Wall Street Spring B 2024

A nail-biting final in the 2x2x2 Cube set the stage in New York, New York, USA, as Aryeh Honig took first place with a 1.72 winning average, edging out Ayden Dincher by a mere two hundredths of a second. The May 19, 2024 gathering at The Quad Preparatory School Upper School Campus brought together 29 competitors across four rounds and three distinct disciplines. It was an action-packed day of speedcubing in the heart of the city, bringing both veteran solvers and eager newcomers to the competition tables.

For those attending their very first WCA competition, stepping up to the official timer brings an unmistakable thrill. While standard 3x3 results often occupy the spotlight in the broader Rubik's Cube community, this tournament focused on alternate challenges, offering a welcoming arena for fresh talent. Debutants Ian J. Kim, Eugene Lychev, and Filip Simic each took their opening official strides at Wall Street Spring B 2024, navigating the pressure of inspection and execution with remarkable composure.

Ian J. Kim embraced a full schedule at the cubing competition, entering all three events and finishing with an impressive 11th place rank in the 5x5x5 Cube. Across his debut rounds, Kim recorded a 3.58 in the 2x2x2 Cube, a 2:01.96 in the 5x5x5 Cube, and a 3:03.59 in the Megaminx. Eugene Lychev made his official speed cubing entrance with a 9.32 single in the 2x2x2 Cube, while Filip Simic completed his first official solve with an 8.35 single in the same event.

Beyond the newcomers, several returning competitors delivered standout milestones that the main podium tables rarely capture. Bode Lee achieved a massive breakthrough in the 5x5x5 Cube, recording a personal best of 2:03.46 to cut 38.2 percent off his previous benchmark. Tyler Lindow Tsao took on three disciplines, earning a 34.4 percent improvement in the 2x2x2 Cube with a 4.53 mark, alongside a first attempt at Megaminx of 2:28.01 and a first 5x5x5 Cube solve of 3:07.83. Chase Allen also made major strides, posting a 3.92 personal best in the 2x2x2 Cube, an improvement of 29.2 percent, in addition to a first 5x5x5 Cube attempt of 3:45.51.

The progress continued across the roster at Wall Street Spring B 2024 as Jack Berman secured an 8th-place finish in the 2x2x2 Cube with a personal best of 1.66, which was 28.1 percent faster than before, while also setting personal bests in Megaminx at 1:58.82 and 5x5x5 Cube at 2:01.13. Megan Kuo earned 6th place in the 2x2x2 Cube, setting personal bests across the board including 1:42.18 in Megaminx, 2:03.38 in 5x5x5 Cube, and 1.99 in 2x2x2 Cube. Ian Dufallo shaved 23.9 percent off his previous mark with a 2:45.47 5x5x5 Cube personal best, Nicholas Trofimov logged his first official Megaminx solve of 1:43.29, and Calvin Dupuis registered a first Megaminx mark of 2:59.13.

The 5x5x5 Cube event saw 19 competitors take to the floor in a direct final round where Ayden Dincher claimed the victory. Dincher delivered a commanding 57.34 winning average and the best single time of the event at 52.94. Henry Syn secured second place with an average of 1:02.87, while Kymberlyn Calderon earned third place on the podium with an average mark of 1:05.33, highlighting the intense technical discipline required on the larger layers.

The Megaminx contest gathered 17 solvers in a single decisive round, where Nicolas Naing dominated the field. Naing captured the championship with a winning average of 31.69 and the event's top single solve of 28.53. Ayden Dincher completed a strong dual-podium effort by taking second place with a 59.41 average, followed by Kymberlyn Calderon in third position with a 1:02.12 average, completing an all-United States sweep of the top positions.

The 2x2x2 Cube concluded the day with 28 competitors battling through two intense rounds. Aryeh Honig captured top honors with his 1.72 average, supported by a 1.08 best single. Ayden Dincher took the second spot with a 1.74 average, and Alex Maass rounded out the podium in third with an average of 2.27. As the curtain came down on Wall Street Spring B 2024, the combination of debut milestones and rapid puzzle solving set a memorable benchmark for the 2024 season.