People · United States
Alexander Mertz
Pyraminx · top 5.2% of 129,321 all-time · competing since October 2011 · 2011MERT03
Alexander Mertz has been competing for 15 years. His best event is the Pyraminx: a personal-best single of 3.42, set at Virginia Open Fall 2014, puts him in the top 5.2% of the 129,321 people who have ever been ranked in the event, and 1,347th in the United States. Until February 2008, no official Pyraminx solve in the world had been that fast. Across 7 competitions since October 2011, he has put 176 official solves on the record across nine events. Solve to solve, his 3×3 times vary about 12% around a typical one, an early reading from 7 counted rounds. His Pyraminx best has come down from 6.93 in June 2012 to 3.42, a 51% improvement. Alexander has entered seven competitions, more competitions than 88% of everyone who has ever competed.
Standing, event by event
vs everyone ever ranked| Event | PB single | PB average | All-time standing | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pyraminx | 3.42 | 4.92 | top 5.2% | 1,347 / 28,708 | |
| 2×2 | 3.67 | 6.31 | top 22.3% | 8,750 / 40,951 | |
| 3×3 | 15.49 | 17.97 | top 26.1% | 14,224 / 59,724 | |
| 4×4 | 56.93 | 1:03.87 | top 33.0% | 5,268 / 19,072 | |
| 3×3 blindfolded | 2:44.80 | — | top 48.0% | 1,030 / 2,092 | |
| Skewb | 12.17 | 26.04 | top 66.8% | 12,492 / 18,907 | |
| 5×5 | 2:33.02 | — | top 67.2% | 5,869 / 9,401 | |
| 3×3 one-handed | 42.96 | 51.74 | top 69.3% | 9,928 / 15,683 | |
| Square-1 | 1:29.58 | — | early days — 1 solve | 6,464 / 6,743 |
Percentile against all competitors ever ranked in each event, a fairer measure than raw rank, because the pools differ by a factor of ten.
The line so far
Best single per competition, Pyraminx. Faster is higher — the axis is the right way up.
The story so far
- 18 Oct 2014Three personal bests in one day at Virginia Open Fall 2014.
- 9 Nov 2013First sub-20 3×3: 17.58 at Slow 'n Steady Fall 2013.
- 9 Nov 2013Four personal bests in one day at Slow 'n Steady Fall 2013.
- 16 Jun 2012Four personal bests in one day at River Hill Summer 2012.
- 22 Oct 2011First competition: Harvard Fall 2011. A 22.56 3×3 single to start from.
Competitions
- Virginia Open Spring 2015 · 11 Apr 2015 — 1 personal best set
- Virginia Open Fall 2014 · 18 Oct 2014 — 3 personal bests set
- Virginia Open Spring 2014 · 29 Mar 2014 — 1 personal best set
- Slow 'n Steady Fall 2013 · 9 Nov 2013 — 4 personal bests set
- Chesapeake Science Point Fall 2012 · 13 Oct 2012 — 2 personal bests set
- River Hill Summer 2012 · 16 Jun 2012 — 4 personal bests set
- Harvard Fall 2011 · 22 Oct 2011
Reading this page: a single is one solve's time · an average is the middle three of five solves, best and worst discarded · a PB is a personal best · a DNF (did not finish) is an attempt with no valid result: a popped piece, an unsolved face, an over-limit memorisation · top X% compares against everyone ever ranked in that event, which is fairer than raw rank because event pools differ tenfold.
The circuit
The people whose scorecards keep turning up next to his.
- Corey Sakowski — met in 33 rounds, finished ahead 3 times
- Felix Lee — met in 29 rounds, never finished ahead
- Kobe Balin — met in 27 rounds, finished ahead 14 times
Next targets
- A sub-3 Pyraminx single — 4,700 people have one; it is 0.42 away.
- A sub-3 2×2 single — 26,570 people have one; it is 0.67 away.
Targets move as he improves.