File:Members of the Brunswick Middle School Cube Slayers team race to solve 25 Rubik's Cubes, March 2, 2019 (1).jpg

Summary

Brunswick Middle School holds Rubik’s Cube Competition By CJ Fairfield for The Frederick News-Post, February 3, 2019

In photos: Photo 1 & 2: Members of the Brunswick Middle School "Cube Slayers" team race to solve 25 Rubik's Cubes on Saturday afternoon at Brunswick Middle School. The You CAN do the Rubik's Cube is a nationwide event. The "Cub Slayers" team members are Halley Santana Jeremy Everhart, Layne Crist Jackie Power Kalel Bois Jada Powell and Denise Yongbi

About 35 middle schoolers and elementary-aged children from Maryland and Virginia competed at the Rubik’s Cube Competition at Brunswick Middle School on Saturday, with the fastest solve time being 28 seconds.

The competition, the first the school has held, was divided up in team and soloist divisions. Teams had 10 minutes to solve the Rubik’s Cube, soloist had five minutes.

“Once they got to 10 minutes, we stopped and saw how many were solved,” said Kim Schmidt, math specialist at Brunswick Middle School and organizer of the event. “Everyone today solved it.”

Winners of the event received trophies and medals when they placed first, second or third in the competition.

Jayden Parsley, an 11-year-old student from Whittier Elementary School, won first place in the soloist elementary division. He solved the toy in 50 seconds; his all-time record is 28 seconds.

He starting playing with the toy four months ago as he said he always wanted to try it.

“It’s like a puzzle,” he said. “Normally when I come home I’ll play with it. I’m not that much of a video game person.”

Second place in the soloist elementary division was Vihaan Ruparel, a student at Centerville Elementary who solved the cube in one minute and 42 seconds. For the middle school soloist division, Jayaditya VenKatesan, of Farmwell Station Middle School in Ashburn, VA, won first place by solving the cube in 28 seconds. Second place went to Brunswick middle schooler, Hailey Santana, with 39 seconds. Third place went to Glenwood middle schooler, Patrick Rutter, with 40 seconds.

The winners of the team division were the Falcon Crushers from Farmwell Station Middle School with a total solve time of three minutes and 50 seconds. This is the second time the team won a Rubik’s Cube competition.

The team consisted of eight students, all around 11 years old, and five were in attendance of the event Saturday.

“You always want to try and beat your score,” said Angelo Pinillos, a student from the Falcon Crushers. “That’s what keeps me motivated to solve it more.”

Team member Jayaditya VenKatesan, who solved it in 28 seconds, has an all-time record of 19 seconds.

“Now that I know how to solve it, I do it a lot,” he said.

The team said they play with the Rubik’s Cube every day as they’re always trying to beat their record.

Second place in the group division was Slightly Twisted from Glenwood Middle School with a time of three minutes and 59 seconds. Third place went to Brunswick Middle School’s Cube Slayers with a time of five minutes and 57 seconds.