Washtenaw Spring B 2023

Inside Washtenaw Community College, the buzzing tables, clicking plastic, and focused concentration marked a high-intensity day of competitive solving. A packed field of 97 competitors gathered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA on April 9, 2023, for a single day of high-stakes action. Spread across 11 rounds and four distinct disciplines, the atmosphere stayed charged from the opening scramble to the final podium presentations.

The 2x2x2 Cube served as the centerpiece for record-setting marks throughout the day. Across multiple heats at Washtenaw Spring B 2023, solving benchmarks were rewritten. Stanley Chapel logged an impressive 2.68 single and a 3.45 average, while Grant Chambers registered a 5.38 single alongside a 7.14 average. Anthony Sai Boggess secured marks of 10.64 and 17.37, Ansel de Jong delivered a 2.85 single with a 5.74 average, and Myles Leibson finished with a 7.78 single and 9.38 average.

The 2x2x2 Cube ledger kept expanding as Conor Mays posted a 5.47 single and a 9.40 average, Scarlett Lukosavich recorded a 7.23 single and a 9.53 average, and Dillon Bhuva-Trombley turned in a 7.00 single with an 11.55 average. Kaylen Flynn also joined the tally with an 8.81 single and 12.87 average, while Max Nathaneal Morius of Malaysia recorded a rapid 2.99 single and 4.36 average. These performances underscored the depth of skill on display in this compact format at the cubing competition.

Beyond the record numbers, the heart of the tournament emerged through personal breakthroughs across the lower seeds. Mateo Delesalle tackled four events, making his first official attempt in the 4x4x4 Cube with a time of 1:10.24, his first 2x2x2 Cube attempt in 6.96, and dropping his Pyraminx personal best to 7.02, which was 43.9 percent faster than before. Taiyo Shigehara took on four events and earned 14th place in the 3x3x3 Cube, posting an official first attempt in the 4x4x4 Cube at 43.78, while cutting his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 45.8 percent down to 10.80 and shaving 44.5 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube mark at 3.39. Emmett Kohl attempted the 2x2x2 Cube for the first time with a 3.54, tried the 4x4x4 Cube for the first time at 1:09.72, and improved his Pyraminx personal best by 39.4 percent to 8.60. Hongyi Shen also took on four events, setting an initial 4x4x4 Cube mark of 1:23.81 and dropping his Pyraminx personal best by 39.1 percent to 6.44.

Several competitors celebrated significant milestones in their competitive journeys at Washtenaw Spring B 2023. Lucas Hermiz made his first official attempt on the 2x2x2 Cube with a 5.42 and his first Pyraminx attempt at 7.76, while trimming 13.2 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube best with a 29.28. Bounkeo Carson Kaedaeng tried the 2x2x2 Cube for the first time with a 14.64, improved his Pyraminx personal best by 35.9 percent down to 12.48, and improved his 3x3x3 Cube mark by 10.4 percent to 44.55. Naoyuki Saito stepped up to four events, delivering a first attempt at the Rubik's Cube in 13.08, a first 2x2x2 Cube attempt in 3.94, and a first 4x4x4 Cube try in 1:36.23. Meanwhile, Musa Hans attended their first WCA competition, taking on four events and securing inaugural marks of 20.61 on Pyraminx, 7.51 on the 2x2x2 Cube, and 2:52.44 on the 4x4x4 Cube.

At the top of the standings, Tymon Kolasiński delivered a masterclass across multiple events. In the 3x3x3 Cube, the premier test of classic speedcubing, 95 competitors battled through three rounds. Kolasiński claimed the victory with a 5.93 winning average and the best single of the entire event at 5.27. Luke Garrett took second place with a 6.80 average, while Chris Mills rounded out the podium in third with an average of 7.02 as fans followed the live 3x3 results.

Kolasiński continued his exceptional run in the 2x2x2 Cube, topping a field of 74 competitors with a 1.55 winning average and a lightning-fast best single of 1.26. Garrett earned his second silver medal of the day with a 1.95 average, and Chapel secured the bronze step on the podium with a 2.24 average. Kolasiński then extended his dominance into the larger puzzles, winning the 4x4x4 Cube among 54 entrants with a 24.15 average and a 19.39 best single, ahead of Garrett at 28.63 and Chapel at 28.75.

The Pyraminx provided the only break in Kolasiński's title sweep, featuring 64 competitors over three intense rounds. Ezra Shere captured first place with an extraordinary 1.66 winning average and a tournament-best single of 1.51. Kolasiński followed in second place with a 2.78 average, while Garrett secured another top-three finish with a 3.09 average. The podium finishes across all four events saw the United States capture seven medals, Poland claim four, and the United Kingdom secure one.

The single-day showcase of speed cubing delivered dramatic races and landmark achievements for newcomers and veterans alike. With four diverse events contested and standard-setting times established, Washtenaw Spring B 2023 offered an unforgettable day of high-level puzzle solving in Michigan. Competitors now look forward to carrying this momentum and hard-earned progress into the remainder of the 2023 competitive calendar.