UMBC Spring 2025

Inside the University Center, the morning hum of turning plastic and dropping timers set the stage for a day of high-stakes speedcubing. As tables filled across the hall, competitors eyed the final stages of the schedule, knowing that every fraction of a second would matter. The atmosphere in Catonsville, Maryland, USA reached its peak as the afternoon rounds approached. What started as an open field narrowed down to a tense head-to-head battle on the tournament stage.

The 3x3x3 Cube championship came down to the absolute wire during the third and final round. Max Siauw held his nerve through the closing solves to post a winning average of 6.94 seconds, edging out Alex Niedland who took second place with a mark of 7.57 seconds. Brayden Adams remained in contention until the final turns, finishing right behind in third at 7.59 seconds. Siauw also delivered the best single of the event at 5.88 seconds, locking down the premier title at UMBC Spring 2025.

That clutch 3x3 results finish capped a packed schedule of five events across nine total rounds. Held on May 10, 2025, UMBC Spring 2025 brought together 129 competitors to test their skills across multiple puzzle disciplines. The classic Rubik's Cube drew the largest lineup of the day, demanding three demanding stages of competition before deciding the champion on the University Center stage.

Beyond the main event, the heavier puzzles delivered standout performances across the board. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Ari Randers-Pehrson commanded the two-round bracket of 89 solvers, capturing the victory with an average of 23.24 seconds and a single of 22.46 seconds. Siauw added to his podium haul by claiming second place with a 26.66 average, while Niedland secured third place with 31.35 seconds in an all-United States podium sweep.

The side events provided blistering speed and complex algorithms in equal measure. Declan Wilhelm proved unstoppable in Megaminx, conquering the 65-competitor single round with a winning average of 36.37 seconds and a best single of 33.24 seconds, finishing ahead of Siauw in second with 48.73 and Aubrey Trace in third with 49.88. In Square-1, Hassan Khanani dominated a 47-person field to win in an average of 5.17 seconds, highlighted by a 3.93 single, while Siauw placed second at 8.72 and Adams took third at 8.80.

Fast-paced turning also defined the Skewb tournament, where Zayn Khanani took top honors. Across two rounds featuring 81 entrants, Khanani posted a blistering 2.07 average and a 1.77 single to lead the podium ahead of Brad Hoffman at 3.20 and Leland Pak at 4.03. The smooth execution in the finals added another layer of excitement to this dynamic speed cubing competition in Maryland.

Away from the championship tier, the tournament floor was energized by massive personal milestones from emerging competitors. Matthew Furukawa achieved one of the biggest leaps of the weekend, slashing 55.5 percent off his Skewb personal best down to 9.20 seconds while taking on his first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 2:38.13. Ethan Custodio cut his Skewb best by 48.5 percent to 4.70 seconds, improved his 3x3x3 mark by 38.6 percent to 7.67 seconds, and completed his first Megaminx solve in 1:21.12. Kaimin Sims dropped his 4x4x4 Cube best by 43.6 percent to 32.10 seconds and his 3x3x3 best by 37.1 percent to 9.28 seconds, earning a 7th place finish in Megaminx on a first attempt of 48.14 seconds.

First-time event entries and breakthroughs continued through every bracket of UMBC Spring 2025. Felix Bibineyshvili dropped his Megaminx best by 43 percent to 2:45.90, placed 52nd, and logged first attempts in 4x4x4 Cube with 1:50.47 and Skewb with 16.45 seconds. William Paul Dunphy took on five events, earning a 22nd place finish in Square-1 on a first attempt of 26.68 seconds while cutting his 4x4x4 time by 36 percent to 38.42 seconds. Tenuun Javkhlant improved his 3x3x3 mark by 33.2 percent to 12.63 seconds and notched a 21st place finish in Megaminx with a first try of 1:19.94. At their first WCA competition, Oliver Benson tackled four events, recording a 31st place finish in Megaminx at 1:29.78, a Skewb debut of 9.39, and a 4x4x4 debut of 1:28.09, while fellow debutant Tyler Trotta recorded initial marks in Megaminx at 3:20.39, 4x4x4 Cube at 2:14.04, and Skewb at 8.44 seconds.

With 15 total podium places earned by United States competitors, the single-day gathering stood as a celebration of dedicated practice and swift hands. As the venue cleared at the University Center, the memorable finishes across five events ensured that this WCA competition would be remembered as a high-intensity milestone in the 2025 speedcubing calendar.