Competitions · United States
Big Cube Battle of Waterloo 2025
Waterloo, Iowa · 18 January 2025 · 6 events · 62 competitors · 79 personal bests
Brian Johnson won two of the six events (3×3, 3×3 one-handed) and the closest final was the 4×4, won by Kaius Young by 0.19 seconds. 62 competitors produced 79 personal bests, 35 of which still stand today, and ten people held a competitor card for the first time.
The moment
The day's biggest improvement
Matthew Sanders took a 3×3 one-handed single of 1:02.31 down to 18.03, 71 percent better in one day.
Winners & podiums
| Event | Winner | Single | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3×3 | Brian Johnson | 5.66 | 7.03 |
| 4×4 | Kaius Young | 26.90 | 27.56 |
| 5×5 | Nathan Phillips | 46.49 | 49.37 |
| 6×6 | Nathan Phillips | 1:31.53 | 1:41.98 |
| 3×3 blindfolded | Carter Kucala | 20.28 | — |
| 3×3 one-handed | Brian Johnson | 9.94 | 10.96 |
The PB harvest
79 set · 35 still standing- Josh Crook — 3×3 single 7.75: into the top 2.4% of the event's history.
- Josh Crook — 5×5 single 53.06: into the top 2.7% of the event's history.
- Jacob Conner — 3×3 single 8.29: into the top 3.3% of the event's history.
- Ezra Lauritzson — 3×3 single 8.41: into the top 3.6% of the event's history.
- Josh Crook — 6×6 single 1:39.59: into the top 4.0% of the event's history.
- Keegan Joyce — 3×3 single 8.81: into the top 4.4% of the event's history.
- Matthew Sanders — 3×3 single 9.86: into the top 7.1% of the event's history.
- Jacob Conner — 5×5 single 1:07.29: into the top 9.8% of the event's history.
First-timers
Ten people competed for the first time at this competition, joining the 28,483 people who made their debut in 2025. Start here explains what a first competition is like.
Records watch
No national, continental or world records were set at this competition. That is true of most competitions.
The field
62 competitors · 361 results · 6 events.
Solve this final yourself
how this works →The 3×3 final here ran on one scramble group, so these five sequences are exactly what the finalists faced. Brian Johnson won it with a 7.03 average. Hold your cube white centre up, green centre facing you, follow each sequence, and check against the pictures.
- 1
F2 D' B F2 D' L2 U L2 R2 D' B2 R2 D B' L B2 F2 D' L' - 2
D F2 D L B' L U2 D F U' L' D2 B2 L' F2 L D2 L' B' - 3
L U' F2 D2 U2 L2 F2 R U2 R2 F' U R' B2 U2 R2 D2 U2 F2 - 4
U2 L2 R2 U' B2 F2 R2 U' B2 U' B' U R2 F2 R B2 F U' R' - 5
D' L' D U B2 L2 D' L2 D2 U' B' L F2 U' R' D' B2 U2
solve 1
solve 2
solve 3
solve 4
solve 5
Race this final
Everyone who competed
62 competitors- Aiden Beck
- Andrew C. Liu
- Andrew Salas
- Andrew Tyberg
- Brandon Mikel
- Brew Scot Farver
- Brian Johnson
- Brody Schoon
- Cale Schoon
- Cameron Roundy
- Carter Kucala
- Cayce Damschen
- Cayden Ruttum
- Chaeli Baker
- Chris Van Der Brink
- Cooper Monroe
- Curtis Graham
- Dru Weimer
- Edgar Howard
- Ellie Hong
- Emma Witzenburg
- Ezra Lauritzson
- Gabriel Kerley
- Gautamkrishna Sompallae
- Gavin Lidtke
- Henry Jordahl
- Ian Nielson
- Jacob Conner
- James Ekins
- James Helland
- Jameson R. Sramek
- Joaquin Rodriguez
- Jonah Taylor
- Jonathan Bolton
- Jonathan Crose
- Josef Eldon Strosche
- Josh Crook
- Joshua O'Dell
- Josiah Bolton
- Josian Turner
- Kaius Young
- Keegan Joyce
- Landen Leerhoff
- Leif Charis-Carlson
- Liam Sheldon
- Matthew Salas
- Matthew Sanders
- Nathan Phillips
- Parker Sherman
- Quentin Leavell
- RJ Dajani
- Robert L. Tupker
- Sanjay M. Gurumurthy
- Sara Abozena
- Shain Papalotl Longbehn
- Simon Kellum
- Simon Poldi
- Tavin Swearngin
- Wilder Mosley
- Wilken Roy Kube
- Zachary Kaczmarczyk
- Zakaria Abozena
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 final is a competition's last round; its order decides the podium · a DNF (did not finish) is an attempt with no valid result: a popped piece, an unsolved face, an over-limit memorisation · every solve starts from a computer-generated scramble, the same for every competitor in a round.