SacCubing XVI 2024

Inside the halls of the La Sierra Community Center, stacks of timers and inspection mats lined the tables as 146 competitors prepared for two full days of intense speedcubing. The atmosphere in Carmichael, California, USA buzzed with the steady, rhythmic clatter of plastic layers shifting at blistering speeds. From the early check-ins through each successive stage, this cubing competition gathered solvers from across the state and beyond to tackle 13 official events spread across 27 competitive rounds.

The action began in earnest across the opening day on January 20, 2024, setting a high standard of precision with side events and large-cube showdowns. In the big cube disciplines, Benjamin Wei delivered a dominant double victory on the weekend. Wei captured first place in the 6x6x6 Cube with a winning average of 1:29.65 and a single of 1:27.55, then followed up with a clinical showing in the 7x7x7 Cube, posting an average of 2:02.80 and a best solve of 1:57.89 to top the podium.

The weekend timeline also featured outstanding performances in specialised puzzles. Nico Harper secured the Megaminx title with a 39.15 average, while Tyler Howlett sprinted to victory in Pyraminx with a 3.02 winning mark. Over at the Clock stations, Jaidon Poraminthara Lin clocked a winning average of 4.01, outpacing Cameron Miller and Evan Millsap. In Square-1, Cameron Miller took the top spot with a 7.69 average, showcasing incredible dexterity on the rotating slice mechanics.

A major story of this WCA competition came from the under-the-radar performers who took on demanding schedules and registered massive personal milestones. Noah Ettus delivered huge breakthroughs, knocking 69.8 percent off his Skewb mark down to 6.42 seconds and dropping his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 63.8 percent to 4.56, while also logging his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 2:10.28. Matthew Wei took on four events, cutting his 2x2x2 Cube personal record by 61.3 percent to 5.75 seconds alongside initial entries in Skewb and Pyraminx. Tavia Jorjorian-Miller entered nine events, cutting her 2x2x2 Cube best by 59.3 percent to 1.71 seconds and logging her first 5x5x5 Cube solve at 1:59.90. Jeshua Cota took on six events, improving his Skewb time by 57.9 percent to 6.11 and making his first 4x4x4 Cube attempt in 1:41.63.

The personal breakthroughs continued across the roster throughout the weekend. Case Brewster entered six events, lowering his Pyraminx personal record by 54.6 percent down to 5.69 while taking on first attempts at 3x3x3 One-Handed and 4x4x4 Cube. Luca Shalit tackled 11 different disciplines, securing a Clock personal best of 16.44 that was 45.5 percent faster than before, while also recording debut attempts in the 6x6x6 Cube at 4:25.53 and 7x7x7 Cube at 8:04.56. Ethan Lim registered his first attempts in Pyraminx and Clock while lowering his Square-1 best by 40.7 percent to 29.00 across nine events. Dhruv Chalasani tackled eight events, improving his 3x3x3 One-Handed mark by 34.9 percent to 21.56, setting a Clock personal best of 13.06, and posting a first 5x5x5 Cube result of 2:28.22.

Short-format puzzles brought lightning-fast speed cubing to the Carmichael stage as the rounds progressed. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Cameron Miller claimed first place with a 1.63 average, edging Luigi Soriano at 1.89 and Tyler Howlett at 2.67. Miller also recorded a standout 0.95 single and a 1.50 average during the competition rounds. In Skewb, Jusun Choi earned gold with a 3.23 average, finishing ahead of Miller at 3.72 and Taj Bressert at 3.74.

The 3x3x3 Blindfolded division demanded supreme memory and execution, where Anto Kam captured the title with a top single solve of 19.36 seconds, holding off David Karalli at 23.35 and Jason Ostdiek at 32.54. Kam doubled his gold haul by securing the 3x3x3 One-Handed championship as well, averaging 10.51 with a best single of 9.54 across a competitive field of 88 solvers. In 4x4x4 Cube action, Paul Mahvi claimed the top prize with a 27.82 average and a 26.59 single.

Everything culminated on Sunday, January 21, with the final stages of the classic Rubik's Cube. Across three elimination rounds featuring 141 competitors, the standard of 3x3 results remained exceptionally high. Varun Mohanraj proved untouchable in the final, locking down first place with a 6.51 winning average and a 6.05 single. Danny Sungin Park finished as runner-up with a 6.76 average, while Luigi Soriano rounded out the podium in third at 7.12.

The 3x3x3 Cube triumph capped a brilliant multi-event campaign for Mohanraj, who also earned the 5x5x5 Cube title earlier in the meet with an average of 49.62, finishing ahead of Benjamin Wei and Danny Sungin Park. Across two intense days, SacCubing XVI 2024 highlighted the skill and depth of the regional scene, leaving solvers with memorable personal bests and championship hardware as the event concluded.