Reno Mini Fall 2025

The tables across the University of Nevada, Reno were quiet in the brief moments before the timers started, set up with stopwatches, display mats, and stacks of varied puzzles. Unlike the deliberate pacing of pen-and-paper events like Fewest Moves where competitors spend an entire hour mapping out a single solution move by move, this one-day cubing competition was built entirely on direct speed cubing head-to-heads. Across nine rounds of intense activity, seventeen competitors gathered in Reno, Nevada, USA to test their reaction times and turning dexterity.

Held on October 19, 2025, Reno Mini Fall 2025 brought together a compact field tackling six official World Cube Association disciplines. The action moved swiftly between traditional three-dimensional twisty puzzles and mechanical oddities, giving the autumn gathering an energetic pace from the morning scrambles to the late-afternoon finals. With fifteen podium placements going to the host nation and three heading to the Philippines, the tournament delivered high-calibre results across every bracket.

The premier classic Rubik's Cube category served as the centrepiece of the day. Across two rounds of standard 3x3 results, Paul Mahvi of the United States delivered the decisive performance in the final, taking the victory with an average of 7.70 seconds. Michael Larsen secured the runner-up spot with an 8.20 average, while Richard Jay S. Apagar from the Philippines earned third place with an 8.57 mark. Mahvi also posted the round-winning single of 6.88 seconds to cap off the event.

Mahvi proved to be the most prolific competitor of the weekend, securing first place in two additional categories to finish with a triple crown of titles. In the massive 6x6x6 Cube division, Mahvi claimed victory with a top average of 1:36.64, holding off Apagar who took second at 1:58.25 and Jason Ostdiek in third at 2:17.75. Mahvi then completed his trio of wins on the dual-sided Clock layout, locking in an average of 7.68 seconds over Ostdiek at 8.13 and Jeremy Benik at 8.40.

The single-handed and specialty events saw distinct winners step onto the top of the podium. Jason Ostdiek took gold in 3x3x3 One-Handed with an average of 13.71 seconds, edging out Mahvi who finished second in 16.25 seconds and Larsen who took third in 16.71. In the dodecahedral Megaminx event, Richard Jay S. Apagar recorded a dominant victory with a winning mark of 50.96 seconds. Skewb provided rapid-fire action where Sid Shivnath took first place with a 3.44 average over Vedanth Bharadwaj at 4.61 and Aria Querubin at 4.97.

Beyond the championship trophies, this WCA competition delivered notable milestones for competitors throughout the roster. Lucas Benjamin Hyles entered six events and cut his 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best down to 22.41 seconds, an improvement of 43 percent, while also establishing a 6x6x6 Cube best of 5:58.52 and taking 8th in Clock. Kayden Norkunas also tackled six events, achieving a Megaminx personal best of 1:41.94 that was 36.8 percent faster, a Skewb personal best of 7.05 seconds that improved by 34.2 percent, and a 7th place finish in Skewb.

Other competitors similarly recorded major drops in their official times across the schedule. John Mahvi improved his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 1:11.50, shaving 21.4 percent off his earlier mark. Jennifer Bautista dropped 20.4 percent from her previous best with a 26.79 single, and Riaan Govind registered a new personal best of 17.79 seconds for a 15.6 percent progression. Gideon Voss took on six disciplines, setting a 6x6x6 Cube best of 4:11.52, while Breanna LaGere earned 7th in 6x6x6 Cube with a 2:44.81 best, and Jacob Vincent Vicente Mangosing placed 5th in 3x3x3 One-Handed.

As the final timers clicked off and scores were tabulated, the event highlighted the vibrant speedcubing community in northern Nevada. From the intricate turns of big cubes to the fast rotations of Skewb, every round pushed the competitors to refine their craft. The successful completion of the day closed another busy chapter for the region, setting the stage for more official milestones in the seasons ahead.