike, making Phoenix Cubing Open 2023 an exceptional display of versatility. In the 2x2x2 Cube, where 80 entrants battled over two rounds, Bulambot captured victory with a 2.17 average after posting a sharp single of 1.61. Ivan Vanek took the runner-up position on a 2.53 average, while Quintin Audisho locked down third place with a 2.55 mark in a final decided by thin hundredths of a second.

The larger puzzles showcased another gear from the multi-event champion. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Bulambot claimed first place among 51 competitors with a 32.50 average and a single of 29.34, outpacing Caleb Hoffman, who averaged 38.88, and Samuel Low, who finished third at 38.93. The 5x5x5 Cube followed a similar script over its single round, where Bulambot posted a winning average of 1:05.30 with a best single of 59.21. Hoffman secured another silver medal with a 1:07.12 average, while NcCorchuk earned third with 1:14.36.

Away from the top steps of the podium, the deeper stories of the tournament emerged through massive individual leaps and brand new competitive milestones. Randy Ngo delivered one of the weekend's most striking drops, shaving 63.2 percent off his Pyraminx mark with a personal best of 15.13 seconds, while also logging his first official attempts in the 4x4x4 Cube at 1:55.23 and 5x5x5 Cube at 2:48.61. Logan Gillespie cut his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 65.5 percent down to 2.20 seconds, alongside a personal best of 2:51.64 in the 5x5x5 Cube. Gaurav D. Sidh made huge strides in the standard Rubik's Cube, dropping his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 18.59 seconds, a 46.1 percent improvement, while recording his first ever attempt in the 2x2x2 Cube with an 8.01 single. Joseph Andrew Young contested six events, improving his Pyraminx personal best to 8.38 seconds, which was 45.3 percent faster than before, while posting his first ever attempts in Square-1 at 29.57 and 5x5x5 Cube at 3:10.48.

That drive toward self-improvement continued across the rest of the running order at Phoenix Cubing Open 2023. Donnivan Heathcote recorded a personal best of 3.60 seconds in the 2x2x2 Cube, improving by 39 percent, while lowering his 5x5x5 Cube benchmark to 2:27.77 and making a first ever attempt at Pyraminx with a 5.28 single. James McCleland tackled six events, cutting his 4x4x4 Cube mark to 1:02.78, an improvement of 37.6 percent, alongside a Square-1 personal best of 50.67 and a first official 5x5x5 Cube attempt of 2:51.29. Cole Anthony Reid took on four events, securing a 4.77 personal best in the 2x2x2 Cube, 32.8 percent faster than his prior standard, while logging a first attempt at Pyraminx in 12.20 seconds. Jaycob Mills earned an eighth-place finish in Square-1 with a personal best of 19.18 seconds, improving by 28.7 percent, while trimming his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 14.13 seconds and completing a first official 4x4x4 Cube attempt in 1:07.31.

The side events provided thrilling variety and specialist drama under the tournament lights. In the Pyraminx, Samuel Low navigated 56 competitors across two rounds to capture the title with a 2.87 average and a 2.67 single. Audisho followed in second place with a 3.62 average, while Jaden Thompson rounded out the podium at 4.12. Over at the Square-1 tables, Ivan Vanek delivered an authoritative performance, winning the event with a 10.90 average and the day's best single of 6.95 seconds. Brady Lawrence took second with a 12.28 average, and Nathan Agan secured third with 13.19.

With 12 rounds of action wrapped across six official categories, the Phoenix Cubing Open 2023 proved to be a resounding success for the local community. The speedcubing talent in the American Southwest demonstrated both top-tier dominance and broad technical depth, with United States competitors sweeping all 18 podium positions. Whether chasing sub-eight averages on the main stage or logging lifetime bests in developmental heats, the participants set a high standard for speed cubing as the 2023 season headed into its final stretch at this memorable WCA competition.