Winter Warmup CO 2025

Inside St. Thomas More Catholic School, the rhythmic clack of plastic pieces against plastic tables set the tempo for an intense day of solving. Timers were set, inspection clocks ticked down, and competitors focused intently on their puzzles as the action unfolded across the hall. The gathering brought together 102 competitors for Winter Warmup CO 2025, held in Centennial, Colorado, USA on January 11, 2025. Across five events and ten total rounds, the energy never wavered as solvers tackled everything from side events to main puzzles.

The story of this speedcubing competition was the overwhelming presence of United States competitors across the medal positions. Out of 15 available top-three placements, representatives of the home country secured 14, sweeping four separate events entirely. Poland claimed the sole international podium finish of the day, leaving the American contingent in control of nearly every award presentation. This remarkable run made the WCA competition one of the most lopsided national showings in the region this season.

In the classic 3x3x3 Cube, which drew a massive field of 100 competitors through three rounds, Jacob Nokes topped the standings. Nokes delivered a winning average of 7.93 seconds, complemented by a tournament-best single of 5.92 seconds. The 3x3 results formed a complete sweep for the home nation, with Brayden Wroten securing second place on an 8.10 average and Dylan Hughlett taking third with 8.47. Nokes carried the same poise into the 5x5x5 Cube, winning that single-round event of 48 competitors with an average of 47.60 and a best single of 41.86.

The 5x5x5 Cube podium mirrored the main Rubik's Cube contest, as American competitors again took every spot. Brayden Wroten claimed runner-up honors behind Nokes with an average of 55.54 seconds, while Raymos Castillo rounded out the top three with 56.60 seconds. Wroten was not done collecting hardware, earning podium spots across three different events throughout the meet. His versatility across diverse mechanisms highlighted the deep lineup of talent assembled in Centennial for the start of the 2025 calendar.

Canyon Pettitt put together an equally impressive campaign in the shorter events, capturing two titles of his own. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Pettitt navigated a field of 96 entrants across two rounds to win with an average of 2.02 seconds and a single of 1.68. Kaemon Vita followed in second at 2.96, while Liam Finn McCool Kelly finished third with 3.22. Pettitt repeated his winning formula in Skewb, pacing 69 competitors with a 3.42 average and a 2.93 single, edging Wroten at 3.60 and McCool Kelly at 3.66 in another American sweep.

Clock proved to be the lone event to deny the host nation an absolute podium monopoly. Brayden Wroten secured the victory with a 4.19 average and a single of 3.47 against 66 competitors over two rounds. Jakub Turczyk of Poland broke into the medal count, claiming second place with a mark of 4.59 seconds. Ben Tibbetts followed closely in third with 4.69 seconds, concluding a fast-paced battle that challenged fingertip precision and puzzle orientation under strict timing constraints.

Away from the championship rounds, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones in their personal progression. Brandt Finch delivered one of the day's sharpest breakthroughs in the 2x2x2 Cube, posting a personal best of 3.09 seconds, which improved upon his previous best mark by 57 percent, while also logging a 3x3x3 Cube best of 12.62 seconds, a 29.8 percent drop. Anders Rosendahl chopped 55.9 percent off his 5x5x5 Cube mark with a new personal best of 1:54.35, while Wiley Worp slashed his Skewb best down by 54.3 percent to 7.15 seconds. James Kent made major strides in Clock, cutting his best single to 14.56 seconds, a 51.7 percent leap.

Other solvers expanded their repertoires through new disciplines and strong individual events at the cubing competition. Liam Jones lowered his Skewb best by 51.2 percent down to 4.96 seconds while competing across three events. Dylan M. Bergschneider recorded first-ever official attempts in Clock at 21.96, Skewb at 7.96, and 2x2x2 Cube at 5.98 seconds. Toby Sobczyk logged first attempts in Skewb at 11.53 and 2x2x2 Cube at 5.11, alongside a 37.7 percent drop in his 3x3x3 Cube best to 22.80. Jackson German took on 5x5x5 Cube for the first time with a 3:38.72 while improving his 2x2x2 Cube time to 5.40 seconds.

As the final timers were packed away, Winter Warmup CO 2025 provided an early benchmark for the regional speed cubing community. Between the multi-event victories from Jacob Nokes and Canyon Pettitt, the widespread American podium sweep, and dozens of personal bests across the venue, the gathering set a competitive standard for the rest of the year. Solvers now carry their hard-earned progress forward as they prepare for the next wave of events on the circuit.