Appleby Winter A 2023

A total of 166 competitors gathered on January 7, 2023, filling the A.W.B. Alumni Centre for Athletics and Student Life at Appleby College for a packed day of puzzle solving. The single-day tournament brought an immense influx of fresh talent to Oakville, Ontario, Canada, with newcomers stepping up to the solving stations alongside seasoned tournament veterans. Across 9 rounds of action, this bustling WCA competition highlighted both the high-stakes drama of elite finals and the thrill of personal milestones for those just starting out.

The traditional Rubik's Cube drew a massive lineup of 165 entrants across three elimination stages. Brennen Lin took top honours in the main event, posting a winning average of 7.08 seconds in the final round to seal victory. Lin also set the fastest mark of the tournament with a blistering 4.50 single. Ryan Wu secured the runner-up position with a 7.64 average, while Arhaan Sareen completed the Canadian sweep on the podium by claiming third place with a 7.94 mark in the final 3x3 results.

Arhaan Sareen also captured a title of his own on the day, winning the Megaminx event with a sharp 42.01 average and delivering the round best single at 39.01. Matthew Lee followed closely in second place with a 44.38 average, and Ryan Wu picked up another podium finish by securing third with 47.90 across 58 competitors. Speedcubing across larger dodecahedral puzzles demands stamina and meticulous spatial awareness, making the sub-45 marks at Appleby Winter A 2023 particularly impressive across the single round of Megaminx play.

In the Square-1 discipline, Matthew Lee turned the tables to seize first place with an impressive 9.51 average, backed by an 8.58 single among 48 competitors. Ryan Wu continued an exceptionally consistent tournament run by finishing second with an 11.23 average, while Arhaan Sareen took third place with a 12.21 mark. The dynamic shape-shifting puzzle required precise mechanical execution on every turn, and Lee was the only competitor in the field to break the ten-second barrier on average.

The side events delivered swift turnarounds and tight finishes throughout the afternoon. Joey Saia of the United States claimed victory in Skewb, posting a winning average of 3.49 and a best single of 3.24 across two rounds and 97 competitors, edging out Nicholas Patterson who took second with 3.61 and Matthew Lee in third at 4.37. In Pyraminx, Andrew Mao topped a field of 113 competitors with a winning average of 2.95 and a best single of 2.48, besting Jessica Ying who took second at 3.71 and Saia who claimed third at 3.74.

Beyond the podium battles, Appleby Winter A 2023 served as a proving ground for competitors tackling personal barriers. Keith Kornelson authored huge improvements, slicing his Skewb best to 6.21 seconds, a massive 74.5 percent drop from 24.32, alongside cutting his Pyraminx mark to 4.93 by 44.8 percent and his 3x3x3 Cube time to 14.02 by 41.5 percent. Aidan Xu also registered sweeping personal records across three events, lowering his Pyraminx single to 4.22 by 57.8 percent, his Skewb single to 4.41 by 43.6 percent, and his 3x3x3 Cube time to 12.73 by 21.9 percent.

First-time attempts at official formats highlighted the ambition throughout the venue. Austin Xu entered four events, posting a new personal best of 11.65 on 3x3x3 Cube for a 45.4 percent improvement, taking on Megaminx for the first time with a 2:26.69, and placing 34th. Ben Snyder tackled four events, recording first-time marks in Megaminx at 2:34.44, Skewb at 11.75, and Pyraminx at 8.25. Atharva Medihala took on five events, logging first attempts in Megaminx at 2:33.43, Square-1 at 23.33, and Skewb at 8.62, while earning a 22nd place finish in Square-1.

The exploration of new events continued with Matteo Casas, who registered a first official Square-1 single of 41.23 and a first Skewb single of 7.17 on his way to 30th in Square-1. Cole Bannerman took on Skewb for the first time with a 4.36 single, tried Pyraminx for the first time at 10.72, and dropped his 3x3x3 Cube best to 14.88, which was 28.7 percent faster than his previous mark. Eamon Funston-Mousseau logged first-time attempts in Skewb at 15.90 and Square-1 at 58.80, while cutting his Pyraminx best to 11.69 by 28.6 percent across four entered events.

With Canadian competitors collecting 13 podium places and visiting American solvers taking two, this speed cubing showcase highlighted both veteran mastery and fresh enthusiasm. From the opening round of 3x3x3 Cube to the final solves in Square-1, Appleby Winter A 2023 offered an engaging look at how broad participation continues to elevate the cubing competition circuit across Ontario as another exciting competitive season unfolds.