Solving at Sycamore TN 2024

Sixty-one competitors gathered on October 19, 2024, at Sycamore Middle School as speedcubing action got underway in Pleasant View, Tennessee, USA. Across four separate disciplines and 11 rounds of intense competition, the tournament provided a dynamic stage for regional talent. Solving at Sycamore TN 2024 offered a full day of head-to-head racing, testing competitors across standard puzzles, smaller cubes, tetrahedral challenges, and shifting layers. From the opening scrambles of the morning to the decisive finals in the afternoon, the venue delivered steady excitement across every bracket.

Matias Marcantoni-Nunez emerged as the defining presence of the weekend, securing podium spots across three different events and claiming a decisive victory in the 2x2x2 Cube. In that event, Marcantoni-Nunez posted a winning average of 1.34 seconds alongside a best single of 1.03 seconds through three rigorous rounds. Justin Barker followed in second place with a final average of 2.78 seconds, while Katie Hull took third with a 2.90 average. Marcantoni-Nunez also set a 1.12 single and a 1.52 average during the rounds, leading a remarkably swift pack of 56 contenders.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew a field of 59 entrants battling through three rounds of classic Rubik's Cube solving. Dominic Redisi took top honors with a commanding winning average of 7.49 seconds, also putting up the best single of the entire event at 5.72 seconds. The 3x3 results saw Marcantoni-Nunez earn his second podium of the meet, locking up second place with an 8.07 average, while Justin Barker completed the top three with an average of 8.30 seconds. The competition highlighted the razor-thin margins separating the leading speed cubing contenders in the region.

Pyraminx brought 53 solvers to the tables across three rounds, culminating in a sharp victory for Keon Wilson. Wilson posted a winning average of 2.48 seconds and secured the fastest single solve of the event at 1.37 seconds. Redisi continued his prolific day by securing the silver medal with an average of 2.83 seconds, while Marcus Kamen claimed third place with a 2.96 average. The fast-paced turns of the triangular puzzle kept the competition tight through every phase of the event.

The Square-1 event challenged 27 competitors across two tactical rounds of shape-shifting solves. Henry Schueneman proved dominant, securing first place with a winning average of 9.18 seconds and the lowest single time of the event at 7.82 seconds. Marcantoni-Nunez picked up his third top-three finish of the day, claiming second place with a 10.88 average, while Katie Hull earned another podium appearance in third place with an average of 11.51 seconds. Schueneman's controlled solving set a high bar in the final round.

Away from the top steps of the podium, Solving at Sycamore TN 2024 served as a breakthrough stage for numerous participants setting personal milestones. Jacob Yelverton recorded an 8.27 Pyraminx mark that improved his previous best by 62.8 percent, alongside a 17.90 in the 3x3x3 Cube that was 33.6 percent faster, and logged a first ever attempt at the 2x2x2 Cube of 4.78 seconds. William Quick dropped his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 3.57 seconds, a 57.0 percent drop, while taking his 3x3x3 Cube down to 13.55 seconds, 43.2 percent faster than before. Brandon Carter lowered his Pyraminx personal best by 56.2 percent to 5.24 seconds, and Andrew Hisey chopped 54.9 percent off his Pyraminx time to hit 4.40 seconds while logging first attempts in Square-1 at 45.39 and 2x2x2 Cube at 3.62 seconds.

Other competitors took on fresh events and expanded their horizons at this cubing competition. Isaiah Garrison shaved 46.5 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube best with a 12.03 mark and made his first ever attempt at Pyraminx with a 10.90. Daniel Gilbert cut his Pyraminx best by 46.4 percent to hit 4.22 seconds across three events. Anthony Largura registered a Pyraminx personal best of 5.89 seconds, 35.0 percent faster than his prior mark, while tackling his first attempts in Square-1 at 1:52.45 and the 2x2x2 Cube at 4.51 seconds. Thomas Pham achieved a fifth-place finish in the 3x3x3 Cube with a personal best of 7.15 seconds and recorded his first official Pyraminx solve at 7.03 seconds.

The event was also notable for competitors taking their initial steps into sanctioned play, with Micah Sumida, Samuel Simpson, Tucker O'Leary, and Myles Hancock each making their first WCA competition appearance. Across all four categories, every single podium spot went to representatives of the USA, completing a clean sweep of the twelve awarded trophies. As the tables were cleared at Sycamore Middle School, Solving at Sycamore TN 2024 concluded a memorable day of competitive speedcubing, setting an energetic tone for the remainder of the 2024 season.