Race the Clock Minnesota 2023

Brian Johnson set the tone in Brooklyn Park with a blistering 5.83 average in the 3x3x3 Cube final, capping his weekend with a stunning 4.85 single solve. The standout performance marked the pinnacle of Race the Clock Minnesota 2023, a fast-moving gathering held at the Brooklyn Park Activity Center on December 30, 2023. A packed venue of 97 competitors assembled to test their mettle across 12 rounds in five distinct events, delivering seasoned execution from the opening scrambles to the final podium calls.

The 3x3 results demonstrated remarkable depth across three intense rounds of traditional Rubik's Cube solving. Johnson claimed top honours in the main event with his sub-six-second winning average, ahead of runner-up Zeke Mackay who finished with a 7.26 average. Carter Kucala took third place on the podium with a 7.58 mark. Mackay showed strong form earlier in the bracket, clocking a 6.08 single and a 6.59 average, while Johnson delivered a 4.90 single along the way to securing the title.

Beyond the classic cube, Johnson also proved untouchable in the Megaminx event, picking up his second victory of the competition. Over two competitive rounds featuring 47 entrants, he captured the gold with a 43.45 winning average and logged the best single solve of the event at 36.92. Tyler Robinson chased closely to earn the silver medal with a 44.04 average, while Mackay secured another podium finish by taking third place with a 45.11 result.

The larger puzzles and specialized disciplines delivered sharp competition across the board. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Carter Bitz stood atop the field of 57 competitors, winning with a 27.70 average and posting the weekend's best mark of 25.04. Kaius Young pushed hard to take second with a 28.78 average, just edging Mackay who registered 28.83 for third place. Young turned around and took the top step in Clock, capturing the event with a 4.94 average and a 3.79 single, finishing ahead of Chris Van Der Brink and Tyler Johnson.

Carter Kucala demonstrated world-class speed in Skewb, taking first place among 69 entrants with a dazzling 1.89 winning average and a 1.40 best single. Simon Kellum followed in second with an average of 2.38, while Johnson added yet another accolade to his tally by claiming third place with a 2.66. Across all five disciplines, competitors from the USA claimed all 15 podium positions, highlighting the strength of the regional speedcubing talent.

Away from the top steps of the podium, the tournament served up personal milestones throughout the day. Luke Marvin posted some of the biggest drops of the weekend, lowering his Clock personal best by 73.8 percent to 9.30 and trimming his Megaminx mark by 38 percent to 2:19.31. Matthew Schoenecker completed three events, slicing his Skewb best by 41.7 percent to 5.11 and cutting his 3x3x3 Cube best by 20.8 percent down to 8.63. Ethan Anderson logged his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube with a 59.14 solve while cutting his Skewb personal record by 39.7 percent to 4.26.

Other dedicated solvers made massive inroads on their personal marks across multiple formats. Andrew Lee Dalida entered five events, recording his first ever attempt at Clock with a 23.91, taking 35.7 percent off his 4x4x4 Cube best down to 1:11.69, and improving his Megaminx mark by 34 percent to 2:35.05. Tucker Hanson tackled five events, making his first ever attempt at Megaminx in 2:08.00, his first Clock attempt in 8.94, and dropping his 3x3x3 Cube best by 27.9 percent to 12.90. Blake Trupe entered five disciplines, clocking initial marks of 2:20.00 in Megaminx and 13.19 in Clock while cutting his 4x4x4 Cube record by 25.4 percent to 1:17.48. Charles F. Roller completed five events, trying Megaminx for the first time in 2:45.59 and Clock in 19.45 while taking his Skewb record down to 6.58. Walter Tilstra attempted four events, logging debut efforts of 12.70 in Skewb and 23.99 in Clock alongside a 20.4 percent 3x3x3 Cube improvement to 22.37.

Every round at this WCA competition reinforced how dynamic a single-day cubing competition can be when experienced hands hit their stride. From the rapid turns of Clock and Skewb to the endurance tests of Megaminx, the participants pushed their technical execution to the limit. As Race the Clock Minnesota 2023 drew to an end, the speed cubing community in Brooklyn Park celebrated a memorable showcase of discipline and high-level consistency.