AUA Student Sets National Cubing Records for Iran

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YEREVAN, Armenia — American University of Armenia (AUA) student Kevin Markalian (BSCS ‘26), has set two new national records in cubing for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Cubing competitions are tournaments where participants are given cube puzzles to solve. There are variations of the puzzle as some are similar to the traditional 3X3X3 Rubik’s Cube while others, like the one Markalian specializes in, are 12 sided.

Markalian broke two records: fastest single attempt and fastest average of five attempts. In his fastest single attempt he set a new record for completing the puzzle in 48.93 seconds; and his average of five attempts was 54.15 seconds. The megaminx cube used in the competition has 50 moving pieces, in comparison to the 3X3X3 traditional cube with 21 moving pieces. 

Markalian was born in Tehran, Iran and studies at AUA’s Akian College of Science and Engineering. He has been cubing for seven years and set these two national records in the Brusov Side Events 2023 competition. The competition was an official World Cube Association event, with an official delegate personally overseeing it.

Markalian is not new to cubing competitions, having competed earlier in competitions held in Iran. As he describes, among all of the official competitors participating in the Iranian events, he was the only Armenian. Essentially, out of hundreds of Iranian citizens competing in cubing, AUA’s Markalian currently holds two of the top records. One of the records he recently broke was by a margin of ten seconds. 

AUA congratulates Kevin Markalian for his recent success and is proud to have him as a student who can inspire others to record such excellence in their pursuits. 

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.