Westchester Weeknights 5 2023

Livia Kleiner delivered a commanding double victory in New Rochelle, New York, USA, capturing top honors in both the 4x4x4 Cube and Skewb to highlight a completely dominant display by host-nation solvers. Taking place on September 25, 2023, the event saw United States competitors secure all nine podium positions across the entire slate. Kleiner set the pace with an extraordinary 32.32 average in the 4x4x4 Cube final, also logging the single best time of the round at 31.73 seconds. That exceptional standard launched an evening of high-stakes speedcubing where home competitors swept every medal spot available.

The competition, organized at Hotel NoMa, brought together 25 competitors across 3 events and 5 rounds of intense action. It was a compact yet fiercely contested WCA competition that tested versatility across different puzzle formats. In addition to Kleiner, Noah Kim produced a sensational showing in the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, securing victory with an 11.75 average. The 2023 gathering proved to be a masterclass in domestic consistency, leaving no room on the podium for international challengers as every award went straight to United States hands.

The 4x4x4 Cube contest opened the tournament with 23 competitors taking their chances on the larger twisty puzzle. Kleiner claimed the top spot on the podium with her 32.32 average, keeping the pressure on the chasing pack from start to finish. Evan Liu earned the second-place finish with a steady 34.66 average, while Boris McCoy rounded out the United States podium sweep with a 35.80 average for third place. The high level of execution in the single round demonstrated the depth of talent present in the regional speed cubing community.

In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, 22 competitors tackled the complexity of single-handed solving across two full rounds. Noah Kim dominated the final with a winning average of 11.75 seconds, backed by a tournament-best single of 9.57 seconds. Kleiner proved her all-around ability by claiming second place with a 14.25 average, and Eric Zhao secured third with a 15.29 average. Fans watching the one-handed 3x3 results saw remarkable consistency throughout, highlighting how fine adjustments in fingertricks translate into decisive podium finishes at Westchester Weeknights 5 2023.

The Skewb tournament featured 21 competitors and provided another dramatic chapter in the evening program. Kleiner earned her second title of the meet, recording an unbeatable winning average of 3.55 seconds and a best single of 3.20. McCoy captured second place with a swift 3.80 average, barely edging Ryan Hughes, who claimed third place with a 3.85 average. The razor-thin margins in the Skewb final reaffirmed the American dominance across the board, completing the sweep of all three event podiums at Westchester Weeknights 5 2023.

Beyond the championship podiums, the event gave several participants a chance to achieve significant personal milestones that standard scoreboards often overlook. Alex Tompa enjoyed a remarkable day of progress, cutting their 4x4x4 Cube personal best to 58.52, which was 49.5 percent faster than their previous mark, dropping their 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best by 44.9 percent to 22.37, and logging a first official attempt at Skewb with a 5.07 single. Bastien Hadass also showed major improvement on the 4x4x4 Cube, lowering their personal best by 10.7 percent down to 50.91, while Ian Dufallo improved their 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 12.6 percent to 1:26.20.

The roster of breakthrough achievements continued across the field with several impressive debuts and substantial personal bests. Daniel Rimner reduced their Skewb personal best by 30.5 percent to 5.86, improved their 4x4x4 Cube mark by 11.9 percent to 1:08.56, and took on their first ever official attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 29.39 solve. Mariana K. Lee lowered their Skewb personal best by 8.9 percent to 5.35 across three entered events. Cameron Lee tackled two new challenges with a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 1:27.77 and a first 3x3x3 One-Handed attempt of 42.80, Jackson Shure completed a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt in 1:46.32, and Anthony Jiang set a new 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best of 14.34 alongside an 8.23 Skewb best.

The gathering also served as an exciting debut for new solvers taking part in their first official Rubik's Cube tournament experience. Ryan Garcia entered three events, posting debut marks of 1:27.09 in 3x3x3 One-Handed, 1:51.04 in 4x4x4 Cube, and 14.39 in Skewb. Andreas Schanbacher completed his first competitive rounds with a 1:57.15 in 4x4x4 Cube and a 24.87 in Skewb, while Shawn Marcucci made a debut in Skewb with a 16.73 single. Elias Diaz made an outstanding entrance with a 47.95 debut in 4x4x4 Cube, a 16.94 in 3x3x3 One-Handed, and a 3.84 in Skewb to place fourth overall.

By the time the final cubes were aligned and the timers packed away, Westchester Weeknights 5 2023 had showcased the very best of domestic solving talent in New York. With nine out of nine podium positions captured by United States solvers, the tournament stood as a testament to regional excellence. The organizers delivered a fast-paced, memorable evening at Hotel NoMa, providing seasoned champions and newcomers alike with a high-energy platform to close out a successful night of competition.