Temecula Valley Spring 2024

A total of 126 competitors gathered on May 11, 2024, at The Awakening Event Center in Murrieta, California, USA, delivering a thrilling day of elite speedcubing. Across 11 rounds in 4 distinct puzzles, the one-day WCA competition showcased rapid turnarounds and sharp performances. Leading the day were remarkable marks that redefined personal and regional standards, anchoring an action-packed Saturday of high-stakes solves in Southern California.

The 2x2x2 Cube event proved to be a historic showdown, generating numerous records. Korea's Kyeongmin Choi captured the event title with a winning average of 1.66 seconds in the final round, following an impressive 0.98 single and a 1.61 average earlier in the day. The competition also saw runner-up Brendyn Dunagan post a blazing 0.80 single and a 1.26 average, while third-place finisher Nancy Liu produced a 0.97 single and a 1.46 average on her way to the podium.

Additional records in the 2x2x2 Cube event highlighted the depth across the field at Temecula Valley Spring 2024. Dominic Shoji logged a 1.87 single and a 2.70 average, while Gavin Torreflores registered a 1.58 single and a 2.87 average. Eric Yang notched a 2.56 single and 2.86 average, Maximilian Hernandez achieved a 2.56 single and 2.92 average, Jonah Zurer delivered a 2.55 single and 2.99 average, Shiloh D'Espyne marked a 2.49 single and 3.01 average, and Benjamin Wei set a 1.63 single and 3.19 average.

In the classic 3x3x3 Cube Rubik's Cube category, Max Park asserted his dominance against a 122-person field across three rounds. Park captured victory with a stellar 6.80 winning average and recorded the best single of the weekend at 5.70 seconds. The 3x3 results placed Brendyn Dunagan in second place with a 7.10 average, while Nancy Liu secured third place with an average of 7.21 seconds.

Beyond the top steps of the podium, significant milestones and massive personal improvements unfolded away from the trophy tables. Andrew Hwang took on two events and cut his 2x2x2 Cube mark down to 1.81 seconds, an improvement of 68.8 percent. Sebastian Hueso tackled four events, completing his first ever attempt at 6x6x6 Cube in 5:52.51 while dropping his 2x2x2 Cube time by 65 percent to 1.84 seconds and his 5x5x5 Cube best by 21.4 percent to 2:29.05. Zak Couch entered four events and shaved 55.7 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube mark to finish in 1.75 seconds.

The breakthrough performances continued throughout the venue as other competitors expanded their repertoires and set new personal bests. Ethan Gulick trimmed 51.8 percent from his 2x2x2 Cube time to hit 6.39 seconds and dropped 29.6 percent in 3x3x3 Cube to reach 25.23 seconds. Dylan Garcia, competing in three events, earned a 10th-place finish in 3x3x3 Cube and improved his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 50.2 percent to 1.07 seconds. Joshua Akladeos completed his first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube in 16.42 seconds and cut 46.4 percent from his 3x3x3 Cube record to finish in 32.55 seconds. Joshua English logged his first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube at 2:04.06 alongside a 9.92 single in 3x3x3 Cube, while Shane Plush made his first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 2:13.64.

Big cube specialists also found great success at Temecula Valley Spring 2024. In the 5x5x5 Cube event, Max Park secured his second title of the day with a 39.16 winning average and a 38.34 best single. Brendyn Dunagan took second place with an average of 50.11 seconds, closely followed by Benjamin Wei in third place with a 50.18 average.

The larger puzzles concluded with the 6x6x6 Cube event, where Park completed a hat-trick of victories. Park posted a 1:07.80 winning average and a best single of 1:04.83 across three rounds of play. Benjamin Wei took second place with a 1:26.47 average, and Brendyn Dunagan earned third place with a time of 1:27.04.

Representing a diverse group of speed cubing talent, the podium breakdown concluded with 11 top-three finishes for competitors from the USA and 1 for Korea. Temecula Valley Spring 2024 demonstrated how both veteran champions and rising solvers can push the boundaries of modern cubing competition, concluding a memorable day in Murrieta.