Central Luzon Championship 2024

Leigh Anne Nijel Guibani delivered an exceptional performance at Robinsons Starmills in San Fernando City, Philippines, capturing multiple titles to define the weekend. Guibani secured the marquee 3x3x3 Cube victory with a blistering 7.54 average, capped by a best single of 6.59 across three intense rounds. That commanding display set the tone for the entire gathering, as Guibani consistently challenged the top positions in every discipline entered. The one-day WCA competition brought together 43 competitors from across the region on October 5, 2024, yielding standout performances and intense battles across nine distinct events.

Beyond the main event, Guibani continued to exert control over the field by claiming the Skewb championship with an average of 5.28, narrowly edging out Kenneth Carlos who finished at 5.32. Guibani also showed remarkable versatility across different puzzle formats, earning runner-up spots in both the 2x2x2 Cube with a 3.32 average and the 4x4x4 Cube with a 30.92 mark. With top finishes spanning varied mechanical styles, Guibani emerged as the undeniable focal point throughout the busy schedule in Pampanga.

The 3x3 results in the premier division showcased top-tier talent from the region. While Guibani stood atop the podium, Stacy Nicole Viray Mabalot took second place with a clean 8.04 average. Juan Miguel Y. Magallanes completed the podium in third, logging an 8.18 average. Magallanes had already made a massive impact earlier in the day by winning the 2x2x2 Cube final with a swift 2.55 average, highlighted by a rapid 1.48 single that kept the rest of the 37-person field at bay.

In the 4x4x4 Cube event, Richmond Mico Rigor took the crown, breaking the 30-second barrier with a winning 29.93 average and a best single of 27.81. Rigor finished ahead of Guibani and third-place Ian Guevarra Santos, who turned in a solid 30.96 average. Big cube action carried over to the 5x5x5 Cube, where Mark Aeron Santos captured first place with an impressive 54.19 average, beating out Rigor who posted a 54.57 average for silver, and Gian Carlo C. Catambay who earned bronze with 58.80.

Ian Guevarra Santos proved unbeatable in the specialized categories, seizing gold in two separate disciplines. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, Santos solved his way to the top of a 35-competitor bracket with a 14.40 winning average, followed by Carl Ashley Cortes at 15.01 and Louie Jay Quibote at 15.74. Santos also demonstrated remarkable recall in the 3x3x3 Blindfolded division, an event requiring precise memorisation, taking first place with an 18.14 single while Rigil Carolino claimed second with 28.22.

Away from the top of the podium, several competitors made substantial progress across a broad range of puzzles. Raffael Mateusz M. Malolos took on seven events and earned an 11th-place finish in 2x2x2 Cube, alongside a 38.1 percent drop in his Pyraminx personal best down to 4.65, while trying the Skewb and 5x5x5 Cube for the first time. Audrey Jane Palo also entered seven disciplines, reaching 10th place in Megaminx while recording first-ever attempts in Megaminx, 5x5x5 Cube, and 4x4x4 Cube. Briley C. Fandiñola reached fifth place in Pyraminx and cut his 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best by 30.5 percent to 21.79, in addition to testing himself in Megaminx and 4x4x4 Cube.

Other competitors similarly embraced the heavy slate at Central Luzon Championship 2024 to expand their competition experience. Fernandino Ariel A. Rosario placed seventh in 3x3x3 One-Handed while trying Megaminx, Pyraminx, and Skewb for the first time. John Carlo D. Garcia logged a sixth-place finish in the 2x2x2 Cube and recorded inaugural attempts in Skewb, Megaminx, and Pyraminx. Kurt Morales tackled four events, taking 11th in Skewb while registering first-time efforts in 2x2x2 Cube, Skewb, and 3x3x3 One-Handed. Journey Elijah H. Bonus improved his Skewb mark by 14.7 percent to 7.85 and made his first attempts at 4x4x4 Cube and 2x2x2 Cube, while Ansel Josh Halili posted first attempts across 2x2x2 Cube, 5x5x5 Cube, and Megaminx.

The remaining puzzle categories at Central Luzon Championship 2024 delivered further excitement throughout the 11 completed rounds. Rigil Carolino topped a 27-person Pyraminx lineup with a winning average of 4.44, while Louie Jay Quibote captured the Megaminx title with a steady 1:03.65 average. Across every bracket, the speedcubing community in Central Luzon displayed both high-level precision and deep competitive engagement.

From classic Rubik's Cube solving to complex side events, the speed cubing tournament brought out the best in the local scene. The single-day format tested endurance and focus, leaving participants with valuable experience as they look ahead to the next phase of the cubing competition circuit in 2024.

May kabuuang 43 kalahok ang naglakbay mula sa iba't ibang sulok ng rehiyon at maging mula sa ibang bansa tulad ng Singapore upang magtagpo sa Robinsons Starmills. Ang pagtitipong ito sa San Fernando City, Philippines noong October 5, 2024 ay nagpatunay sa dedikasyon ng komunidad sa larangan ng speedcubing. Sa kabila ng layo ng biyahe at matinding trapiko, dinala ng bawat kalahok ang kanilang husay at determinasyon sa entablado upang maglaban sa 9 na kategorya at 11 na rounds ng matinding kompetisyon.

Sa pangunahing kategorya ng 3x3x3 Cube na nilahukan ng 42 na manlalaro sa tatlong rounds, ipinamalas ni Leigh Anne Nijel Guibani ang pambihirang bilis upang sungkitin ang unang pwesto. Nagtala si Leigh Anne Nijel Guibani ng winning average na 7.54 at best single na 6.59 para pangunahan ang podium ng Rubik's Cube. Pumangalawa si Stacy Nicole Viray Mabalot na may average na 8.04, habang pumangatlo naman si Juan Miguel Y. Magallanes na nagtala ng 8.18 na average.

