Somerset September 2023

Exactly 16 competitors stepped up for the 6x6x6 Cube at the Rocky Hollow Recreation Center, where the mean-of-3 format demanded absolute precision. Unlike standard average-of-five events that discard the best and worst attempts, mean-of-3 leaves zero safety net. A single lockup, pop, or misaligned layer counts directly toward the final total. Evan Brown demonstrated how to manage that pressure in Somerset, Kentucky, USA on September 30, 2023. Brown locked in an unblemished mean of 2:06.87 along with the best single of 2:04.56 to claim victory. Titus Henry secured second place with 2:14.08, while Eddie Smith completed the podium with a 2:19.33 average.

The high-risk nature of the weekend extended directly into the 3x3x3 Blindfolded contest, where memorization and execution collided with no room for error. Out of ten entrants tackling the classic Rubik's Cube without sight, Brown managed the only winning mark, taking the title with a swift single of 1:46.26 despite a DNF average. Roland Ababat followed in second place with a successful 3:12.70 solve, and Elijah Simpson locked down the third spot on the podium at 3:59.11. Brown continued his dominance across the larger hardware by capturing the 5x5x5 Cube title as well, registering a winning average of 1:08.62 and a best single of 57.77 over two rounds.

Across 13 rounds of competition, Somerset September 2023 delivered intense speedcubing drama as 32 competitors contested six different events. In the 3x3x3 Cube, Miles Lentz prevailed through three packed rounds to earn the championship. Lentz delivered a winning average of 8.93 in the final, complemented by a round-best single of 6.86. Sujan Feist pushed hard across every solve to claim the runner-up spot with a 9.14 average, while Braxton Lee Fowler earned third place with a mark of 9.56. These top-tier 3x3 results highlighted the depth of talent present at this Kentucky speed cubing gathering.

The short-format puzzles featured razor-thin margins, especially in the 2x2x2 Cube where 30 competitors battled across three rounds. Sujan Feist claimed the top step of the podium with a blistering 1.78 winning average and a best single of 1.43. Braxton Lee Fowler followed closely behind in second place with a 2.52 average, while Jonathan Scott took third with 3.25. In the Skewb event, Dominic Brandi paced a field of 21 solvers through three rounds to take the title with an average of 4.40 and a single of 3.14. Tate Sullivan finished second with 4.97, and Evan Brown capped off a remarkable day by claiming third with 5.91.

Behind the podium finishes, the cubing competition saw tremendous personal milestones from solvers throughout the roster. Mathias Nickoson entered five events, cutting his 2x2x2 Cube personal best down to 2.28, an improvement of 42 percent, while dropping his 6x6x6 personal best by 16.3 percent to 2:12.68 and taking fifth in that event. Charlie Ball tackled three events, achieving a 3x3x3 personal best of 17.70 to improve by 25.5 percent alongside first ever official attempts of 14.45 on Skewb and 3.30 on 2x2x2. Arian Martinez knocked 31.9 percent off his 3x3x3 best with a 27.22 mark, lowered his Skewb best by 27.7 percent to 10.90, and posted a 10.51 in his first 2x2x2 attempt.

Other competitors made substantial leaps across multiple formats in Somerset. Killian Jones improved his 2x2x2 best by 27 percent to 4.02 and shaved 12.6 percent off his 3x3x3 best to hit 13.37. Justin Poole delivered a 14 percent improvement in the 6x6x6 Cube with a personal best of 4:11.63, dropped his 5x5x5 best by 6.5 percent to 2:24.22, and recorded his first 2x2x2 attempt at 4.85. Aiden Martinez lowered his 3x3x3 best by 21.1 percent to 19.34 while recording first attempts of 2:40.26 in 5x5x5 and 6.14 in 2x2x2. Kaleb Ruble logged a first attempt of 3.99 in 2x2x2, while Jackson Williams made his first 2x2x2 attempt in 5.80.

The event also served as an exciting debut stage for newcomers entering their very first WCA competition. Jeremiah Miracle entered three events, logging a 17.60 in 3x3x3, a 3.49 in 2x2x2, and an 8.06 in Skewb. Ezra Brown tackled two events, posting a quick 2.88 in 2x2x2 and a 30.49 in 3x3x3. Sckottland James turned in debut attempts of 5.44 on 2x2x2 and 21.31 on 3x3x3, while Alex Thieben rounded out the first-time entrants with times of 10.53 on 2x2x2 and 38.86 on the 3x3x3 puzzle.

United States competitors secured all 18 podium positions available across the schedule, demonstrating consistent talent in every discipline. From the unforgiving demands of the mean-of-3 big cubes to the rapid turns of 2x2x2 and Skewb, Somerset September 2023 proved that preparation and composure make all the difference. As another exciting weekend at Rocky Hollow Recreation Center concluded, every competitor departed with fresh benchmarks and valuable experience to carry forward into the next season of competitive solving.