Saint John's Showdown 2024

Eighty-eight competitors converged on Saint John's High School on April 27, 2024, for a packed slate of 13 rounds across six disciplines. Hosted in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, USA, the Saint John's Showdown 2024 brought together a deep regional field eager to test their speed against the clock. By the time the final timers stopped, the weekend had produced relentless pacing, competitive depth, and standout individual sweeps that defined the one-day gathering.

The 2x2x2 Cube served as an explosive showcase of precision turning, generating an extensive flurry of official marks across the bracket. Brian Johnson led the way with a winning average of 1.71 and a best single of 1.21, setting marks of a 1.29 single and a 1.47 average along the journey. Elijah Rain Phelps posted a 1.92 single and 2.18 average, while runner-up Krish Shah-Nathwani recorded a 1.35 single and 2.21 average before securing second with a 1.87 finals mark. Jacob Schwartz logged a blistering 1.14 single alongside a 2.36 average, matched on average by Darren Saito at 2.36 with a 1.48 single. Giulio Beniamino Ciampa recorded a 2.09 single and 2.63 average, Levi Gibson notched a 2.17 single and 2.90 average, William Greninger posted a 2.20 single and 2.91 average, third-place Ethan Zhuang turned in a 1.25 single and 3.02 average, and Jaustin Gudbrandsen rounded out the barrage with a 2.52 single and 3.30 average.

Beyond his 2x2 triumph, Brian Johnson assembled a dominant masterclass across multiple puzzle categories. In Pyraminx, Johnson captured the top spot with a 2.70 average and a best single of 2.12, outlasting Elijah Rain Phelps at 2.98 and Jacob Schwartz at 3.15 across 65 entrants. Johnson continued his march in Square-1, navigating two rounds of 32 competitors to take first place with a 6.22 average and a 5.33 single, again ahead of Phelps at 7.68 and Shah-Nathwani at 10.29. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, Johnson secured his fourth victory of the day with an 11.41 winning average and 10.00 single, holding off Jaylen Myles at 11.88 and Darren Saito at 12.54.

The classic Rubik's Cube drew the largest lineup of the meet, featuring 88 competitors across three rounds of intense action. Dylan Miller proved untouchable in the final, locking in the victory with a 6.27 winning average and a best single of 5.93. Brian Johnson finished second on the podium with a 7.22 average, while William Greninger earned third place with a mark of 7.32. The official 3x3 results capped a high-energy rotation that highlighted the finest turning in the region.

In the 4x4x4 Cube, Darren Saito delivered an exceptional performance over two rounds of 53 competitors to capture the title. Saito logged a winning average of 30.77 and a best single of 27.10, holding the lead over Dylan Miller who took second place with a 32.08 average. William Greninger completed the podium in third position with a 35.58 average, demonstrating the high level of speed cubing required to stand out on the four-layer puzzle.

Away from the top of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across their events. Henry Alkire improved his 2x2x2 Cube mark to 5.76, an improvement of 60.5 percent over his previous best of 14.57, while also lowering his Pyraminx mark by 20.5 percent to 9.48 and making his first attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:30.56. Oliver McColgan cut his 2x2x2 Cube best by 54.6 percent down to 5.20, lowered his 3x3x3 Cube time by 51.1 percent to 17.01, and completed his first Pyraminx solve in 8.13. Nathan O'Donnell achieved an 8.51 in Pyraminx for a 47.9 percent drop, reduced his 2x2x2 Cube best by 25.6 percent to 3.64, and completed his first 3x3x3 One-Handed attempt at 50.29. Henry Raiti took 46.6 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube mark to reach 6.30, cut 46.3 percent in 3x3x3 Cube to finish in 25.00, and improved his Pyraminx time by 31.2 percent to 9.17.

The progress continued with Owen Alkire, who took 44.1 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube best to reach 37.95 while making initial official attempts in Pyraminx at 13.25 and 2x2x2 Cube at 14.70. Miles Nguyen cut his Pyraminx mark by 45.9 percent to 5.32, dropped his 3x3x3 Cube time by 21.7 percent to 10.59, and recorded a first Square-1 solve of 37.90. Declan Gallagher entered six events, finishing 19th in 2x2x2 Cube with a personal best of 3.28 that was 34.4 percent faster than before, while posting debut marks of 1:02.97 in Square-1 and 48.27 in 3x3x3 One-Handed. Colin Chu entered five events, placing fifth in Square-1 with a personal best of 8.40 that improved by 25.6 percent, alongside debut marks of 2.76 in 2x2x2 Cube and 45.47 in 4x4x4 Cube.

Also competing in the field was Julian Kim, the founder and developer of Speedcubing.app, who tackled three disciplines during the weekend. Kim secured a personal best in the 2x2x2 Cube with a single of 5.05 and an average of 7.51 to finish 59th overall. In the 3x3x3 Cube, he placed 66th with an average of 29.71 and a best single of 27.84, while completing the Pyraminx in 43rd place with an average of 13.97 and a single of 11.48.

All 18 podium positions across the six disciplines went to competitors representing the United States, demonstrating immense depth throughout the regional scene. From first-time puzzle entries to clinical championship averages, the Saint John's Showdown 2024 provided an unforgettable day of speedcubing. As athletes reflect on their personal milestones, the standard set at this WCA competition offers strong momentum for the rest of the competitive calendar.