LIer can't retain Rubik's Cube title

Long Island's Rowe Hessler, one of the world's fastest "speedcubers," was unsuccessful in holding on to his two-time title at the Rubik's Cube national championships in Ohio this weekend.

Hessler's average time of 10.61 seconds for solving a 3-by-3-by-3 cube earned him instead a fourth-place finish.

"It's really about who handles their nerves better in the final round," said Hessler, 20, of Shirley, who won the championships the past two years. "This time, I kind of cracked under pressure."

Hessler and the other contestants attempted to line up the colors of the cube under the constant pressure of a nearby stopwatch.

Scotland's Breandan Vallance, 19, Hessler's friend and chief competitor, won the championships with an average time of 9.91 seconds, event organizers said.

More than 200 participants took part in the championships which were held in Columbus at The Ohio State University, said Ilkyoo Choi, 23, a volunteer worker at the championships last night.

Choi said Hessler's loss was in part due to the fact that during his first solve in the final round he accidentally left a cube undone.

"Everybody was cheering because it was" solved in less than 10 seconds, he said. "Then we looked at the cube, one side was not completely the same color."

Judges added two seconds to Hessler's completion time and he never recovered.

While disappointed in the loss, Hessler said he's looking forward to returning next year.

A junior math major at St. Joseph's College in Patchogue, he's the only multiple winner in the seven-year history of the event, which is also open to international entrants.

"Tomorrow, I'll be over the fact that I didn't win," he said. "It's really about having fun with friends."