Sqauckland 2025

Alexander Vujcich delivered an astonishing 24.05 single in Megaminx on his way to a 31.01 winning average, setting an uncompromising standard at the Mt Albert War Memorial Hall. In endurance-heavy puzzles and formats where every solve carries massive weight, the margin for error remains virtually nonexistent. Across the single-day gathering on February 22, 2025, 63 competitors took to the tables in Auckland, New Zealand, navigating 14 rounds across five distinct events. Every turn demanded absolute concentration, where a single lockup or mistimed algorithm could undo an entire average.

The 3x3x3 Cube, universally recognized as the classic Rubik's Cube, brought all 63 entrants together for three rigorous rounds of speedcubing action. Vujcich dominated the final round, recording the best single of 5.57 and locking in a winning average of 6.77 to secure the top step of the podium. Chris Mills took second place with a 7.60 average, while Elyas Eyou completed the top three with an 8.14 average. The 3x3 results confirmed the fierce pace established early in the day, demanding sharp lookahead and seamless executions across every solve.

Vujcich continued his commanding form in the 4x4x4 Cube, leading the 34-competitor field across three rounds. He produced a 24.93 single alongside a decisive 25.34 winning average to take first place. Elyas Eyou earned the runner-up spot with a 29.52 mark, edging Chris Mills who finished third with a 29.76 average. In big cube events, maintaining consistency without dropping a solve is paramount, and Vujcich demonstrated absolute control through every stage of the bracket.

The Megaminx contest similarly showcased high-level execution over long solving sequences, where 25 competitors tackled two rounds of play. Vujcich captured his third title of the meeting with his 31.01 average, anchored by that blistering 24.05 single solve. Brandon Harris took second place on the podium with a 37.70 average, while Chris Mills placed third with a 43.95 average. The twelve-sided puzzle tested physical stamina and stamina of mind, punishing minor oversights with heavy time penalties.

The 2x2x2 Cube provided a frantic, high-speed contrast, drawing 55 competitors into three fast-paced rounds. China's Yuki Gao claimed the gold medal with a winning average of 1.70, having also posted an earlier 1.55 average and a 1.18 best single. Alexander Vujcich finished in second place with a 1.72 average, mere hundredths of a second behind Gao, while Elyas Eyou placed third with a 1.81 average. In short-format speed cubing, fractions of a second decide entire podiums.

Away from the championship finals, numerous competitors logged significant breakthroughs on the competition floor. Wong Stuart Rickly took on four events, achieving an 11th-place finish in 2x2x2 Cube alongside personal bests of 2.40 on 2x2x2 Cube, 44.3 percent faster than before, and 1:03.58 on 4x4x4 Cube, which was 22.7 percent faster, while also making a first career attempt at Square-1 with 31.56. Faith Clements improved her 2x2x2 Cube mark by 44.9 percent with a new best of 4.24. Apollo McVey dropped his 2x2x2 Cube best by 39.5 percent down to 4.45 and his 3x3x3 Cube mark by 24.9 percent to 21.80. Donald Mai tackled five events, finishing 8th in Square-1 with a personal best of 16.74 that was 27.3 percent faster, while adding a 13.24 3x3x3 Cube personal best and a first Megaminx attempt of 1:44.03.

New milestones continued across the floor as competitors expanded their event repertoires. Alex Nguyen lowered his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 36.3 percent to 20.75 and his 2x2x2 Cube best to 7.22, 14.4 percent faster than his prior record. Ethan Ruoqing Chen completed five events, logging a 2x2x2 Cube best of 2.20 that improved his past mark by 36 percent, while recording first-time attempts of 1:28.95 in Square-1 and 1:35.79 in 4x4x4 Cube. Elvis Chung took on all five events, delivering first-time marks of 25.47 in Square-1, 1:32.45 in 4x4x4 Cube, and 2:08.84 in Megaminx. Adhvik Praveen completed their first WCA competition across three events, posting debut results of 32.83 on 3x3x3 Cube, 6.63 on 2x2x2 Cube, and 2:21.81 on 4x4x4 Cube.

The Square-1 event rounded out the schedule with 25 entrants competing through three full stages. Elyas Eyou captured first place with an impressive 9.78 winning average, powered by the tournament's best single of 6.92. Edwin Shen secured the silver medal with a 13.50 average, followed closely by Chris Mills in third position with a 13.68 average. Eyou's sub-ten average highlighted the precision required to avoid alignment errors on the shape-shifting puzzle.

With 14 total podium spots going to New Zealand competitors and one to China, the gathering celebrated both seasoned winners and fresh personal milestones. Across all five disciplines, this cubing competition tested nerve and mechanical mastery in equal measure. As the tables were cleared at the conclusion of Sqauckland 2025, the local community looked ahead toward the next chapter of the season with plenty of newly minted personal records.