TJHSST Spring 2025

The competition floor inside Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology buzzed with steady activity on June 7, 2025. Across rows of official timing stations in Alexandria, Virginia, USA, timers were reset, inspection covers lifted, and puzzles scrambled for an eager crowd of participants. The single-day gathering provided an energetic setting where newcomers and seasoned competitors gathered side by side under the standard regulations of official speedcubing, turning the school hall into a hive of focus and mechanical turning.

A major theme of TJHSST Spring 2025 was the influx of competitors stepping onto the official stage to make their initial marks. With 108 competitors signed up across four disciplines, the roster featured a high proportion of solvers tackling events for the very first time. For many entering this WCA competition, the day was less about standing atop the podium and more about navigating official inspection times and logging their first recorded marks on the global stage.

Across eight rounds of action, the schedule moved swiftly between the classic Rubik's Cube, the complex 4x4x4 Cube, the specialised 3x3x3 One-Handed, and the mechanical Clock. The variety provided both beginners and experienced hands plenty of opportunities to test their versatility. The overall 3x3 results across three rounds showcased depth from the top seedings down through the preliminary heats, highlighting how accessible a local cubing competition remains for emerging speed cubing solvers.

The individual progress hidden behind the upper ranks offered some of the most compelling narratives of the weekend. Coles Henderson delivered a massive personal best in Clock with a time of 19.05 seconds, cutting 44.7 percent off his previous benchmark, while also trimming his 3x3x3 One-Handed time to 33.22 and his 3x3x3 Cube best to 11.45 across four events entered. Phillip Kendall achieved a 45.1 percent improvement in Clock with a 10.22 single alongside a 1:11.28 personal best in 4x4x4 Cube. Roi Christian Kim contested four events, setting personal bests of 10.98 in Clock, 29.04 in 3x3x3 One-Handed, and 1:19.60 in 4x4x4 Cube. Isaac Bien took on four events, setting a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 11.39 seconds, representing a 28.3 percent drop, while logging his first official attempts in 3x3x3 One-Handed with 21.81 and Clock with 10.53.

Other solvers also used the tournament to explore new puzzles and register dramatic drops in their personal times. Landon Powell made his first WCA competition appearance here, taking on four events and registering first-ever marks of 21.47 in Clock, 1:20.77 in 4x4x4 Cube, and 53.92 in 3x3x3 One-Handed. Vivan Gali posted a 19.80 personal best in the 3x3x3 Cube, an improvement of 29.5 percent, while submitting first career marks of 2:13.44 in 4x4x4 Cube and 43.12 in One-Handed. Orrin Mills recorded a 20.8 percent improvement on the 4x4x4 Cube with a 50.19 single and completed his first 3x3x3 One-Handed attempt in 26.17. Nolan Ethridge produced an 18.16 in 3x3x3 One-Handed, taking 22.4 percent off his previous mark, and recorded his first official 4x4x4 Cube single at 55.62.

At the sharp end of the tournament, Ari Randers-Pehrson delivered a commanding double victory. In the main 3x3x3 Cube event, which brought all 108 competitors to the tables, Randers-Pehrson secured first place with a 7.40 winning average and a 6.71 best single. Liam Manwaring followed closely in second place with an average of 7.52, while Drew Duong rounded out the podium in third with 7.86.

Randers-Pehrson was equally decisive in the 4x4x4 Cube, leading a field of 72 competitors over two rounds. His winning average of 22.49 seconds, anchored by a best single of 20.09, gave him his second title of the day. Fiona Bao finished as runner-up with an average of 29.99, and Stone Payne took third place with 31.99, completing an all-American top three.

Fiona Bao earned a title of her own in Clock, outlasting 57 competitors across two rounds. Bao claimed victory with a winning average of 5.16 seconds and a fast single of 2.74. Drew Duong took second place on the podium with a 5.36 average, while Makai Guay finished third with an average of 6.00.

The 3x3x3 One-Handed discipline featured 74 competitors in a single decisive round. Brayden Adams took the title with an average of 13.04 seconds and a best single of 11.47. Aubrey Trace captured second place with a 13.98 average, and Raghav Reddy took third with 14.21. All twelve podium positions across the four events were claimed by United States competitors.

When the final puzzles were returned to the organizing tables, TJHSST Spring 2025 stood as a celebration of personal milestones and competitive execution. From first-time entrants discovering the flow of an official event to the elite performers setting the standard at the top of the standings, the day in Alexandria provided another memorable chapter in the 2025 speedcubing calendar.