The Battle of Lexington 2025

Eighty-eight competitors converged on the Lexington Knights of Columbus on January 11, 2025, greeted by an efficient roster of organizers, delegates, and station volunteers who kept the single-day gathering running seamlessly. Managing six different disciplines across thirteen scheduled rounds requires relentless precision at the staging tables. Thanks to the dedicated staff in Lexington, Massachusetts, USA, competitors cycled through groups without delay, creating ideal conditions for fast solving across every puzzle tier.

The organizational tempo set the tone for standout performances on the tables, particularly for Joshua Broderick Phillips. In the marquee 3x3x3 Cube contest, which drew 86 entrants over three rounds, Phillips captured top honors with a decisive 7.72 winning average and a best single of 7.50. The final 3x3 results confirmed his mastery over a stacked lineup, holding off Derek White, who secured second with an 8.29 average, and third-place Charles Amarello at 8.57.

Phillips was not finished making his mark on this cubing competition. He returned to the table in the 2x2x2 Cube final, sweeping to his second gold medal of the day with a 1.95 winning average and a best single of 1.61 across two rounds of 75 competitors. Levi Gibson earned the runner-up spot on the 2x2 podium with a 2.32 mark, while Saisabari Ramesh completed the top three with an average of 2.47.

Speedcubing across the specialty puzzles provided plenty of drama for the assembled field. In the Pyraminx event, David Andron-Silva led a 60-person bracket with a sharp 2.19 winning average, backed by a 1.79 single, outpacing Matthew Jalkut at 3.41 and Saisabari Ramesh at 3.56. Ramesh responded by claiming gold in Skewb with a 2.77 average, finishing ahead of Justin Lee at 3.61 and Brendan Lee at 3.72 across two rounds.

The remaining events tested technical mastery on unique mechanisms. Brendan Lee took the Clock title with a crisp 4.17 average and a 3.62 single, holding off Edward Habeck IV at 4.86 and David Andron-Silva at 5.35. In Square-1, Levi Gibson climbed to the top step with a 10.82 average and an 8.08 single, besting Ethan Zhuang at 11.50 and Joshua Broderick Phillips at 11.86.

Behind the headline results, the competition fostered massive milestones across the wider field. Ali Larhrib made a first ever attempt at Skewb, clocking 15.40, while slicing their 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 85.5 percent down to 4.73 and improving their 3x3x3 Cube standard by 50.2 percent to 27.28. Bhuvik Kandru achieved a massive 63.3 percent improvement in Pyraminx to record 6.98 alongside a 5.15 personal best on 2x2. Olivia Faith Kim tackled Clock for the first time with a 17.54, while dropping her Skewb best by 44.3 percent to 9.74 and Pyraminx by 42.4 percent to 4.34. Oliver Platt completed a first Pyraminx attempt at 5.84 and took 40 percent off their Skewb mark to hit 3.89.

Other competitors took on brand new challenges with equal determination. Mark Duval entered five events, logging first attempts in Pyraminx at 11.80, 2x2x2 Cube at 4.38, and Square-1 at 1:24.04. Vincent Abidian tackled Pyraminx for the first time with a 10.55 while cutting their 2x2 personal best by 30.2 percent to 2.96. William Su took on six events, securing a best finish of 7th in Clock, dropping their Pyraminx mark by 39.4 percent to 4.51 and Clock by 34 percent to 5.84. Elliot Kim stepped up for their first WCA competition, recording initial marks in Pyraminx at 11.61, Skewb at 13.46, and Clock at 28.35.

Also competing across the full schedule was Julian Kim, the founder and developer of Speedcubing.app. Kim entered all six events, advancing through the brackets to claim 16th place in Skewb with a 7.67 average, 18th in Pyraminx with a 6.93 average, and 20th in Clock averaging 11.44. In Square-1, he registered a single of 34.89 for 21st place, while posting a 4.28 average for 22nd in 2x2x2 Cube and capping his day in the classic Rubik's Cube with a 39th-place finish, averaging 15.46 with a personal best single of 12.96.

The Battle of Lexington 2025 served as an exemplary model of smooth event management in New England speed cubing. With all eighteen podium positions claimed by USA competitors and dozens of athletes finding personal milestones, the day proved how vital dedicated stage crews and judges are to the sporting experience. When the final timers stopped packing away, The Battle of Lexington 2025 left competitors energized for the challenges of the season ahead.