Washtenaw Qualifier 2023

Stanley Chapel delivered a masterclass in blindfolded mastery at Washtenaw Community College, successfully registering 48 out of 51 cubes in 59:50 during 3x3x3 Multi-Blind to set the tone for an extraordinary weekend of speedcubing. The seasoned competitor took charge across five separate events, demonstrating elite memory work and mechanical consistency throughout the tournament schedule.

Held across May 27 and May 28 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, Washtenaw Qualifier 2023 brought together 135 competitors contesting 15 events across 24 rounds of action. The gathering served as a premier cubing competition for veterans looking to reassert their top-tier pace in the 2023 season, featuring intense clashes across classic puzzles, large cubes, and specialized side disciplines alike.

The 3x3x3 Cube final delivered exceptional speed cubing drama as Luke Garrett captured the marquee victory with a 5.76 winning average and a round-best 5.32 single. Garrett led a crowded field of 131 competitors in the 3x3 results, reinforcing his sharpness in the premier Rubik's Cube event. He also swept the 4x4x4 Cube contest with an average of 30.23 and a 27.82 single, fending off high-level opposition across multiple formats.

Kate Grahame asserted total command over the big cubes, winning the 5x5x5 Cube final with an average of 52.59, closely trailed by Luke Garrett at 52.94 and Stanley Chapel at 55.07. Grahame returned to the table to claim the 7x7x7 Cube title in 2:20.70, securing another first-place finish ahead of Garrett and Chapel in a hard-fought battle among the most experienced solvers in the region.

Chapel extended his dominance well beyond multi-blind, collecting first-place finishes in 6x6x6 Cube with a 1:39.16 average, 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 16.24 single, 4x4x4 Blindfolded with a 1:01.28 single, and 5x5x5 Blindfolded with a 2:19.11 single. His relentless sweep across memory events and large cubes formed the backbone of the weekend program, while Mason Langenderfer and Aaron Soley completed the blindfolded podium steps in the bigger categories.

Deep runs across the undercard showcased massive personal strides from competitors expanding their repertoires. Paul Rozelle logged a standout Pyraminx personal best of 10.11, cutting his previous mark by 67.7 percent, while also setting personal bests of 45.83 in 3x3x3 Cube and 17.23 in Clock. Levi Pryor chopped 47.4 percent off his Pyraminx personal best with an 8.84, lowered his 2x2x2 Cube best to 3.40, and registered a first ever attempt at Skewb with 17.14. Thomas Margitish took on 8 events, cutting his Square-1 best by 46.5 percent to 22.49 alongside his first official Skewb run of 8.86 and a Clock attempt of 9.77. Henry Daniel Kosick tackled 10 events, cutting his 5x5x5 Cube personal best by 44.9 percent to 1:56.97 and notching first attempts in Clock at 11.47 and Square-1 at 1:13.47.

Fresh milestones continued through the rounds as Kelton Eric William Kyro entered 8 events, shaving 25.6 percent off his 4x4x4 Cube mark to 1:05.06, reaching 25th in Megaminx, and logging first attempts in Square-1 at 36.05 and 5x5x5 Cube at 2:34.61. Elliot King took on 10 events and posted his first ever Clock effort of 21.45, alongside opening marks in Square-1 at 52.06 and 2x2x2 Cube at 3.49. Matthew Kang Lu took 7th in 3x3x3 Blindfolded across a 10-event workload that featured first attempts in Pyraminx at 8.82, Clock at 25.08, and Megaminx at 2:19.84. Jacob Jee tackled 7 events, completing his first attempts in 2x2x2 Cube at 5.28, 4x4x4 Cube at 1:22.61, and 5x5x5 Cube at 2:56.78.

Short-format events delivered high-speed precision throughout the schedule. Chris Chi secured two event titles, winning Square-1 with a 7.64 average and Skewb with a 2.97 average, while adding a runner-up finish in 2x2x2 Cube behind Krish Shah-Nathwani, who won with a 1.78 average. Ezra Shere took the Pyraminx crown in 2.61, Reed W. Richardson topped Clock in 4.42, and AJ Kamal clinched Megaminx in 41.39.

Every podium step across all fifteen disciplines was claimed by United States competitors, concluding an intensive WCA competition schedule that tested pure speed, deep technical knowledge, and mental stamina. As Washtenaw Qualifier 2023 came to a close, the weekend confirmed that veteran poise remains the defining benchmark on the competitive circuit.