QUT Qube Challenge Saturday 2023

The Kelvin Grove Campus at the Queensland University of Technology was filled with intense focus on November 25, 2023, as 73 competitors gathered for a full day of puzzle solving. Timers flashed across tournament tables in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, where four separate disciplines tested hand speed and recognition through nine rounds of play. The buzzing venue set the stage for a day of tight margins, quick turnarounds, and relentless podium battles spanning small cubes, twelve-sided puzzles, and corner-turning mechanisms.

Across the multi-event program, Charlie Eggins and Jamie Otsu emerged as the most commanding presences on the competition floor, dictating the pace across several finals. Eggins headlined the premier 3x3x3 Cube event, delivering steady composure through all three rounds to claim victory with a winning average of 7.10. His performance in the final was highlighted by a best single of 6.44, securing the top spot in a crowded field of 72 competitors. Hayden Ng (吳宇晞) took second place with an average of 8.33, while Otsu completed the podium in third with an 8.69 mark.

Eggins did not stop at the classic Rubik's Cube. In the 2x2x2 Cube, he posted a round single of 1.81 and an average of 1.92, showing his broad technical prowess. He also claimed third place on the podium in the twelve-sided Megaminx with a 50.07 average. His consistent high placements across completely different puzzle mechanics made him one of the defining figures of the tournament.

Otsu put together an equally formidable multi-event campaign at QUT Qube Challenge Saturday 2023, highlighted by a runaway victory in the Megaminx. Navigating two rounds against 32 competitors, Otsu locked down first place with a 36.97 winning average and a lightning-quick single of 33.32. Avery Graham took second place with a 43.59 average, just ahead of Eggins in third. Otsu carried that momentum straight into the Skewb final, claiming second place with an average of 4.95 behind Cody Caston, who won the event in 4.07, while Graham claimed third in 5.03.

The 2x2x2 Cube final delivered blistering turn speeds across two rounds featuring 67 competitors. Lachlan Adams-Romyn captured the title with a dominant winning average of 1.65, bolstered by a best single of 1.51. Nicholas Paul secured second place with a 2.33 average, while Hayden Ng (吳宇晞) earned his second podium of the weekend by finishing third with 2.50. Strong marks were registered throughout the event, with Josiah Freudigmann delivering a single of 1.13 and Nicholas Paul posting a 1.58 single.

Beyond the finals and podiums, the competition floor served as a launchpad for major personal breakthroughs across the roster. Asher Mendes delivered one of the steepest single-day improvements of the entire tournament, chopping their 2x2x2 Cube personal best down to 2.06, which was 51.4 percent faster than their prior 4.24 mark, alongside a 2:50.05 personal best in Megaminx. Billy Chapman notched a massive personal record in Skewb with an 11.60 average, improving by 50.7 percent over an earlier 23.55 mark, while also setting a new 3x3x3 Cube best of 20.61. Ethan Zhou took on four events, logging first-time tournament marks of 2:20.65 in Megaminx and 3.82 in 2x2x2 Cube, in addition to a 16.92 personal best on the 3x3x3 Cube.

New milestones continued across every bracket at this WCA competition. Jai Esquire Modi tackled four disciplines, logging inaugural official marks of 9.09 in Skewb and 9.77 in 2x2x2 Cube, alongside a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 25.04. Dylan Veach logged first-time attempts in Megaminx at 3:14.12 and Skewb at 17.10, while lowering their 2x2x2 Cube record to 4.59. Aurora Tran cut their 2x2x2 Cube best down to 7.33, a 42 percent improvement, while Harrison Gough established debut marks of 16.55 in Skewb and 3:09.62 in Megaminx. Will Wight registered a debut 4.46 in 2x2x2 Cube while cutting their 3x3x3 Cube mark to 13.72, and Luke Scowen posted an initial 15.95 Skewb time while cutting their 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 31.94.

First-time competitors also made their presence felt on the tournament floor in Brisbane. Muhammad Alabdally made their speed cubing debut by entering four events, recording official marks of 14.92 in Skewb, 8.48 in 2x2x2 Cube, and 41.83 in 3x3x3 Cube. Jayden Jones recorded a 2x2x2 Cube time of 8.60 and a 38.08 on the 3x3x3 Cube, while Kazuya Kagawa (香川和哉) turned in a sharp 15.13 on the 3x3x3 Cube and a 4.14 on the 2x2x2 Cube in their debut appearance. Kurt A. Keen rounded out the newcomer efforts with a 5.79 in 2x2x2 Cube and a 36.49 in the main event.

With all 12 podium positions claimed by competitors from Australia, QUT Qube Challenge Saturday 2023 provided an emphatic showcase of regional speedcubing talent. From the headline 3x3 results to the technical battles in Skewb and Megaminx, the cubing competition closed out a packed 2023 schedule at Kelvin Grove and set a high competitive standard for the next season of tournament play.