USAFA Flyby Cubing 2023

Inside Arnold Hall at the Air Force Academy, Colorado, USA, tables stood lined with timers, mats, and display screens as eighty-eight competitors gathered on December 16, 2023. The atmosphere carried the distinct focus of a high-stakes speedcubing gathering, with judges watching every move across fourteen rounds of action. The single-day tournament brought together solvers across seven events, pushing through a demanding schedule where every second determined advancement.

The drama reached its height during the final round of the 3x3x3 Cube, where the race for the title came down to the final solve of the evening. Jacob Nokes captured first place with a winning average of 7.18 seconds, edging out Brayden Wroten, who took second place with a 7.73 average. Oliver Michael Sitja Sichel rounded out the podium in third with a 9.57 average, concluding an intense bracket that started with eighty-seven entrants chasing top 3x3 results.

Throughout the main event, individual solves set the pace early and kept the pressure on the leaders. Oliver Michael Sitja Sichel registered a 6.13 single and a 7.52 average during the rounds, while Jacob Nokes produced a 6.15 single alongside his 8.22 early average. Brayden Wroten added an 8.22 single and an 8.78 average, while Livia Kleiner posted a 7.56 single on her way to a 9.02 average in the classic Rubik's Cube event.

Jacob Nokes extended his dominant form far beyond the standard puzzle, collecting three separate victories across the schedule. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Nokes secured the top spot with a 48.37 average, outperforming Livia Kleiner in second with 55.79 and Raymos Castillo in third at 1:00.58. Nokes also triumphed in the 6x6x6 Cube, recording a winning average of 1:33.11 ahead of Kleiner, who placed second in 1:34.95, and Wroten, who took third in 1:55.26.

Livia Kleiner and Brayden Wroten each earned two titles of their own at this WCA competition. Kleiner claimed victory in Megaminx with a 44.82 average, leading Raymos Castillo and Wroten on the podium, before adding the Pyraminx title with a 2.83 average ahead of Marcus Reagor and Wroten. Wroten struck gold in Skewb with a 2.33 winning average over Taj Bressert and Kleiner, and followed up with a Clock win at 5.43, besting Castillo and Alayna Garrett.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across their events. Stephanie Lopez cut her Clock mark to 14.68 seconds, an improvement of 61.5 percent over her previous 38.09, and reduced her Skewb best to 11.47. John Paul Fisk dropped his 3x3x3 Cube time to 28.68 seconds, running 56.7 percent faster than his previous 1:06.26 mark, while taking on his first ever attempt at Skewb in 14.00 and Pyraminx in 10.83. Anders Rosendahl chopped 52.5 percent off his Pyraminx best down to 6.97, while trying Skewb and Megaminx for the first time.

The progress continued across the venue as competitors broadened their event repertoires. Zane S. Beach improved his Pyraminx record by 42.5 percent down to 9.21 seconds, reduced his Clock time to 34.76, and tried Skewb for the first time. Owen Felkey knocked 39.4 percent off his Pyraminx best to hit 7.04 seconds, lowered his Skewb mark to 12.20, and logged his first Clock attempt at 19.69. Henry Boligitz improved his Skewb personal best by 30 percent to 7.76 seconds while making first attempts in Pyraminx and Clock. Lillia Breeden logged her first 6x6x6 Cube solve at 5:22.88 and improved her 5x5x5 mark by 18.1 percent to 3:02.22, and Jerome Lopez set personal bests in 3x3x3 Cube at 57.48 and Skewb at 20.86.

This speed cubing meeting showed how much can be packed into a single day of competitive play, spanning multiple disciplines and formats. The USAFA Flyby Cubing 2023 highlighted both the sharp precision needed to win major finals and the steady growth of solvers expanding their profiles across the region. With twenty-one podium finishes awarded across seven categories, the cubing competition wrapped up a memorable year of racing against the clock.