Competitions · United States

Cougar Qualifier 2023

Frederick, Maryland · 29 April 2023 · 6 events · 71 competitors · 60 personal bests

Sean Belke won three of the six events (3×3, 5×5, 7×7) and the closest final was the 3×3, won by Sean Belke by 0.40 seconds. 71 competitors produced 60 personal bests, 23 of which still stand today, and 15 people held a competitor card for the first time.

The moment

A continental record

Rafik Eskandar set the Clock single continental record: 5.03.

Three wins

Sean Belke — 3×3, 5×5, 7×7

0.40s

closest final — 3×3, Sean Belke over Will Callan

personal bests set on the day

Winners & podiums

Event	Winner	Single	Average
3×3	Sean Belke	7.16	7.79
5×5	Sean Belke	51.52	55.94
7×7	Sean Belke	2:44.67	3:04.44
3×3 blindfolded	Liam Chen	16.99	20.33
Clock	Rafik Eskandar	5.07	5.83
Square-1	Hassan Khanani	4.71	5.40

The PB harvest

60 set · 23 still standing

Sean Belke — 5×5 single 51.52: into the top 2.2% of the event's history.
Matthew Penafiel — 3×3 single 9.08: into the top 5.1% of the event's history.
Gavin Tribie — Square-1 single 11.76: into the top 9.4% of the event's history.
Alexander Abraham — 3×3 single 11.76: into the top 13.1% of the event's history.
Andrew Joshua — Square-1 single 14.32: into the top 14.9% of the event's history.
Thomas Cuba — 3×3 single 12.29: into the top 14.9% of the event's history.
Callan Vellozzi — Clock single 9.22: into the top 21.1% of the event's history.
Aiden Williams — 3×3 single 14.05: into the top 21.1% of the event's history.

First-timers

15 people competed for the first time at this competition, joining the 37,591 people who made their debut in 2023. Start here explains what a first competition is like.

Records watch

5 regional records were set at this competition.

The field

71 competitors · 269 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. Sean Belke won it with a 7.79 average. Hold your cube white centre up, green centre facing you, follow each sequence, and check against the pictures.

1B D2 B2 R2 D2 B D2 L2 D2 U' B' U B2 F' R' D' U R' F2 R'
2L2 U2 L2 D2 U' F2 D2 L2 F U' L' F' R' U' F D B F' L2
3F L2 U' B' R2 F' D B2 R U2 B2 R2 U2 B2 L D R2 D
4F2 D2 B U2 D L' U' R D' B R2 D2 L' D2 R U2 R2 U2 D2
5D2 F2 U2 D' L' D B D F2 D2 B' R2 U2 L2 F2 R2 B' U' F

solve 1

solve 2

solve 3

solve 4

solve 5

Race this final

Everyone who competed

71 competitors

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.