Utah Valley Favorites 2024

The competition floor inside the Veteran's Memorial Building was packed with focused energy as 55 competitors assembled for Utah Valley Favorites 2024. Stacks of multicolored hardware covered the solving stations across a packed schedule of 13 separate disciplines. In Spanish Fork, Utah, USA, the gathering brought together solvers eager to test their fingers and concentration. The single-day tournament on June 1, 2024, tested every aspect of modern speedcubing, demanding stamina from the earliest rounds straight through to the evening finals.

Nowhere was the demand on stamina more obvious than on the massive puzzles that command sustained physical precision. The large layers of big cubes require uninterrupted focus across hundreds of moves, where a single misaligned layer can unravel minutes of work. In the 7x7x7 Cube final, Wesley Stephenson conquered the biggest hardware on the schedule, taking first place with a winning average of 3:42.29 and a best single of 3:31.14. Stephenson outpaced Brock Burgi, who posted a 4:31.73 average, and Luke Bailey, who took third with 4:39.38.

The 6x6x6 Cube delivered another demanding battle of attrition on the tournament tables. Cade Beck rose to the occasion by securing first place with an impressive winning average of 2:17.17, anchored by a best single of 2:15.70. Wesley Stephenson earned a second big-cube podium of the day by finishing runner-up with an average of 2:29.07, while Eames Nay took third with 4:38.03. Beck also carried his prowess over to another complex shape, claiming victory in the Megaminx with a winning average of 1:10.03 and a best single of 1:06.42.

Rounding out the big-cube roster at Utah Valley Favorites 2024, the 5x5x5 Cube highlighted rapid lookahead and consistent execution. Adam Carpenter captured first place in the event, posting a sharp winning average of 1:06.83 along with a best single of 1:00.72. Carpenter held off Kanyon Lundell, who finished in second place with an average of 1:44.46, and Bradley Sampson, who claimed third in 1:49.93. The performance cemented a dominant big-cube showcase before the focus shifted to the standard Rubik's Cube and specialty events.

Beyond the podium battles, this cubing competition provided plenty of personal breakthroughs that the final standings do not always highlight. Josh Page made a massive leap on the Pyraminx, taking sixth place with a personal best of 6.17 seconds, which was 52.9 percent faster than his previous mark. Brinkley Lundell dropped significant time across two disciplines, setting a Megaminx personal best of 2:09.07 that was 21.3 percent faster and a 4x4x4 Cube mark of 1:17.73 that was 7.9 percent faster to finish fourth. Andy Moseley improved by 35.1 percent in 2x2x2 Cube with a personal best of 8.82, while Wesley Vernon Sharp dropped his 3x3x3 Cube best to 18.62, a 12.7 percent improvement.

First-time events and competition debuts also defined the atmosphere at Utah Valley Favorites 2024. Stone Sealy took fourth in 3x3x3 One-Handed with a first ever attempt of 51.52 while also registering a 1:30.71 on their first 4x4x4 Cube attempt. Eliel Lopez tackled two new challenges, completing a first ever attempt at Square-1 in 48.56 to place fourth and logging 26.93 on Clock. For newcomers, Mark Jaynes entered their first WCA competition and recorded initial marks of 26.80 on 2x2x2 Cube and 1:09.39 on 3x3x3 Cube, while Elliot White made their tournament debut by logging 8.89 on 2x2x2 Cube and 50.31 on the standard puzzle.

The classic three-layered puzzle drew the largest field of the day with 31 competitors taking part. When the 3x3 results were tallied, Canyon Pettitt emerged victorious with a winning average of 8.66 seconds and a best single of 7.99. Trenton Nelson took second place with a 9.42 average, while Adam Carpenter completed the podium in third with 9.94. Nelson had earlier captured the 4x4x4 Cube title with a winning average of 46.72, backed by a quick 37.19 single.

The side events and specialty categories offered quick turnarounds and distinct challenges. Samuel Phillips took top honors in the 2x2x2 Cube with a 3.06 winning average, finishing ahead of Skye Bateman and Elliot Pimentel. In Clock, Wilson Hettinger won with an average of 5.39, while Jacob Levie grabbed the Skewb win in 3.18. Damian Wilding topped Square-1 with a 19.89 average, Luke Bailey took Pyraminx in 4.56, and Hettinger secured another victory in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 14.10. Solving purely from memory without vision, Samuel Baird took the 3x3x3 Blindfolded win with a 58.71 single.

As the equipment was cleared away at the Veteran's Memorial Building, the day closed out an action-packed chapter of speed cubing in the region. Across thirteen distinct events, solvers pushed their limits against the clock and demonstrated complete technical skill. The accomplishments across every round of Utah Valley Favorites 2024 set an exciting foundation for competitors as they prepare for their next challenges in the season ahead.