South East Louisiana Open 2025

A blistering 38.80 second Megaminx average from Dylan Miller set the tone for an action packed day in Hammond, Louisiana, USA. Held at the Knights of Columbus Center on April 12, the South East Louisiana Open 2025 gathered 45 competitors across 12 rounds and seven distinct disciplines. While the standard Rubik's Cube always draws focus, it was the niche events that provided some of the most captivating moments of the entire tournament, highlighting the versatility required to master diverse mechanisms.

Rowan Stough proved unbeatable in the puzzle rotation, delivering a dominant performance in Clock with a winning average of 3.96 seconds and a best single of 3.80 seconds. Gunner Engelsman followed in second place with a 4.89 average, while Zachary Miller took third with 6.70. Stough was far from finished on the stage, also claiming top honours in Skewb after registering an average of 4.55 seconds to edge out Peyton Tumy at 4.75 and Zachary Miller at 5.44.

The larger twelve sided challenge of Megaminx saw Dylan Miller build an insurmountable lead, finishing with that impressive 38.80 average and a single of 36.37 seconds. Teri McAcy took second place on the Megaminx podium with a 56.83 average, followed by Jacob Russell in third at 1:01.43. The variety of challenges kept the speedcubing community fully engaged, offering tests of stamina, finger dexterity, and precise mechanical control across different puzzle layouts.

In the 5x5x5 Cube, Teri McAcy displayed commanding control to claim victory with a 59.23 second average, backed by a fast single of 54.60 seconds. Dylan Miller secured the runner up spot with an average of 1:05.63, while Ordway Persyn rounded out the top three at 1:17.76. McAcy continued that momentum into the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, taking first place with an 11.88 average and a best single of 10.38 seconds, finishing ahead of Dylan Miller at 13.62 and RJ Gohn at 15.73.

Beyond the podium battles, the floor of this WCA competition was energised by remarkable individual progress. Brody Berry took on a demanding schedule of seven events, logging a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube of 2:28.25, a first Megaminx attempt of 2:24.62, and cutting their Skewb personal best down to 2.40 seconds, which was 75.2 percent faster than their previous mark. Grant Mertz registered a first ever Clock attempt of 19.05 seconds, improved their Skewb personal best to 3.25 seconds by 73 percent, and set a new 2x2x2 best of 4.13 seconds. Davis Ratliff took on six events, recording first attempts in Skewb at 8.41 seconds and Megaminx at 2:35.87, alongside a 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best of 32.43 seconds, an improvement of 40.1 percent. George Rivero made first attempts in Megaminx at 1:35.43 and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 28.02 seconds, while shaving 35 percent off their 2x2x2 mark to reach 3.18 seconds.

The progression continued through every tier of the field at the South East Louisiana Open 2025. Carter Hawkins entered four events, posting a Clock debut of 21.74 seconds, a 49.7 percent reduction in their 2x2x2 personal best to 4.82, and a Skewb best of 15.14. Jeremy Falanga tackled six events, attempting Skewb for the first time with a 17.20 and Clock with a 33.37, while improving their 2x2x2 best by 19.8 percent to 6.46 seconds. Branton Mcphail lowered their 2x2x2 personal best by 74.8 percent to 5.80 seconds and improved their 3x3x3 single to 35.94. Kason Taylor Hamblen had a stellar day across six events, earning a 5th place finish in Clock, dropping their Skewb best by 64.5 percent to 2.04 seconds, their Clock best by 37.8 percent to 5.78, and their one handed mark to 34.99 seconds.

Shorter formats also saw fierce competition, especially in the 2x2x2 Cube final where Rowan Stough earned a third gold of the day. Stough finished with a winning average of 1.73 seconds, flanked by Teri McAcy in second at 2.02 and Evan Smith in third at 2.54. The round featured a flurry of new personal marks throughout the 42 competitor lineup, demonstrating the rapid pace of the event.

The premier 3x3 results brought the tournament to a thrilling peak. Dylan Miller dominated the final with a winning average of 5.73 seconds and the fastest single solve of the weekend at 5.05 seconds. Rowan Stough took second place on the podium with a 7.90 average, while Teri McAcy earned third place with an 8.30 mark. The three round clash was a fitting showcase of high level speed cubing execution across the 44 entrants who stepped up to solve.

With 21 podium positions secured by competitors from across the United States, the South East Louisiana Open 2025 concluded as a comprehensive test of puzzle solving mastery. From the rapid turns of Clock to the intricate rotations of Megaminx and the traditional 3x3x3 Cube, the Hammond gathering showcased both seasoned champions and emerging talent making major personal strides across the 2025 season.