UCLA Westerns Warmup 2025

Inside the bustling venue halls at UCLA, the rhythm of rotating layers and the hum of shared conversations filled the room long before the first official timer stopped. Groups of solvers gathered around warm-up tables to test turn speeds, trade hardware setups, and reconnect with friends across the Southern California scene. The single-day WCA competition brought together 186 competitors for an action-packed schedule featuring eight rounds across four distinct events, creating an engaging atmosphere where seasoned veterans and newcomers stood side by side on August 24, 2025.

The gathering in Los Angeles, California, USA provided an ideal setting for both social connection and high-stakes speedcubing. As tables filled with timers and judging mats, participants shared insights on solving methods while preparing for the day ahead. Whether warming up for standard speed cubing challenges or dissecting turning efficiency, competitors spent the pauses between rounds analyzing scrambles together. The excitement was palpable as the community welcomed a massive field ready to take on the boards at UCLA Westerns Warmup 2025.

When competition got underway, the 3x3x3 Cube drew the largest crowd with 183 competitors battling through three rounds of standard Rubik's Cube solving. Max Park set the pace throughout the event, delivering a standout single of 4.73 on his way to securing the title with a winning average of 5.79. Dan Tran followed in second place with an average of 7.14, while Nancy Liu rounded out the podium with a 7.36 average. The 3x3 results demonstrated exceptional consistency across the bracket, anchoring a memorable series of final rounds.

Beyond the flagship contest, the remaining events showcased an impressive range of technical mastery. The 2x2x2 Cube featured 137 entrants across two rounds, where Dominic Shoji captured victory with an average of 1.63, alongside a single solve of 1.45. Nancy Liu secured second place with an average of 1.75, and Remy Trieu finished third with 2.07. The 2x2x2 Cube also saw a string of personal milestones and baseline marks established by solvers including Joseph Wu, Nate Minkevich, Aaron Paskow, Abby Newlander, Connor J. Delacruz, Audrey Arutyunyan, Hunter Maciel, Benjamin Villa, Ethan Dominic S. Librando, and Vansh Garg.

Beyond the podium battles, the real heart of the tournament showed in the immense personal milestones reached by dedicated solvers throughout the hall. Miguel Ramos achieved an astonishing breakthrough in 3x3x3 Cube, cutting his personal best down by 57 percent from 2:32.65 to 1:05.61, while also logging a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube of 24.02. Kai Rivera delivered massive drops across three different events, improving his 3x3x3 One-Handed mark by 53.8 percent to 42.26, dropping his 4x4x4 Cube best by 46.6 percent to 1:14.89, and lowering his 3x3x3 Cube mark by 16.1 percent to 16.33.

That same spirit of steady progress defined the day for several other athletes tackling broad event lineups. Ethan Vasnarungruengkul dropped his 2x2x2 Cube best by 45.7 percent down to 2.66 and logged a 15.90 in 3x3x3 Cube. Aiden Nickels lowered his 3x3x3 One-Handed best by 44.9 percent to 35.77 while dropping his 3x3x3 Cube best by 17.7 percent to 12.06. Devon Rivera improved his 3x3x3 Cube time by 25.7 percent to 27.99 and set a first 2x2x2 Cube mark of 9.70. Christian Luke Meneses improved his 2x2x2 Cube time by 28.3 percent to 9.20, lowered his 3x3x3 Cube mark by 13.6 percent to 38.26, and logged a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube of 2:31.66. Ben Rosenn took on four events, setting an initial 3x3x3 One-Handed time of 1:38.98 while improving his 3x3x3 Cube best by 17 percent to 21.20 and his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 16.1 percent to 7.02. Lance Paquia also embraced a four-event slate, recording first ever attempts in 4x4x4 Cube at 52.48 to place 45th, 3x3x3 One-Handed at 26.97, and 2x2x2 Cube at 4.51.

The afternoon slate brought intense focus to specialized disciplines, starting with the 3x3x3 One-Handed event where 91 competitors took to the stage. Max Park claimed first place with an average of 8.48, bolstered by the best single of the event at 8.01. Jusun Choi of Korea earned the silver spot on the podium with an average of 14.21, and Dan Tran captured third place with an average of 14.40. Across the day, the United States accounted for 11 podium placements, alongside one podium finish for Korea.

The 4x4x4 Cube concluded the multi-layered schedule, challenging 94 solvers over a single round of precision turning. Max Park earned his third title of the day with a winning average of 22.68 and the round best single of 21.57. Shane Grogan claimed the second step on the podium with an average of 31.45, while Gavin Torreflores finished in third place with 32.32. As the day drew to a close, UCLA Westerns Warmup 2025 stood as a celebration of shared dedication, sharp execution, and communal growth on the California circuit in 2025.