Richmond Spring 2023

Aubrey Trace delivered the defining endurance performance of the weekend at St. Michaels Episcopal School, securing a commanding victory in the 6x6x6 Cube with a winning average of 1:53.56 and a top single of 1:50.25. The grueling discipline of big-cube solving requires exceptional stamina and mental clarity over dozens of complex turns, separating specialists who can manage deep layer reductions from the rest of the field. Trace finished more than twenty-three seconds clear of the runner-up, setting an emphatic benchmark in Richmond, Virginia, USA.

The single-day WCA competition on April 8, 2023, gathered 141 competitors across five distinct events and ten rounds of play. While shorter sprints naturally draw large crowds, the big cubes provide an entirely different competitive texture. Managing the inner layers and parity algorithms of the 6x6x6 Cube demands intense focus, and the thirty-six entrants in the event embraced that physical grind. Behind Trace, Blake Thompson captured second place with an average of 2:16.60, while Charles Jerome rounded out the podium in 2:23.94.

Beyond the heavy machinery of the 6x6x6, the classic three-layer puzzle took center stage. Michael Nielsen put on a dominant display in the 3x3x3 Cube, posting a winning average of 6.39 along with a lightning single of 6.04 across three rounds that tested 137 solvers. The final 3x3 results saw Nielsen stand atop the podium ahead of Ashten Jampayas, who registered an 8.23 average, and Liam Chen, who earned third place with an average of 8.33. The precision required on the traditional Rubik's Cube contrasted sharply with the brute-force stamina seen earlier on the larger puzzles.

Nielsen was not finished with a single victory, returning to the stage to sweep the Pyraminx title. He captured first place with an average of 1.95 and a best single of 1.77 out of 95 entrants, once again finishing ahead of Jampayas, who took second with a 3.15 average. Charles Jerome collected another podium spot in third with a 3.22 average. In the rapid 2x2x2 Cube event, Jerome turned the tables to win outright with a 1.68 average, edging out Nielsen at 2.12 and Trace at 2.37 in a field of 112 competitors.

The mental marathon extended to memory-based disciplines as well. Liam Chen dominated the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event, which requires memorising the entire state of the puzzle before executing solutions without sight. Chen took the title among 23 competitors with a winning average of 21.72 and a best single of 18.20. Miles Greco secured second place with an average of 1:20.67, followed by Nick Silvestri in third with an average of 1:58.31, completing an all-USA sweep across every podium place awarded during the gathering.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across the schedule. Duncan Kimmett logged massive progress in the 2x2x2 Cube, setting a personal best of 2.63 that improved on his previous mark by 63.8 percent, alongside a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 10.87. Drew Rosenthal sliced his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 58.8 percent down to 2.58, while Julian Michaels took on three events and slashed his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 49.5 percent down to 50.67 after an initial 18.82 Pyraminx attempt. Daniel Moonah tackled three events, improving his 3x3x3 Cube mark by 51 percent to 20.35 alongside first-time attempts in Pyraminx at 7.92 and 2x2x2 Cube at 8.69.

Other solvers took on heavy multi-event schedules to mark new personal bests and event debuts. Zachary Mitchell contested five events, earning a 10th-place finish in 3x3x3 Blindfolded while dropping his Pyraminx mark by 45.8 percent to 7.70 and his 6x6x6 Cube best by 10.8 percent to 5:07.36. Roberto Carcamo entered all five disciplines, placing 6th in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 3:03.57 first attempt alongside debuts in the 2x2x2 Cube at 3.14 and Pyraminx at 5.86. Victor Zhou took on four events, highlighted by a 23rd-place finish in the 6x6x6 Cube with a first-time 4:09.98 mark, while Seth Witmer completed a four-event roster with a debut 6x6x6 Cube time of 8:25.41 and a 26.2 percent improvement in Pyraminx to 11.34.

The speed cubing action demonstrated how varied a single day of competitive solving can be, shifting seamlessly from multi-minute endurance trials on large cubes to sub-two-second Pyraminx sprints. Each round offered distinct challenges in algorithm execution and time management. Solvers who spent months preparing their technical routines saw their work rewarded across the board, proving that success in speedcubing relies as much on steady nerve as it does on raw turning speed.

As the final timers were cleared at Richmond Spring 2023, the event reinforced the depth of talent present in the regional scene. From Trace mastering the 6x6x6 marathon to Nielsen collecting multiple titles, the competition provided a thorough test across every discipline. With another successful cubing competition completed in 2023, the community turns its attention toward training for the next season of fast-paced solving.