Rocky Mountain Warm-Up 2023

Eighty-three competitors gathered on October 28, 2023, turning Aspen Ridge Preparatory School into a hub of fast hands and sharp turns. Rocky Mountain Warm-Up 2023 packed ten distinct disciplines into a single high-tempo day in Erie, Colorado, USA. Across eleven rounds of play, the cubing competition showcased everything from sprint events to marathon blindfolded solves, drawing contenders from across the region to test their speed on the official stage.

The 3x3 results served as the centerpiece of the tournament, delivering fierce competition through two full rounds of classic Rubik's Cube action. Jacob Nokes set the standard across the event, recording a single of 6.91 seconds alongside an average of 7.71 to lead the field in the early stages. Oliver Michael Sitja Sichel applied constant pressure with a 6.98 single and a 9.29 average, while Jack Bellomy joined the sub-eight single club at 7.18 alongside an average of 9.07.

When the final round concluded, Jacob Nokes secured the top step of the 3x3x3 Cube podium with a decisive winning average of 8.36 seconds, backed by a best single of 7.62. Oliver Michael Sitja Sichel captured the second position with an average of 8.56, while Raymos Castillo completed the podium in third with a mark of 9.67. The collective depth of the field was undeniable, with competitors trading sub-ten-second marks throughout the afternoon.

Jacob Nokes extended that momentum into the big cube categories, mounting an extraordinary sweep of the four larger rotational puzzles. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Nokes produced an average of 29.68 seconds to outpace Raymos Castillo at 34.80 and Jack Bellomy at 35.05. Stepping up to the 5x5x5 Cube, Nokes posted a winning average of 53.82, well ahead of Bellomy in second at 1:03.32 and Castillo in third at 1:07.33.

The mastery continued as the puzzles grew even larger. In the 6x6x6 Cube, Jacob Nokes claimed gold with a winning mark of 1:33.30, followed by Jack Bellomy at 1:44.67 and Raymos Castillo at 1:54.64. The 7x7x7 Cube saw an identical podium configuration, as Nokes posted a 2:26.62 average ahead of Bellomy at 2:43.22 and Castillo at 3:03.32. Across every multi-layered cube, Nokes commanded the tables.

Away from the main podium battles, personal progress defined the day for dozens of participants pushing their limits. Sylas Broeder entered four disciplines and delivered a massive leap in Pyraminx, cutting his personal best down to 9.46 seconds from a prior mark of 31.11, an improvement of 69.6 percent, while also logging a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:37.49. Corbin Curtis Younker took on five events, registering a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 3:39.86 and finishing 34th overall. Jacob Faulkner tackled six events, putting up a first ever attempt at 6x6x6 Cube in 3:52.53 and placing 18th in the 5x5x5 Cube. Kellan Earheart dropped his 4x4x4 Cube standard by 27.3 percent to 1:30.08, while also posting a first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 7.02 seconds for 23rd place.

That drive toward personal milestones continued across the floor throughout the weekend. Shivaan Vinnakota improved his 4x4x4 Cube best to 2:08.39, shaving 9.9 percent off his previous time, and registered a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 3:54.56. Simha Vinnakota conquered five events, posting a personal best of 7.14 seconds on Pyraminx to trim 30 percent from his prior mark and charting a first ever attempt at Square-1 in 50.60. Stephanie Lopez entered four events, posting a Pyraminx personal best of 8.58 seconds alongside a 3x3x3 Cube best of 23.67 seconds, an improvement of 16.8 percent. For Vighnesh Pithadiya, this marked his first WCA competition, recording a first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 6.12 seconds to earn 29th place alongside initial marks in two other disciplines.

The specialized side events provided further variety and drama. In Square-1, Oliver Michael Sitja Sichel earned the win with an average of 10.13 seconds, featuring a best single of 7.62. Jack Bellomy took the top spot in Pyraminx with an average of 3.28 seconds, besting Marcus Reagor at 3.85 and Jacob Nokes at 4.14. In Skewb, Eashan Tilaye took first place with an average of 5.07 seconds, finishing just ahead of the pack in a 52-competitor field.

Memory and composure took center stage during the blindfolded disciplines, where Elizabeth Cutting delivered a masterclass. Cutting took the win in the single 3x3x3 Blindfolded event with a sharp time of 1:01.43, ahead of Raymos Castillo at 1:06.55 and Stone Amsbaugh at 1:07.59. Cutting then dominated the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event, successfully solving a perfect 13 out of 13 cubes in 43 minutes and 21 seconds. Stone Amsbaugh finished second with 13 out of 18 in 51:51, while Castillo followed in third with 10 out of 13 in 55:35.

The intense day of speedcubing concluded with United States competitors sweeping all thirty available podium positions. From lightning fast sprint solves to patient blindfolded triumphs, Rocky Mountain Warm-Up 2023 offered a complete showcase of speed cubing talent in Colorado, providing athletes with sharp benchmarks as they prepare for future competition calendars.