Hindi lamang sa 3x3x3 Cube nagpakitang-gilas si Leigh Anne Nijel Guibani dahil nasungkit din niya ang tagumpay sa Skewb. Sa kategoryang ito na may 23 na kalahok, nagwagi siya tangan ang winning average na 5.28 at best single na 4.64. Pumangalawa si Kenneth Carlos na may 5.32 average, habang si Juan Miguel Y. Magallanes ay pumangatlo sa kanyang 5.80 average.

Sa 2x2x2 Cube, pinangunahan ni Juan Miguel Y. Magallanes ang 37 na kalahok matapos magtala ng winning average na 2.55 at pinakamabilis na single na 1.48. Sumunod sa kanya si Leigh Anne Nijel Guibani na nagtala ng 3.32 average, at si Stacy Nicole Viray Mabalot na nakakuha ng 3.34 average. Samantala, sa 4x4x4 Cube na may 32 na kalahok, naghari si Richmond Mico Rigor na may 29.93 winning average, kasunod sina Leigh Anne Nijel Guibani na may 30.92 at Ian Guevarra Santos na may 30.96.

Naging kapana-panabik din ang mga espesyal na kategorya tulad ng 3x3x3 Blindfolded at 3x3x3 One-Handed kung saan dominasyon ang ipinakita ni Ian Guevarra Santos. Sa paglutas nang nakapiring, nagtala si Ian Guevarra Santos ng winning single na 18.14 upang talunin ang 7 kalahok, habang si Rigil Carolino ang pumangalawa sa 28.22. Sa 3x3x3 One-Handed laban sa 35 kalahok, nagwagi muli si Ian Guevarra Santos sa average na 14.40, habang sina Carl Ashley Cortes at Louie Jay Quibote ang pumangalawa at pumangatlo sa mga average na 15.01 at 15.74.

Sa iba pang kaganapan, pinatunayan ni Rigil Carolino ang kanyang bilis sa Pyraminx nang magtala ng winning average na 4.44 laban sa 27 na kalahok, habang pumangalawa si Kenneth Carlos sa 5.86 at pumangatlo si Juan Miguel Y. Magallanes sa 6.09. Sa 5x5x5 Cube, nagwagi si Mark Aeron Santos na may 54.19 winning average laban kina Richmond Mico Rigor na may 54.57 at Gian Carlo C. Catambay na may 58.80. Nakamit naman ni Louie Jay Quibote ang tagumpay sa Megaminx sa pamamagitan ng 1:03.65 na average.

Sa likod ng mga opisyal na podium, maraming manlalaro ang nagtala ng mga natatanging personal na tagumpay sa cubing competition na ito. Si Pedro Karol Fransisco A. Ortega ay lumaban sa 6 na events at nagtala ng 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best na 40.70 na 42.5 porsyentong mas mabilis kaysa sa kanyang dating 1:10.79, bukod sa 2x2x2 Cube personal best na 3.22 na 36 porsyentong bilis at Pyraminx personal best na 6.74. Si John Miguel C. Sotto ay sumabak sa 6 na events, nakamit ang 12th place sa Skewb, nagtala ng Skewb personal best na 9.63 na 35.1 porsyentong mas mabilis kaysa 14.83, Pyraminx personal best na 10.39, at gumawa ng kanyang unang attempt sa 4x4x4 Cube na 1:01.13. Si Franklin Masiclat Alo ay nagtala ng 4x4x4 Cube personal best na 1:22.17 na 32 porsyentong mas mabilis kaysa 2:00.90, kasabay ng kanyang unang attempt sa 3x3x3 One-Handed na 47.89. Si Alex Andrew G. Daracan ay nagpakitang-gilas sa 5 events, nagtala ng 3x3x3 Cube personal best na 17.36 na 6.1 porsyentong mas mabilis kaysa 18.48, at gumawa ng unang attempt sa 3x3x3 One-Handed na 38.01 at Skewb na 10.31.

Marami rin ang sumubok sa kanilang pinakaunang WCA competition ngayong taon. Si Cairo Vallejos Noya ay lumaban sa 4 na events sa kanyang unang sabak, nagtapos sa 22nd place sa Skewb, at nagtala ng mga unang attempt sa 4x4x4 Cube na 3:06.65, 2x2x2 Cube na 13.52, at 3x3x3 Cube na 34.28. Si Rigo Dematawaran ay sumabak din sa 4 na events sa kanyang debut, nakamit ang 13th place sa Pyraminx, at nagtala ng mga unang attempt sa 3x3x3 One-Handed na 43.31, Pyraminx na 9.00, at 2x2x2 Cube na 5.84. Si Samuel John D. Dela Cruz ay nagtala ng kanyang mga unang attempt sa 3x3x3 Cube na 15.66, 3x3x3 One-Handed na 38.98, at 2x2x2 Cube na 5.31 habang nakuha ang 29th place sa 2x2x2 Cube. Si Dylan Zachary Morales ay matagumpay ding nakumpleto ang kanyang unang attempt sa 3x3x3 Cube na 29.71.

Ang buong maghapon ng Central Luzon Championship 2024 ay nagtapos nang puno ng sigla at mga bagong alaala para sa lahat ng dumalo. Mula sa mga beteranong umakyat sa podium hanggang sa mga baguhang sumubok sa kanilang unang laban, bawat isa ay nag-uwi ng karangalan at karanasan na magpapatibay sa kanilang paglalakbay sa susunod na yugto ng palakasan.