Washtenaw Spring 2024

A mere hundredth of a second decided silver and bronze in one of the most electric showdowns of the weekend, setting the tone for an intense day of solving. At the Morris J. Lawrence Building in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, Hunter Mackler secured second place in Skewb with a 3.86-second average, barely edging out Liam Cook who finished on the podium at 3.87 seconds. Henri Gerber claimed the event victory with a 3.44 average, but the razor-thin battle directly behind him highlighted the sheer precision demanded by modern speedcubing.

Held on April 14, 2024, Washtenaw Spring 2024 brought together a field of 79 competitors across seven events and 12 total rounds of competition. Speed cubing enthusiasts and seasoned solvers converged to push their limits across everything from lightning-fast twists to extended multi-layer puzzles. Across the day, podium places were earned by competitors representing three different nations, with the United States collecting 11 top-three positions, Germany earning six, and Canada taking home four.

Gerber put together an extraordinary sweep across the schedule, capturing six gold finishes throughout the competition. In the premier 3x3x3 Cube event, he posted a winning average of 8.09 seconds to lead the 77-competitor bracket after putting up a round-best single of 6.21. Ben Saperstein secured second place with an 8.69 average, while Michael Mao rounded out the podium in third with an 8.91 average. The official 3x3 results demonstrated remarkable depth throughout both rounds of solving.

Beyond the classic Rubik's Cube, Gerber dominated the big cubes and specialty events alike. In 5x5x5 Cube, he posted a 1:01.10 average to take first ahead of Canada's Andrew Mao at 1:05.34 and Quinn Lawson at 1:07.02. Gerber then captured the 7x7x7 Cube title with a 2:39.10 average, followed on the podium by James Hildreth in 2:54.52 and Lawson in 3:13.95. Adding a Megaminx win with a 39.76 average ahead of Mackler and Braden Richards, Gerber also topped 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 41.07 single.

The lone puzzle to elude Gerber was Pyraminx, where Steven Wintringham delivered a commanding performance. Wintringham took the title with a 2.33 average, supported by a 2.20 single across the final round of 66 competitors. Andrew Mao claimed the second-place spot on the podium with a 2.77 average, while Micah David Theis locked up third place with a 3.09 mark in an exceptionally rapid final round.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across their events. Levi Pryor delivered massive leaps forward, slicing his Skewb mark to 5.67 seconds for a 66.9 percent improvement over his previous 17.14 best, while also shaving his Pyraminx time to 4.45 seconds. Flynn Vork produced a massive 66.1 percent drop in Pyraminx, cutting his personal best to 10.89 seconds from 32.10. Josh Chapman tackled six events, achieving a best finish of 10th in Skewb with a new 3.24 personal best that was 63.7 percent faster than his prior 8.93, along with his first ever attempts at 5x5x5 Cube in 1:40.32 and 7x7x7 Cube in 6:23.20. Gerald Vork made his single event count with a 9.85 in Pyraminx, improving by 56.8 percent from 22.78.

The day also welcomed major milestone attempts and brand new competitors to the cubing competition floor. Leah Sutherland cut her Skewb personal best by 52.7 percent down to 14.70 seconds, and Kieran Hamilton dropped his Skewb best to 4.73 seconds, improving by 51.9 percent while competing in three events. Mack McKinin entered six events, logging first-ever attempts in Skewb with a 5.58, 5x5x5 Cube in 1:50.74, and Megaminx in 1:25.39 to finish 24th in 5x5x5. Jolene Nguyen entered her first WCA competition, taking on five events and securing a best finish of 34th in 5x5x5 Cube with a 3:14.82 first attempt, alongside initial marks of 12.73 in Pyraminx and 12.82 in Skewb.

The 2024 gathering at Washtenaw Spring 2024 illustrated the vibrant spirit of the regional community, where top-tier international performers shared tables with dedicated local solvers chasing personal milestones. From hundredth-of-a-second podium finishes to breakthroughs on new puzzles, the day provided an unforgettable chapter of competitive speedcubing in Michigan.