Spookin' on the Plains at Auburn 2025

Inside the Auburn University Academic Classroom and Laboratory Complex, the atmosphere carried the focused intensity of a high-stakes championship program. Timers clicked rhythmically against table mats across the hall as competitors gathered for Spookin' on the Plains at Auburn 2025. With multi-round qualification paths and intense single-round shootouts packed into October 25, 2025, every turn mattered. A field of 58 competitors assembled in Auburn, Alabama, USA, to battle across 5 events and 11 rounds, navigating narrow margins where a single lockup could derail an entire campaign.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube contest delivered the weekend standard for classic Rubik's Cube solving across three demanding rounds. Matias Marcantoni-Nunez rose above a 56-competitor field to capture the title, piecing together a stellar 6.29 winning average backed by the weekend's best single of 5.23. The final 3x3 results saw Micah Morrison push hard to take second place with a 7.09 average, while Nicolás Sánchez earned third at 7.26. The technical discipline required across all three stages highlighted the depth at the top of the leaderboard.

Marcantoni-Nunez doubled his championship haul in the 2x2x2 Cube, delivering lightning turns to win with a 1.28 average and a best single of 1.14 across three rounds. Nicolás Sánchez secured the runner-up spot with a 1.71 average, while Rowan Stough earned third with 1.81. The sprint event featured sharp execution from start to finish, rewarding athletes who could maintain composure under intense time constraints during the rapid-fire rounds.

The specialty events brought varied challenges to the speedcubing floor. Drake Denton Richard proved dominant in Clock, conquering the two-round format with an outstanding 3.15 winning average and a 2.74 single to take the gold. Katie Hull finished second in the event with a 5.61 average, just ahead of Rowan Stough, who secured third place at 5.83. Richard showed complete command of the dials, setting an unreachable pace for the rest of the 37-person field.

In 3x3x3 One-Handed, Rowan Stough stepped onto the top step of the podium, capturing victory with a 15.01 average and a sharp 12.87 single over two rounds. Kevin Min claimed second place with a 16.03 average, while Daniel Mullen earned third at 17.00. Meanwhile, the big cubes concluded in dramatic fashion as Kevin Min took the 7x7x7 Cube title in a single-round final, averaging 2:43.62 with a best single of 2:34.47, edging out Micah Morrison who took second at 2:44.37, while Jared Stinson took third with 3:10.36.

Away from the podium battles, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across the schedule. Frank Carpenter delivered one of the weekend's largest breakthroughs, dropping his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 7.80, a massive 69.4 percent improvement over his previous mark. Zakary Carpenter tackled four events, cutting his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 48.5 percent down to 10.02, slashing his 3x3x3 Cube best by 25.3 percent to 27.13, and logging a first ever attempt at Clock with 22.12. Henry Carter also found huge gains, improving his 2x2x2 Cube time by 42.3 percent to 7.83 and his 3x3x3 Cube time by 39.7 percent to 22.45. Enoch Sanders took on five events, finishing sixth in Clock, recording a first ever attempt at 7x7x7 Cube with 4:34.98, and dropping his 3x3x3 One-Handed best by 27.6 percent to 15.16.

First-time experiences and broad event rosters continued to highlight the depth of the gathering. Daniel Reis entered three events, achieving a 29.2 percent improvement in 3x3x3 Cube to 19.14 while posting a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube with 6.01 and a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed at 1:28.45. Frederick Moody Blackmon III entered three disciplines, recording a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 26.78 and lowering his 2x2x2 Cube best by 43.4 percent to 3.24. Carsten Burks tackled their first WCA competition, competing in four events, finishing 15th in 7x7x7 Cube, and recording initial marks of 46.95 in 3x3x3 One-Handed, 8.64 in 2x2x2 Cube, and 20.82 in 3x3x3 Cube. Will Boyd also debuted at this WCA competition, taking on three events with initial attempts of 17.33 in 3x3x3 Cube, 5.76 in 2x2x2 Cube, and 44.18 in 3x3x3 One-Handed.

The one-day tournament brought together solvers across the region for high-level speed cubing action that tested stamina, accuracy, and technical speed. With every podium spot swept by competitors representing the USA, the event reinforced the competitive standard of the local scene. As the tournament wrapped up, the collective achievements across all divisions marked Spookin' on the Plains at Auburn 2025 as a decisive success for competitors striving for personal bests and championship hardware in 2025.