UCSD Weeknights VIII 2025

Thirty point nine three seconds was the benchmark that set the tone at UCSD Weeknights VIII 2025, where twenty-three competitors gathered on October 28, 2025, in San Diego, California, USA. The single-day WCA competition at UC San Diego brought intense action across six different events, challenging athletes on both stamina and efficiency. Solving larger puzzles like the 4x4x4 Cube demands relentless concentration, spatial tracking, and endurance, placing massive mechanical burdens on solver dexterity compared to standard single-layer challenges. The evening format pushed competitors through single-round shootouts across every discipline.

Shane Grogan delivered the defining performance on the big stage in the 4x4x4 Cube, producing a winning average of 30.93 seconds to secure top honours. Grogan also posted the round's best single time at 26.95 seconds against a field of eighteen competitors. Emily Nguyen took the second step on the podium with a reliable 33.31 average, while Shiun Choi claimed third place with a 37.85 mark. Alex Lehman narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth overall in the 4x4x4 Cube bracket to cap a fierce contest.

The 3x3x3 One-Handed event tested one-arm physical dexterity, where Dylan Govic claimed the championship victory with a crisp 13.07 average and a 12.54 single. Shane Grogan followed with a 16.51 average for second place, edging Aaron Marquez, who took third with a 16.52 average. Spectators following standard 3x3 results know the distinct physical control demanded by one-handed solving. Speed cubing fans watched Marquez, Muhtasim Al-Farabi, Ruby Lu (卢红), Alex Lehman, and Jesús Armando Aguirre Ibarra produce excellent official times throughout the competitive fifteen-player bracket.

Dominic Shoji was the standout multi-event winner of the tournament, taking double victories across Clock and Pyraminx. In Clock, Shoji clocked a 4.14 winning average and a 3.46 single, finishing ahead of Manning Karahashi (唐橋康成) at 6.87 and Joel Kim at 6.90. Shoji repeated his winning form in Pyraminx, taking first place with a 4.56 average and a 3.14 single. Joel Kim followed closely in second with a 4.67 average, while Michael Young earned third place with a 6.54 average.

Beyond the standard Rubik's Cube variations, the Megaminx and Square-1 disciplines featured exceptional technical execution. In Megaminx, Ruby Lu (卢红) claimed the title with a 46.79 average and a 43.24 single across a thirteen-person field, outperforming Jacob Bote at 54.03 and Timothy Zhang (张学义) at 1:03.09. The Square-1 title went to Michael Young, who secured victory with a 13.02 average and a round-best 9.74 single. Manning Karahashi (唐橋康成) took second in Square-1 with 17.20, while Joel Kim collected another podium finish with 18.02.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across their scheduled events. Arumin Sivakumar completed three events and secured a 46.82 personal best in 3x3x3 One-Handed, a massive 53 percent drop from a previous 1:39.66 mark, while also recording a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:15.75 and a first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 14.88 to earn sixth place. Sylvester Slavet-Burr tackled three events, posting a first ever attempt at Megaminx with 2:25.33 and improving their 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 7 percent to 51.67 for a twelfth-place result. Anka Engin improved their 3x3x3 One-Handed mark by 21.8 percent to 30.59 and their Megaminx mark by 20.3 percent to 2:07.48, earning an eleventh-place finish in 4x4x4 Cube.

Other dedicated solvers added strong personal records to the tournament ledger across multiple rotations. Jason Chang (章維祐) entered three events, achieving a fifth-place finish in Clock and dropping their Pyraminx personal best by 20.8 percent to 5.03 seconds. Jacob Ramirez entered three events and delivered a fourth-place finish in Clock alongside a 5.3 percent personal best of 10.22 seconds. Sherry Tao (陶心仪) earned sixth place in Clock with a personal best of 15.10 and improved their 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 17.9 percent to 1:08.92. Dhruv Sehgal secured eighth place in Square-1 across three events entered, while Ryan Woytowitz claimed a strong seventh-place finish in Megaminx.

The gathering demonstrated the depth and skill present across southern California speedcubing communities during the 2025 season. Competitors represented multiple nations, including Bangladesh, India, Mexico, and the United States, with United States athletes taking all eighteen available podium positions. The single-round structure left no room for tactical resets, rewarding those who executed clean, consistent solutions under immediate pressure across every discipline on the schedule.

With six champions crowned and dozens of official marks established, UCSD Weeknights VIII 2025 concluded as an efficient celebration of puzzle solving. From big-cube stamina to the lightning turns of side events, the competition provided high-level entertainment and meaningful personal breakthroughs. Solvers now turn their focus to training and upcoming tournaments as the competitive circuit moves forward into the next phase of the calendar.