SPAMtown Cubing 2023

Ninety-two competitors gathered on March 18, 2023, turning IJ Holton Intermediate School into a lively proving ground for speedcubing talent. The one-day gathering at SPAMtown Cubing 2023 featured a dense schedule of 11 rounds across six official disciplines. While the podium battles drew intense interest, the defining current of the tournament was the arrival of so many fresh faces stepping up to the solving tables for the very first time. For a significant portion of the roster, the trip to Austin, Minnesota, USA served as an official welcome to competitive solving.

Across the gym floor, the tournament schedule offered a complete test of varied puzzle mechanics, ranging from the rapid rotations of the 2x2x2 Cube to the intricate geometry of the Megaminx. The standard 3x3x3 Cube drew the largest lineup with 88 competitors taking on three intense rounds of competition. Participants also tested their skills in speed cubing challenges like the Pyraminx, the one-handed division, and the five-layer 5x5x5 Cube, creating a diverse and demanding circuit for veteran contenders and eager novices alike.

The 3x3 results at the top of the standings were defined by the commanding form of Brian Johnson of the USA. Johnson clinched the main event title with a winning average of 6.41 seconds, backed by a tournament-best single solve of 5.83 seconds. Zeke Mackay claimed second place with an average of 7.47 seconds, while Nathan Phillips rounded out the top three at 8.08 seconds. Johnson showed remarkable consistency from the preliminary rounds straight through to the final solves to take the signature crown.

Johnson proved to be an unstoppable force throughout the entire cubing competition, securing four event victories before the day concluded. In the 2x2x2 Cube final, he captured first place with a 1.72-second average and a blazing 1.20 single, holding off Carter Kucala and Nathan Rahn. Transitioning to the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, Johnson produced an 11.42-second average to edge out Mackay and Kucala. His versatility carried into the dodecahedral Megaminx, where his 46.71 winning mark led Tyler Robinson and Mackay to finish off a four-gold haul at SPAMtown Cubing 2023.

The remaining events brought exciting variety to the podium roster. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Zeke Mackay secured the title with a composed 55.77-second average, posting the top single of the bracket at 52.91 seconds ahead of Nathan Phillips and Tyler Johnson. The Pyraminx bracket delivered a tight final, won by Simon Kellum with a rapid 2.23-second average and a 1.90 single solve. Chris Van Der Brink took the silver spot at 2.66, with Brian Johnson claiming bronze at 3.04 as all 18 podium positions across the tournament went to American athletes.

Beneath the top podium honors, the real heartbeat of this WCA competition was found in the personal milestones earned across the score sheets. Carter Parrish demonstrated immense progress by taking on six events, chopping his 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best down to 41.26 seconds for a 47.2 percent improvement alongside a 35.8 percent drop on 2x2x2 to 4.67 seconds. Matias Grandouiller completed a 41.5 percent improvement on 2x2x2 with a 3.33 mark and logged first-ever event attempts in both Megaminx at 3:14.22 and 5x5x5 at 4:08.08. Harrison Chandler delivered a 38.7 percent drop on the 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube to finish in 17.71 seconds, while Trek Schinke shaved 36 percent off his Pyraminx best down to 4.25 seconds.

Fresh debuts expanded the field even further during the busy afternoon schedule. Ian Kashin entered six events in his first WCA competition, recording initial marks of 18.41 on 3x3x3, 3:14.37 on 5x5x5, and 3:19.25 on Megaminx. Josian Turner also tackled six events in a tournament debut, establishing an official baseline of 20.82 on 3x3x3, 13.83 on Pyraminx, and 3:46.19 on Megaminx with a 33rd-place finish in One-Handed. Austin Knopik debuted across five events, securing a 15.50 on 3x3x3 and 3:08.75 on 5x5x5. Ryan Le took on a packed five-event slate, putting up his first 5x5x5 result at 1:39.56 and a 25.74 in One-Handed.

The 2x2x2 Cube rounds also generated an extensive sequence of unclassified national performance marks, reflecting the relentless pace of the shorter puzzle formats. Competitors like Simon Kellum registered a 1.12 single and 2.94 average, while Eli Stoll marked a 2.83 single and 4.02 average. Parallel marks were logged by Ivan ThanhDanh Duong, Anders Peterson, Charlie Dub, Jacob Whitlock, Edward Kunz, Chris Van Der Brink, Blake Hagman, and Fisher White, demonstrating depth across the entire roster during a jam-packed schedule.

As the final timers were packed away, the successful staging of SPAMtown Cubing 2023 highlighted the ongoing growth of competitive puzzle solving in the region. Between Johnson's dominant multi-event sweep and a massive influx of newcomers logging their first official results, the event provided a balanced look at elite execution and grassroots passion. The memories and marks recorded in Austin will undoubtedly fuel these competitors as they head home to practice for the next season of tournament play.