Turning in Corning 2025

Burno Li Chak Kwan closed out the calendar year with an exceptional display of efficiency, claiming four gold medals across nine events. The late-December gathering marked a final push for competitors looking to solidify their standing before the circuit transitions into the new year. Staged on December 20, 2025, in Corning, New York, USA, the gathering at SUNY Corning Community College brought together 20 competitors across 11 rounds of action. Li set the tone for the entire meet by sweeping through the premier puzzles with unmatched consistency.

As the final major test of the winter calendar, this speedcubing fixture offered an intense atmosphere across every puzzle tier. Burno Li Chak Kwan led the field in the classic 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube, recording a winning average of 7.76 and a best single of 6.62 over two rounds. Evan Waters secured second place with an 8.55 average, while Lauren Phung earned the third podium spot with 9.20. The 3x3 results served as a clear highlight of the tournament, demonstrating top-tier execution in the season's closing weeks.

Li extended his supremacy into the larger puzzles and specialty events throughout the day. In 4x4x4 Cube, Li captured first place with an average of 24.95, finishing ahead of Louis Truong at 35.49 and Evan Liu at 35.95. Li also claimed victory in 5x5x5 Cube with a 45.72 winning average and added another gold in 3x3x3 One-Handed with an average of 12.45. Liu took second in One-Handed with 13.26, followed by Waters in third at 15.13, giving the Hong Kong standout a remarkable four victories across the weekend program.

The short-format puzzles delivered equally sharp contests, highlighted by rapid turns and narrow margins. Evan Liu captured the title in 2x2x2 Cube with a winning average of 2.19, edging Waters who posted 2.44 for second, while Ethan Qiu took third with 3.24. In the Clock event, Clem Tucker delivered a winning performance with an average of 3.63 and a fast single of 2.86. Waters claimed second place in Clock with an average of 4.70, and Liu rounded out the podium positions with a 5.06 mark.

Blindfolded events tested patience and memorization under strict competition rules. Alvin Hiu Yeung Cheng earned top honors in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a winning single of 23.21, while Liu finished second in 1:11.00 and Jake Oppedisano took third in 1:18.35. Cheng also took the 5x5x5 Blindfolded title with a single of 4:00.35, besting Liu who finished in 9:49.39. In 4x4x4 Blindfolded, Liu navigated the puzzle alone to win with a time of 4:15.37, concluding an exhaustive schedule of blindfolded rounds.

Beyond the podium battles, several competitors produced significant personal breakthroughs on the tables. Joshua Dulak dropped his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 1.45, an improvement of 61 percent, while shaving 23.4 percent off his Clock mark to hit 11.25 and taking 9.4 percent off his 4x4x4 Cube time with a 1:40.60. Alex Hancock recorded a personal best of 1.58 in 2x2x2 Cube, 56.8 percent faster than his prior standard, tackled five events, and made his first ever attempt at Clock with a 13.25. Sanjam Dash Mohanty improved his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 38.5 percent to 1.36 and lowered his 3x3x3 standard to 9.90. Charley Eucker advanced his Clock personal best by 27.1 percent to 7.84 across a busy five-event slate.

Other participants made substantial strides across the varied puzzle lineup. Milo Kittleson posted a 21.4 percent personal best reduction in the 3x3x3 Cube with a 7.50 single, improved his 2x2x2 Cube time by 17.9 percent to 2.30, and placed fourth in 3x3x3 One-Handed. Addy Coolidge took on six events, achieving a personal best of 1.45 in 2x2x2 Cube which was 20.3 percent faster than before. Benjamin Ackley competed across six events, posting his first ever attempt at Clock with a 17.47 and lowering his 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 11 percent to 1:19.56. In their first WCA competition, Peter Bulcher logged a 7.53 in 2x2x2 Cube and a 32.04 in 3x3x3 Cube, while Jimmy Bulcher registered a 6.65 in 2x2x2 Cube and a 23.89 in 3x3x3 Cube.

The successful day of speed cubing at Turning in Corning 2025 demonstrated the depth of the regional scene at the close of 2025. Across nine categories, competitors earned 19 podium places for the United States and seven for Hong Kong. From high-speed sprints to intricate blindfolded solves, the cubing competition provided a fitting conclusion to the competitive calendar, setting a rigorous benchmark as the community prepares for the upcoming season.