Reno Mini 2023

Inside the halls of the University of Nevada, Reno, stacks of multifaceted puzzles lined the competition tables as judges ready their stopwatches. The atmosphere across the venue carried the focused rhythm of turning plastic and resetting timers on November 11, 2023. A dedicated group of 40 speedcubing competitors gathered in Reno, Nevada, USA, ready to test their precision not only on standard three-layered cubes but across an array of specialized, demanding formats.

While any cubing competition typically revolves around traditional events, this single-day gathering stood out for its emphasis on extended formats and niche hardware. Across seven rounds spanning five official events, the technical disciplines tested stamina and tactical mastery. Big cubes and side events frequently demand completely distinct algorithms, hand ergonomics, and lookahead techniques, rewarding dedicated specialists who spend hours mastering complex geometric layers and heavy mechanical turning.

Nico Harper delivered a masterclass across the heavyweight side of the roster, capturing titles across three distinct categories. In the Megaminx, Harper claimed the top spot over two rounds among 23 competitors, posting a winning average of 42.16 seconds alongside the best single solve of the event at 38.88 seconds. Ruby Lu secured second place with an average of 1:00.04, while Michael Larsen completed the podium in 1:06.10, showing the precise edge control required for the twelve-sided dodecahedron puzzle.

Harper continued that dominant sweep into the large-format cubes. In the 6x6x6 Cube, Harper secured victory with an average of 1:58.42 and a best single of 1:48.10, finishing ahead of Michael Larsen who took second in 2:15.53 and Jason Ostdiek in third at 2:23.84. Moving up to the 7x7x7 Cube, Harper again paced the field with a 3:13.98 winning average, while Jeremy Benik earned the runner-up position in 3:56.48 and Larsen collected another podium spot in 3:59.12.

The triangular Pyraminx brought swift turning speeds to the table, featuring 33 competitors in a fast-paced single round. Sebastian Stone captured the gold with a sharp winning average of 3.33 seconds, highlighted by the day's best single mark of 1.94 seconds. Gideon Voss took second place with an average of 5.26 seconds, edging out Jason Ostdiek who secured third place on the podium with an average of 5.39 seconds.

Away from the top of the podium, several participants made substantial progress across their individual disciplines. Patrick Hildebrandt recorded a Pyraminx personal best of 4.47 seconds, marking an improvement 62.8 percent faster than his prior standard, while also dropping his Rubik's Cube best down to 27.80 seconds. Romeo Hoffman made massive strides on the Pyraminx as well, logging a personal best of 12.92 seconds to finish 40 percent faster than before. Ivan Efimov lowered his Megaminx personal best to 1:47.54, which was 38.6 percent faster, and Christin Ponciano completed all five events on the schedule, setting a 3x3x3 Cube best of 11.32 seconds that was 35.3 percent faster while logging first-time attempts in 6x6x6 Cube at 4:16.10 and 7x7x7 Cube at 7:34.42.

First-time event entries and milestone appearances rounded out the scorecards. Brayden Scott tackled five events, recording his first official 6x6x6 Cube attempt at 5:04.24 and lowering his Pyraminx mark by 37 percent to 7.22 seconds. Eenzer Huang entered the 7x7x7 Cube for the first time, achieving a mark of 4:56.00 to take seventh place, while also trimming his 6x6x6 Cube best by 17.7 percent to 3:02.00. Breanna LaGere logged a first official 7x7x7 Cube mark of 4:58.87 alongside a 16 percent personal best in 6x6x6 Cube at 2:47.63 to finish sixth. Making an official debut at this WCA competition, Mason Forster contested three events, finishing tenth in Pyraminx with an initial mark of 5.62 seconds and logging a 16.39 in the 3x3x3 Cube.

The 3x3 results concluded the day with two tense rounds of classic speed cubing among 39 participants. Ruby Lu captured the title on the 3x3x3 Cube, recording a winning average of 8.25 seconds and a best single of 7.94 seconds. Michael Larsen took second place with an 8.47 average, and Jason Ostdiek finished third with a 9.22 average, wrapping up an exciting day of competition in Nevada.

By the close of Reno Mini 2023, the event demonstrated how niche disciplines and classic events complement each other on the official stage. With 15 podium places distributed among United States competitors, the gathering delivered strong marks across every puzzle size, setting a high standard for local solvers as they prepare for the next season.