Washtenaw Mini 2 2024

Inside the Community Room in the Student Center Building, the focus was evident at every station. Score sheets lay ready beside the digital displays, stopwatches clicked into rhythm, and runners paced the floor between the scrambling tables and the solving stations. The smooth execution of the day came down entirely to the team of organizers, delegates, and dedicated volunteers who kept the schedule moving flawlessly. Before a single puzzle was turned in competitive anger, the stage was meticulously set for a full day of speed cubing action.

Held on November 1, 2024, Washtenaw Mini 2 2024 brought together 31 competitors in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA for an intense series of 6 rounds across 3 events. Operating a compact cubing competition requires precise coordination from the local staff, who ensured that warm-ups, judge rotations, and official scrambles proceeded without delay. Their efforts allowed the competitors to focus entirely on their solves, knowing that every detail conformed strictly to the governing standards of a sanctioned WCA competition.

The spotlight shines brightly on the determined solvers who pushed their personal limits throughout the day. Rufus Banks delivered a standout breakthrough, recording a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 17.60 seconds, which was 35.5 percent faster than the previous mark of 27.27 seconds, while also trimming his Pyraminx best down to 8.21 seconds. Jyothsana Subbu Arumugam showed remarkable growth on the triangular puzzle, slicing 31.9 percent off an earlier best to notch a Pyraminx personal best of 7.55 seconds. William P. Rauch took on two events and achieved a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 27.29 seconds, a 21.1 percent drop from 34.58 seconds, alongside a Pyraminx personal best of 9.39 seconds. Preston Shaffer entered two disciplines, earning a Pyraminx personal best of 7.79 seconds to beat the old 9.70 mark by 19.7 percent and securing a 13th-place finish on the main puzzle.

The spirit of development was equally apparent among those taking on entirely new puzzles or attending their first tournament. Ryan Dunning completed three events, tackling a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube with a 3:45.50 and a first ever attempt at Pyraminx with an 11.78, in addition to an 8.5 percent 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 15.76 seconds. Harper Rumschik also logged a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube, finishing in 3:37.28, while improving on the 3x3x3 Cube with a personal best of 24.60 seconds. Musa Zeytuncu marked a first WCA competition with a first ever attempt at Pyraminx of 23.05 seconds and a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Cube of 36.49 seconds. Robert Gray Dennison also made a first tournament appearance, posting a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Cube of 26.72 seconds and a first ever attempt at Pyraminx of 14.10 seconds.

At the sharp end of the classic Rubik's Cube category, the tournament delivered high tension through two competitive stages. The 3x3 results culminated in a tightly contested final where Elliott Perkins of the USA captured victory with a winning average of 9.13 seconds, underpinned by a best single solve of 8.77 seconds. Ansel de Jong pushed the champion closely to take the runner-up position with an average of 9.38 seconds, while Quinn Lawson claimed third place on the podium with a 10.07-second average.

In the Pyraminx event, Thomas Grahor put on an exceptional display of dexterity across the two rounds. Grahor clinched first place with a blistering winning average of 2.13 seconds and registered the event's best single time at 1.46 seconds among a field of 26 competitors. Elliott Perkins took second place on the podium with an average of 2.69 seconds, while Quinn Lawson earned another podium finish by posting a 3.21-second average for third.

The 5x5x5 Cube challenged competitors with complex layers and extended solving times across two full rounds. Hunter Mackler of the USA took the top spot with a commanding winning average of 1:09.79, backed by a best single effort of 1:00.57 against 17 competitors. Ansel de Jong earned second place with a 1:13.16 average, while Quinn Lawson rounded out the top three by finishing third with an average of 1:13.69.

Across all nine podium places awarded on the day, every trophy remained with United States competitors in a clean sweep. The successful running of Washtenaw Mini 2 2024 stands as a testament to the community leadership in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, where the work of the organizers, delegates, and scorekeepers created an ideal environment for speedcubing excellence as competitors look forward to the next chapter of the season.