UCSD Weeknights VI 2025

Three events stood at the center of the schedule as 25 competitors gathered on April 14, 2025, for UCSD Weeknights VI 2025. Held at UC San Diego in San Diego, California, USA, the gathering bypassed the standard three-by-three main event to deliver six focused rounds across a trio of distinct disciplines. It was an evening dedicated to non-traditional challenges, giving dedicated speedcubing specialists room to chase fast marks on alternate puzzles across a tightly run program.

Pyraminx provided the fastest single average of the entire cubing competition, led by Roy Chandler. Across two rounds of play among 21 competitors, Chandler captured the title with a winning average of 2.99 seconds alongside a tournament-best single of 2.49. Dominic Shoji earned the second spot on the podium with a 4.04 average, while Elijah Gabriel Ret secured third place with an average of 4.42. The precision required on the tetrahedral puzzle set a high bar for the evening.

Skewb action proved equally intense as 20 entrants battled through two complete rounds. Joel Kim topped the final standings, posting a winning average of 3.60 seconds to secure the gold, helped by a sharp 2.75 single solve. Mason Langenderfer took second place with an average of 4.34, finishing just ahead of Dominic Shoji, who picked up his second podium of the night with a 4.72 average for third. The rapid corner-turning puzzle delivered tight margins from the opening heats through the finals.

The 3x3x3 One-Handed event brought standard Rubik's Cube mechanics into play with the added technical demand of single-arm execution. Matthew Arca claimed victory among 23 competitors with an average of 12.39 seconds and a round-leading single of 10.93. Mason Langenderfer claimed the runner-up position with an average of 12.72, while Dylan Govic finished third with an average of 13.58. The event rounded out an all-American podium sweep across all three categories contested during the meet.

Beyond the top podium steps, the results sheets revealed outstanding individual breakthroughs from competitors across the field. Edwin Villa delivered a massive breakthrough in Skewb, setting a personal best of 3.24 seconds that was 54.2 percent faster than his previous best of 7.08, while also posting a first ever attempt in Pyraminx of 5.69 and finishing 5th overall in Skewb across three entered events. Chase Hightower tackled all three disciplines, recording a first ever attempt in Pyraminx of 16.09, Skewb of 6.40, and 3x3x3 One-Handed of 48.44.

Progress continued throughout the roster in San Diego. Micah Isaiah McBride dropped his Pyraminx personal best by 27.1 percent down to 3.66 seconds from 5.02 and reduced his One-Handed mark to 21.57, good for a 21.8 percent improvement. Alex Carney logged a first ever attempt at Skewb with an 18.35 single. Brandon Vinh lowered his Skewb personal best by 8.8 percent to 22.80 seconds. Abby Newlander cut 31 percent off her Skewb best with a 3.20 single on the way to a 4th-place event finish. Manning Karahashi (唐橋康成) trimmed his Pyraminx best by 25.9 percent to 6.40 seconds while also taking on three events, and Dylan Trueblood locked in a new 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best of 22.33 seconds.

First-time participants also made their presence felt during this WCA competition. Mark Orlov-Samokhin contested his very first official tournament, logging a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed of 2:34.53 alongside a 16.80 in Pyraminx. Logan Cuevas-Escoto also marked an official debut, recording a first ever attempt of 13.96 in Pyraminx. Meanwhile, international entrant Muhtasim Al-Farabi of Bangladesh took on three events and secured a 6th-place finish in 3x3x3 One-Handed, adding to the evening's depth.

The evening showcased how dedicated speed cubing formats create space for alternative disciplines to flourish. Without standard 3x3 results dominating the headlines, the focus stayed entirely on specialized solving techniques, quick transitions, and single-handed execution. For the 25 entrants at UCSD Weeknights VI 2025, the compact six-round schedule offered an efficient, high-stakes platform to close out another competitive session on the 2025 calendar.