Washtenaw Slow Fall 2025

A single blistering solve can turn heads, but the true mark of mastery is relentless consistency across five attempts. Luke Garrett proved that principle emphatically at the Morris J. Lawrence Building, assembling a remarkable 6.02-second winning average in the 3x3x3 Cube final. Backed by a weekend-best 4.36 single, Garrett relied on unyielding pace across three full rounds of the classic Rubik's Cube to hold off an elite field and secure top honors.

Held on September 20, 2025, Washtenaw Slow Fall 2025 brought 85 competitors to Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA for a packed single-day schedule. Across 12 rounds in 7 distinct events, the speedcubing community witnessed a masterclass in stability over sheer chance. While individual fast times punctuated the day, podium positions throughout the cubing competition were decided by the steady hands of competitors capable of executing solve after solve without error.

Garrett doubled his gold tally in 3x3x3 One-Handed, claiming the title with a polished 10.45 average and a 7.68 single over 59 entrants. Dylan Cossin followed in second place with a 12.96 average, while Jack Pfeifer secured third place at 13.50. The official 3x3 results across the weekend highlighted how narrow the margins can be at the top level, where one errant turn can unravel an entire podium bid.

The multi-layered puzzles belonged to Jack Pfeifer, who put on a clinic in high-order cube management. Pfeifer swept three titles, beginning with a victorious 45.00 average in the 5x5x5 Cube against 57 competitors, where he bested Burno Li Chak Kwan and Garrett. Pfeifer continued his dominant run in the larger hardware, logging a 1:26.96 average in 6x6x6 Cube and a 2:03.80 average in 7x7x7 Cube to complete a prestigious big-cube treble.

Hong Kong competitor Burno Li Chak Kwan delivered his own share of standout performances across the mid-range puzzles. Li took victory in the 4x4x4 Cube with a 25.34 average, edging out Garrett's 26.44 and Pfeifer's 28.50 among 70 solvers. Li added a second championship in Megaminx, taking the twelve-sided puzzle event in 34.26 over Garrett and Lucy Grace Bryson, while finishing with six podium places for the weekend to join the United States contingent atop the medal distribution.

Beyond the championship tier, the heart of Washtenaw Slow Fall 2025 was written in massive personal improvements and bold debuts. Pratham Gowda dropped their 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 21.06 seconds, a massive 39.5 percent improvement from their prior 34.82 mark, while also tackling their first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 1:07.50. Austin Cochran sliced 34.2 percent off their 4x4x4 Cube standard down to 1:30.61 and completed their first ever 6x6x6 Cube attempt in 6:05.86. Jack Keenan took down their Megaminx record by 38.9 percent to finish in 2:16.09, while Brecken Jamison took on five events, improving their 3x3x3 Cube time by 24.8 percent to 13.28.

First-time official attempts highlighted the depth of the field as solvers pushed into demanding new categories. Hadi Daniel Abdallah delivered a 24 percent improvement in 4x4x4 Cube with a 1:15.96 personal best and completed their first 5x5x5 Cube solve in 3:01.66. Croix Pierre Lomont entered seven disciplines, earning a 31st-place finish in 7x7x7 Cube with a first-time 7:10.54 solve alongside a 55.73 personal best in 4x4x4 Cube. Sean T. Voss logged first attempts across three large puzzles including a 2:26.49 in 5x5x5 Cube, while Caleb Guzmán produced a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 53.77 and placed 43rd.

First-time entrants also made their presence felt on the tournament floor. Nicholas Robino stepped up for their first WCA competition by entering five events, recording an opening 3x3x3 Cube single of 9.84 seconds on the way to an 18th-place finish. Bennington Owen Thomas Jamison also marked their official debut across three events, completing an opening 3x3x3 Cube effort in 16.51 seconds and a first 3x3x3 One-Handed solve in 41.40. Their entries added further energy to an already bustling arena.

With 15 podium places collected by American competitors and six by Hong Kong, the gathering in Ann Arbor showcased the technical variety and athletic precision of modern speed cubing. Washtenaw Slow Fall 2025 reinforced the truth that while single solves capture the imagination, composure over entire averages determines champions. As the 2025 season progresses, the steady performances laid down at this competition set an exacting standard for all contenders.