Plum Puzzles 2024

A total of 67 competitors gathered at the Boyce Park Four Seasons Lodge on April 6, 2024, for a day of high-velocity solving at Plum Puzzles 2024. Staged across 11 rounds and six distinct disciplines, the action in Plum, Pennsylvania, USA highlighted the sharpness of the regional speedcubing community. The tournament opened with fierce contests across the board, setting an energetic tone from the initial qualifying rounds straight through to the afternoon finals.

The flagship 3x3x3 Cube tournament delivered thrilling 3x3 results across three full rounds of head-to-head pressure. Benjamin Pugh emerged atop the 67-competitor field to capture the main title on the traditional Rubik's Cube, recording a winning average of 7.56 seconds and a best single of 7.15. Ganghui Lin of China pushed hard in the final round to secure second place with a 7.87 average, while AJ Kamal rounded out the podium in third with an average of 8.23.

Shorter puzzle formats kept the pace breathless, led by an electric 2x2x2 Cube contest featuring 63 competitors over two rounds. AJ Kamal earned the victory with a brisk 2.60 average, backed by a quick 2.16 single. Sean Cutshaw claimed second place with a 2.74 average, while Oliver Hettrich locked in third place at 3.09. The event saw strong individual marks throughout the bracket, cementing the 2x2 final as one of the sharpest sessions of the entire cubing competition.

Kamal continued his strong form by securing a second victory in the 12-sided Megaminx event, winning with a decisive 39.27 average and a best single of 37.56 across 28 competitors. Cutshaw followed on the Megaminx podium in second place with a 55.97 average, while Chris Chi took third in 1:01.45. In the Pyraminx bracket, Mark Gowman led a field of 58 competitors over two rounds, winning the final with an average of 4.08 over Kamal at 4.23 and Cutshaw at 4.36.

The technical events rounded out the schedule with impressive single-handed execution and precision mechanical turning. Ganghui Lin took the top spot in 3x3x3 One-Handed, posting a winning average of 14.47 and a single of 12.85 among 44 participants, outperforming Pugh who finished second at 15.58 and Cutshaw in third at 15.68. Meanwhile, Caleb Kearney conquered the Clock event across two rounds, averaging 4.66 with a 4.43 single to best Gowman at 6.48 and Hettrich at 6.53.

Beyond the top podiums, the official WCA competition served as a launchpad for significant milestones and personal achievements. Graham Dunn made huge strides by dropping his Clock personal best to 15.39 seconds, an improvement of 53 percent over his previous mark of 32.72, while also lowering his 3x3x3 Cube best by 32.8 percent to 23.04. Weston Johnson also logged major leaps, shaving 48.7 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube personal best with a 10.44 and trimming his 3x3x3 Cube record by 24.6 percent down to 24.02.

Several competitors seized the day to tackle unfamiliar puzzles or make their official stage debuts. Alan Stanger reduced his Clock mark by 48.6 percent to 20.16 seconds, while Tobias DeWalt improved his 3x3x3 One-Handed record by 37.9 percent down to 1:06.64. David Wagner improved his Megaminx time by 20.9 percent to 2:26.68 while taking his first official attempt at Clock in 17.44. Dylan Kuriger took on six events in a first career appearance, earning a sixth-place finish in One-Handed with an initial mark of 14.00, alongside first attempts in Megaminx at 1:37.18 and Clock at 16.96. Asher Bowen McDaniel also entered all six disciplines, logging first attempts in Megaminx at 3:29.87, Pyraminx at 9.52, and Clock at 27.44, while Owen Graham posted initial marks in Megaminx at 2:20.56, One-Handed at 48.51, and Clock at 14.01.

Across the six disciplines, competitors from the United States secured 16 podium positions, with China earning two. The speed cubing community in Western Pennsylvania demonstrated depth and consistency throughout the single-day schedule. As the day drew to a close at Boyce Park, the collective achievements at Plum Puzzles 2024 provided a strong benchmark for all involved heading into the remainder of the 2024 season.