Slow N Steady UMD Fall 2025

A single hundredth of a second decided the premier event at Slow N Steady UMD Fall 2025, where Sam Popp claimed victory in the 3x3x3 Cube final with a 7.42 winning average over Caleb Wen's 7.43. Drew Duong took third on the podium with an 8.02 mark. Across three rigorous rounds involving 202 competitors, the classic Rubik's Cube division offered dramatic finishes from start to finish. Popp also delivered the fastest single of the entire event with a swift 6.51 solve.

Held at the Adele H. Stamp Student Union in College Park, Maryland, USA on September 27 to September 28, the competition brought together 207 competitors across eight events and 14 total rounds. While fast-paced turning defined the main arena, the deliberate tactical challenges of memory and planning formed an equally compelling contrast. Liam Chen captured top honors in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 16.41 single, besting Milo Epstein at 39.81 and Rui Yang at 52.43.

Chen continued a dominant blindfolded weekend by securing first place in the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event, successfully solving 25 out of 30 cubes within a 59:32 time limit. Jason Hammerman followed closely with 24 out of 30 in exactly 1:00:00, while Daniel Goodman rounded out the podium by solving 11 of 14 cubes in 56:34. This intense memory event demanded absolute focus, highlighting the varied disciplines featured throughout the WCA competition.

The larger blindfolded puzzles saw Rui Yang take center stage, sweeping both extended categories. Yang clinched the 4x4x4 Blindfolded title with a winning single of 5:37.46, leading Jason Hammerman who recorded 6:25.17 and Frederick Zheng who finished in 6:37.38. Yang doubled up in 5x5x5 Blindfolded, recording a time of 15:12.00 to finish ahead of Currin Wilson at 23:43.00 and Eli Rogers at 28:56.00.

Away from the top of the podium, Slow N Steady UMD Fall 2025 served as a proving ground for competitors setting notable personal milestones. Robin King took on five events, registering a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Blindfolded in 3:22.43, cutting their Square-1 personal best by 46.3 percent down to 16.98, and dropping their 4x4x4 Cube mark by 28.1 percent to 44.14. Skye Eliot entered three events, recording a first Square-1 attempt of 30.29 while improving by 42.4 percent in 4x4x4 Cube with a 59.07 and dropping their 3x3x3 Cube time by 36 percent to 17.86. Preston James Kirkendall logged a first Square-1 solve of 1:35.49, shaving 33 percent off their 3x3x3 One-Handed best to hit 22.25 and improving by 30.7 percent in 4x4x4 Cube with 56.48. Ethan Custodio notched a 7th place finish in 3x3x3 Cube, made a first Square-1 attempt of 23.50, and dropped their 3x3x3 One-Handed mark by 25.9 percent to 22.32.

The depth of progress continued across the roster throughout the cubing competition. Reese Ludwick completed a first Square-1 solve of 44.35, improved by 28.3 percent in 4x4x4 Cube to 58.69, and went 21.1 percent faster in 3x3x3 One-Handed with 25.88. Brian Gribbin tackled four events, making a first attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 1:05.64 and dropping their 3x3x3 Cube best by 29.9 percent to 16.04. Naksh Khatri attempted Square-1 for the first time with a 37.00 single and lowered their 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 21.6 percent to 1:48.44. Meanwhile, Liam Nuessle posted an impressive 49 percent improvement in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 35.36 solve alongside a 26.8 percent drop in 3x3x3 Cube to 14.53.

Speed events also provided outstanding displays of efficiency across both days. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Drew Duong earned the title with a 28.59 winning average and a 25.41 best single, leading Sanzhar Beisembayev at 32.62 and Eric Wang at 34.97. Knut Peterson topped the 3x3x3 One-Handed field of 112 competitors, averaging 13.03 to edge out Sam Popp at 13.94 and Hassan Khanani at 14.44.

Khanani found the top step of the podium in Square-1, winning with a 5.47 average and posting a 4.76 best single. Wang Ma took second with 7.26, followed by Joaquín Villablanca at 9.76. By the close of the weekend, the United States accounted for 19 podium positions, China claimed four, and Chile secured one in an expansive display of international talent.

With fast turnarounds and deep brackets, Slow N Steady UMD Fall 2025 delivered memorable moments across every category in College Park. Enthusiasts following the speed cubing circuit closely monitored the 3x3 results and blindfolded battles all weekend. As the 2025 speedcubing schedule pushes forward, the community will look back on this gathering at the University of Maryland as a standout celebration of technical mastery.