Wichita Speedcubing Fall 2024

Inside MakeICT - Wichita's Makerspace, the mechanical clatter of plastic layers turning at top speed echoed through the halls as 46 competitors gathered in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Across nine events and 13 scheduled rounds, the one-day gathering on October 26, 2024, brought an ambitious slate of puzzles to the tables. From massive multi-layered cubes to blindfolded marathons, the autumn air carried an unmistakable sense of urgency as solvers settled in for a packed program of tournament play.

The fastest turning of the weekend arrived in the sprint events, where Aaron Huynh produced a dominant showing across the standard Rubik's Cube and its compact sibling. In the 3x3x3 Cube, Huynh set the benchmark with an outstanding winning average of 6.72 seconds, complemented by the best single time of the tournament at 5.79 seconds. Madalen Tanner claimed second place with a final round average of 10.52 seconds, while Nate Perry joined them on the podium in third place with an average of 11.08 seconds to close out the primary 3x3 results.

Huynh carried that blistering pace directly into the 2x2x2 Cube final, securing the top spot with a winning average of 3.23 seconds and a best single of 2.58 seconds. The battle for the remaining steps was settled by mere hundredths of a second, with Drake I. Scott edging into second place on an average of 3.33 seconds, tying Perry who secured third on the exact same 3.33 average. The sprint dominance completed a trio of victories for Huynh at Wichita Speedcubing Fall 2024, having also won the Pyraminx with a 4.08 average over Tanner's 4.09 and Connor Lyons's 4.19.

Big cubes brought a different rhythm to the floor, where Lydia Workman took full command of the larger hardware. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Workman delivered a winning average of 59.04 seconds alongside a best single of 55.04 seconds, finishing ahead of Huynh at 1:02.35 and Zachary Johnson at 1:06.28. Workman was equally untouchable in the 7x7x7 Cube, putting together an imposing winning average of 2:35.17 and a single solve of 2:31.48 to cap an impressive big-cube double on the day.

The blindfolded and specialty categories expanded the breadth of this WCA competition. Connor Lyons took double gold in the memory events, winning the 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a best single of 2:13.27 and conquering the 4x4x4 Blindfolded in 15:23.00. Dan Smith took top honours in the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, successfully resolving 4 out of 4 cubes in a time of 37:02. In the Square-1 event, Dilshodbek Kholmuratov of Uzbekistan secured the title with a 19.35 average, finishing clear of Ryker Barrett at 21.49 and Trenton Cuzick at 22.72.

Behind the podium battles, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones away from the spotlight at Wichita Speedcubing Fall 2024. Liam Dunworth attended their first speed cubing event and took on four separate disciplines, securing an 11th-place finish in Square-1 with a first-ever attempt of 29.64 seconds, alongside debut attempts of 4.18 in 2x2x2 and 29.28 in 3x3x3. Coen Snell shaved 44.8 percent off their 2x2x2 personal best to hit 3.27 seconds and logged a first-ever Square-1 effort of 33.38 seconds, while Jace A. Weaver improved their 2x2x2 best by 41.3 percent to 4.26 seconds.

Other personal benchmarks tumbled in rapid succession throughout the afternoon. William Michael Proctor cut 38.5 percent from their 5x5x5 best with a time of 2:37.08 and recorded a maiden Square-1 attempt of 48.03 seconds. Jamie Duty trimmed 36.7 percent from their 3x3x3 mark down to 14.05 seconds, Zebediah Yongo lowered their 2x2x2 best by 35.3 percent to 4.78 seconds across six events, and Wade Buhrman dropped their 2x2x2 record by 35.1 percent to 2.70 seconds. Maverick Weinberg also made huge strides, improving their Square-1 time by 33.7 percent to 27.63 seconds while taking on a debut 5x5x5 solve of 2:59.34.

With 26 total podium spots distributed among competitors from the United States and Uzbekistan, the tournament proved how vibrant the local speedcubing community remains in 2024. Whether battling for fractions of a second in the short formats or testing memory endurance across blindfolded tables, solvers made the most of every scramble. Wichita Speedcubing Fall 2024 wrapped up as a rewarding showcase of rapid progression, tight margins, and versatile puzzle-solving in the heart of Kansas.