UIUC Spring 2023

Inside the Illini Union in Champaign, Illinois, USA, tables were set with timing mats and display timers for a full day of puzzle action on April 1, 2023. Speedcubing competitors gathered from across the region to test their skill and preparation in a high-focus environment. The room required total quiet during memory-intensive rounds, alternating between absolute stillness and the rapid flurry of turning layers as seventy-seven solvers got to work across six scheduled disciplines.

The blindfolded categories demanded complete discipline from the field, where competitors must commit puzzle layouts to memory before lowering their blindfolds to execute solutions entirely without sight. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event, Carter Kucala captured top honors with a winning single of 17.81 seconds, leading the 18-competitor discipline. Will Cerne finished second with a best time of 21.07 seconds, and Tommy Moreno took third on the podium with a mark of 49.86 seconds.

The test of endurance deepened in the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event, where participants attempt to memorize and solve multiple puzzles in a single sitting under strict time limits. Will Cerne took victory among fifteen contenders, registering an outstanding 25/31 in 57:42. Carter Kucala earned second place with a total of 21/25 solved in 58:03, while Aaron Soley secured third place on the podium after posting 11/12 in 56:45 at UIUC Spring 2023.

The standard Rubik's Cube category featured three full rounds of head-to-head racing to crown a champion. Ben Zhao delivered a sequence of rapid solves to capture first place in the 3x3x3 Cube final, producing a winning average of 6.66 seconds alongside the event's best single of 6.28 seconds. Brian Johnson finished in second position with a 7.74 average, and Zeke Mackay took third place on the podium with an average of 7.82 seconds in the headline 3x3 results.

Brian Johnson established a strong presence across multiple disciplines at this cubing competition, securing titles in both the 2x2x2 Cube and 3x3x3 One-Handed events. Johnson won the 68-competitor 2x2x2 Cube contest with an impressive average of 1.99 seconds after posting a blistering single of 0.98 seconds, finishing ahead of Simon Kellum at 2.34 and Zeke Mackay at 2.38. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, Johnson took first with an average of 11.85 seconds, while Ben Zhao took second at 13.18 and Jerich Lee placed third at 14.88.

Beyond the podium battles, several participants marked personal milestones and made initial appearances across different categories. Callum McCoy entered four disciplines at UIUC Spring 2023, setting a 4x4x4 Cube personal best of 56.34 seconds that was 42.8 percent faster than previous marks, while also recording a first ever attempt in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 30.20 seconds. Hayley Veloso took on three events and dropped her 3x3x3 One-Handed personal record to 59.03 seconds, an improvement of 47.7 percent. Tex James Totten logged a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 7.12 seconds, cutting 35 percent off earlier marks, and tried 3x3x3 One-Handed for the first time with a 1:09.37 attempt.

The spirit of growth extended through first-time tournament entries and new event debuts across the schedule. Trey Geoffrey Butler competed in their first WCA competition, tackling four events and recording a first ever attempt of 5.67 seconds in 2x2x2 Cube alongside a 39th-place finish in 3x3x3 One-Handed. Kyle Solomon made their tournament debut by entering four events, including a first ever attempt of 21.02 seconds in 3x3x3 Cube. Cable Pelto also made their initial appearance, attempting four disciplines and placing 12th in 3x3x3 Blindfolded. Grant Berger entered their first event slate with three disciplines, while Samuel Egan posted a first ever attempt of 50.03 seconds in 4x4x4 Cube and lowered their 3x3x3 Cube best to 8.38 seconds.

In the 4x4x4 Cube, Zeke Mackay emerged victorious from a field of 55 competitors, winning the single-round event with an average of 30.18 seconds and a best single of 26.25 seconds. Ben Zhao collected second place with an average of 33.11 seconds, and Carter Kucala rounded out the podium in third with an average of 34.01 seconds. Across all six events, United States competitors captured every one of the eighteen available podium positions.

The gathering proved to be a vibrant display of speed cubing excellence and community participation from start to finish. Over nine rounds of official play, solvers tested their limits from multi-blind concentration to lightning-fast 2x2 solves. As the equipment was packed away at the Illini Union, UIUC Spring 2023 concluded as a memorable showcase of competitive solving in 2023, setting a high standard for future meets in the region.