Twisters in Tulsa 2023

Raymos Castillo delivered a sweeping statement of authority in Tulsa, capturing three individual titles across a packed schedule to dominate the regional stage. The standout competitor proved untouchable in Pyraminx, Square-1, and 3x3x3 Blindfolded, outdueling persistent rivals across a tense day of head-to-head solving. Held at the Cox Business Convention Center, Twisters in Tulsa 2023 brought together 91 competitors from across the area on April 23, 2023, setting off sharp local rivalries across six separate events and twelve rounds of play.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube contest produced a fierce fight at the top of the standings. Zachary Walden claimed the overall victory with a brilliant 8.78 winning average, powered by a tournament-best single of 7.57 seconds across three rounds of Rubik's Cube action. Kevin Reyes-Velazquez kept the pressure on until the final solves, securing the second spot with a 9.04 average. Jake Maddox rounded out the podium in third with a 9.09 average, showing how narrow the margin for error was among the leading contenders as 88 entrants chased down top 3x3 results.

Jake Maddox remained in the thick of the title hunts all afternoon, battling Raymos Castillo directly across multiple disciplines. In the Pyraminx final, Castillo secured the championship with an average of 3.72 seconds and a single of 3.35, keeping Maddox at bay in second place at 4.79 seconds, while Conner Duval took third at 5.06. Castillo and Maddox locked horns again in Square-1, where Castillo took top honors with a 14.49 average and an 11.08 single. Maddox secured another runner-up finish with 16.85, followed by Michael S. Lander in third with 17.94.

Castillo extended his mastery into the memorization discipline, claiming the 3x3x3 Blindfolded title with a winning single time of 1:20.18. The memory-intensive discipline saw competitors battling the clock without visual aids, where Matthew Lugibihl grabbed second place with a time of 2:49.89 and Justus Danielsen took third with 3:49.41. With three titles secured, Castillo stood out as the most decorated competitor at Twisters in Tulsa 2023, while his rivals pushed the pace in every round.

The big-cube and sprint events offered no respite in the battle for podium supremacy. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Lydia Workman took command, logging a winning average of 1:03.05 and a best single of 57.18 seconds to win the title. Zachary Walden took second with a 1:06.38 average, edging Castillo who finished third in 1:06.91. Meanwhile, the fast-paced 2x2x2 Cube saw Siddharth Reddy deliver blistering speed cubing, securing the gold with a 2.31 average. Maddox claimed his third silver medal of the day at 3.01, barely ahead of Kaden Christopher Dockins at 3.04.

Beyond the championship battles, the tournament floor saw massive individual breakthroughs from competitors who made remarkable strides across their events. Joshua Riker took on six separate disciplines and secured a personal best in Pyraminx of 4.32 seconds, an 80 percent drop from his previous mark of 21.58, alongside a 5th place finish in 3x3x3 Blindfolded. Logan Pinkston dropped his Pyraminx personal best by 53.9 percent to 3.68 seconds and posted a 1:31.86 in his first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube. Liam Shipman improved his Pyraminx best by 48.7 percent down to 7.01 seconds while also logging a 3:24.31 in his 5x5x5 Cube debut. Ivan Ruiz made his first attempt at 5x5x5 Cube with a 2:36.66 solve and lowered his Square-1 personal record to 31.14 seconds, cutting 41.8 percent off his prior mark.

Several other competitors marked significant milestones during the competition, taking on new formats for the very first time. Jayden Jhang entered five events, recording his first official Square-1 solve of 29.07 seconds on his way to a 9th place finish. Gabriel Pollet competed across four disciplines, registering a first ever 2x2x2 Cube time of 5.11 seconds and taking 11th in 5x5x5 Cube with a 1:31.30 debut. First-time WCA competition participant Ryker Massey took on five events, achieving a 5th place finish in 3x3x3 Blindfolded and recording an initial 3x3x3 Cube solve of 11.15 seconds. Fellow newcomer Zachary Steele tackled four disciplines at Twisters in Tulsa 2023, clocking a 1:01.05 in his first official Square-1 attempt to finish 19th.

The single-day cubing competition brought out the finest regional talents to Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA, testing their speed and composure across a demanding twelve-round schedule. From the multi-event duels at the top of the order to the personal victories achieved on the tournament tables, the 2023 gathering delivered high-level speedcubing across every category. As the contenders depart the Cox Business Convention Center, these fierce rivalries are set to reignite when the community reconvenes for the next stop on the speedcubing circuit.

The overall weekend highlighted the depth of local talent, with USA competitors taking all 18 podium positions across the six featured events. The intense clashes between top performers like Walden, Castillo, Reddy, Workman, and Maddox set a high benchmark for future regional meetings, demonstrating the skill and dedication driving competitive cubing forward in the region at Twisters in Tulsa 2023.