UCSB Cubing 2024

A blistering 7.22-second final average sealed three individual titles for Brendyn Dunagan as UCSB Cubing 2024 delivered high-stakes drama on the campus floor. Staged at the UCSB Corwin Pavilion in Santa Barbara, California, USA on October 19, 2024, the one-day gathering welcomed a field of 119 competitors across 12 fast-paced rounds. Dunagan captured the spotlight in front of the home crowd, pairing his decisive victory in the premier event with a dazzling single solve of 5.99 seconds to underline a masterclass in modern speedcubing.

The 3x3x3 Cube event drew 115 contenders through three demanding stages, testing nerve and precision at every turn. Dunagan controlled the final from the front, holding off Ethan Yeh, who took second place with a 7.69 average. Dean Jacob Adamo Susskind locked up third place with an average of 8.62 seconds. The 3x3 results capped a long day of Rubik's Cube action where local energy inside the pavilion carried the top seeds through the elimination brackets.

Dunagan was equally dominant across the specialty categories, capturing top honors in both Pyraminx and Clock. In the Pyraminx final, Dunagan averaged 2.44 seconds, posting a best single of 1.99 to edge out Owen Yepeng Sun, who claimed second place with 2.58 seconds, while Emil Lazaryev took third with 4.14 seconds. The Clock bracket saw Dunagan secure his third gold with a winning mark of 2.69 seconds, finishing ahead of Alessandro Diomampo at 3.44 and Jaidon Poraminthara Lin at 3.80 seconds.

The 2x2x2 Cube event proved to be a display of relentless sprint turning, featuring 98 entrants across two rounds. Kate Grahame delivered an exceptional performance to capture the championship, logging a winning average of 1.71 seconds alongside a best single solve of 1.02 seconds. Jack Flynn Stewart pushed the pace to earn second place with a 1.97 average, while Dominic Shoji secured the third step on the podium with a 2.04 average.

In Skewb, Taj Bressert held off a stacked final to claim victory with an average of 2.95 seconds and a standout single solve of 1.64 seconds. Dunagan added another podium finish to his remarkable tally by claiming the runner-up spot in Skewb at 3.29 seconds, while Kate Grahame earned third place with a 4.45 average. The 72-person field highlighted the depth of speed cubing talent assembled in Southern California.

Beyond the championship finals, the energy on the floor at UCSB Cubing 2024 was fueled by massive personal breakthroughs. Rohith Kavarthapu registered huge drops in multiple categories, including a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 19.38 seconds, which was 60.4 percent faster than his previous mark of 48.92, alongside a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 5.70 seconds, 59.9 percent faster than his prior 14.22, and a first ever attempt at Pyraminx yielding 7.69 seconds. Eliza Pasha made massive strides by recording a Skewb personal best of 11.53 seconds, an improvement of 60.1 percent over her previous 28.91, while also improving in 2x2x2 Cube with 4.59 seconds and Pyraminx with 7.00 seconds.

Several competitors embraced full schedules across five disciplines with major time drops. Logan Chambers posted a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 2.38 seconds, 59.8 percent faster than their previous 5.92, while logging a first ever attempt at Skewb in 10.68 and Clock in 18.44. Aarit Chakraborty set a Pyraminx personal best of 5.34 seconds, cutting 57.6 percent off a 12.58 mark, and logged first attempts in Skewb at 19.79 and Clock at 33.72. Landon Bonner lowered his Pyraminx personal best to 5.46 seconds, 50.2 percent faster than before, while adding a 2.93 in 2x2x2 Cube and a first Skewb attempt of 8.89 seconds. Nate Gregory took 39.3 percent off his Pyraminx personal best with a 5.03 solve and registered first tries in Skewb at 12.41 and Clock at 17.83.

The progress continued across the venue as Sam Rowe lowered their Clock personal best to 13.82 seconds, 41.2 percent faster than their prior 23.49, while taking on first official attempts in Skewb with 18.58 and Pyraminx with 6.67. Mason Connor Hong improved his Pyraminx personal best to 9.10 seconds, 36.1 percent faster than his previous 14.23, after recording first marks in Skewb at 10.31 and Clock at 14.15 seconds. These milestones reflected the competitive growth taking place across the entire roster.

Across five disciplines, the United States accounted for 14 podium places, alongside one podium finish for China. As the final rounds wrapped up at the UCSB Corwin Pavilion, the 2024 cubing competition served as a definitive showcase of technical execution and rising talent. UCSB Cubing 2024 demonstrated how a well-run WCA competition brings together experienced title contenders and dedicated improvers under one roof, setting a high standard for the season ahead.