UCSD Weeknights I 2024

Inside the halls of UC San Diego, the sharp snap of rotating layers and the metallic click of timers signaled the start of an evening dedicated to precision and focus. Competitors gathered on October 18, 2024, warming up hands under bright room lighting and studying scramble sheets before hitting the competition tables. As the mid-autumn calendar accelerates across the West Coast, this single-day fixture gave entrants a high-intensity platform to test their training. Staged in San Diego, California, USA, the gathering brought together a compact field of 28 solvers ready to tackle three distinct disciplines across four rounds of official play.

The autumn stretch of the speedcubing calendar often acts as a proving ground where competitors test mid-season adjustments before larger championship fixtures arrive. Every WCA competition held at this point in the year carries weight for those looking to sharpen event-specific form, and UCSD Weeknights I 2024 proved to be an ideal environment for rapid-fire execution. With a tailored schedule focusing on specialized puzzles, the evening tested both dexterity and problem-solving breadth across the tables.

Kyeongmin Choi delivered a commanding performance throughout the evening, capturing top honors across multiple events. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed bracket, which drew 25 entrants, Choi set the standard by logging a winning average of 13.29 seconds alongside a sharp 12.72 single. Dylan Govic secured second place on the podium with a 13.99 average and a 10.75 single, while Ian Yazid Zavala captured third place with a 15.69 average and a 13.77 single. Beyond the traditional Rubik's Cube variations, the single-handed contest produced fierce battles down to fractions of a second.

Choi extended that winning form into the Megaminx division, which featured 26 competitors battling through two rounds of dodecahedral solving. Choi navigated the final round with a 32.52 winning average and the best single of the event at 29.28 seconds. Michael Muething claimed the runner-up spot on the podium with a 36.10 average, followed by Ruby Lu in third place with a 45.52 average. The victory marked Choi's second gold of the tournament, completing an impressive multi-discipline double.

The Clock event provided another highlight of the night, drawing 21 competitors to the timing mats in a single high-pressure round. Joel Kim captured first place with an impressive winning average of 6.32 seconds, anchored by the event's best single of 4.90 seconds. Abby Newlander locked down the second step on the podium with a 7.07 average, while Choi capped a remarkable evening by taking third place with an 8.29 average. By the end of the night, podium finishes were split across three delegations, with the USA earning five places, Korea securing three, and Mexico claiming one.

Away from the top of the podium, the deeper sheets showcased massive individual strides and crucial milestones. Jacob Ramirez entered all three disciplines and produced significant breakthroughs, taking 16th in Clock with a first ever attempt of 22.53, cutting 27.4 percent off his 3x3x3 One-Handed best down to 27.56, and lowering his Megaminx mark by 14.7 percent to 1:30.74. Manning Karahashi tackled three events and logged official firsts across the board, setting initial marks of 34.87 in One-Handed, 2:03.37 in Megaminx, and 13.39 in Clock. Jayden Bui took on their first WCA competition, recording a 1:02.38 first attempt in Megaminx for a sixth-place finish alongside a 31.56 in One-Handed. Zoë Helzer notched a first attempt of 2:03.92 in Megaminx and posted a personal best of 20.44 in Clock.

The progress continued across the roster as competitors capitalized on every round. Elvis Hall delivered a strong showing in Clock, finishing seventh with a personal best of 10.77 seconds that was 23 percent faster than before. Kun Wang placed 10th in One-Handed after lowering their personal best by 25.8 percent to 19.17 seconds. Alexander Segal achieved a fourth-place Clock finish with a personal best of 8.16 seconds, an improvement of 9.4 percent, while shaving 14.3 percent off their Megaminx mark to hit 3:08.78. Rachel Castillo completed three events, finishing ninth in Clock and cutting 16.7 percent off her Megaminx time to register 1:27.59.

With speed cubing schedules demanding adaptability across rotating formats, the one-night setup pushed participants to maximize every attempt. The One-Handed division generated extensive movement on the time sheets, with Michael Young logging a 16.85 average, Ruby Lu posting a 17.93 average, Shane Grogan finishing with a 19.79 average, and Michael Muething recording a 19.84 average. Timothy Zhang added a 21.15 average, while Alex Lehman completed the round with a 21.65 average, highlighting the depth of the 3x3 results across the board.

As the tables cleared at UC San Diego, UCSD Weeknights I 2024 wrapped up as a concise and competitive chapter in the 2024 regional calendar. The fast-paced format delivered meaningful personal milestones alongside top-tier winning marks. With the season marching forward into the late-year schedule, competitors now take their fresh marks and newfound momentum into the upcoming training cycle.