Costa Rica Nationals 2025

The competition hall at UH_Universidad Hispanoamericana hummed with quiet tension and rapid turns as the season reached its defining peak. Across tables arranged for judges and competitors, the clatter of plastic faces turning at maximum velocity set the rhythm for the entire gathering. With national pride and titles hanging on every hundredth of a second, 42 solvers gathered in San José, Aranjuez, Costa Rica for two full days of high-stakes speedcubing. The 2025 calendar brought seasoned champions and determined hopefuls together across 18 rounds of intense, focused play.

The ultimate prestige of the weekend was settled in the classic 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube, where forty competitors began the three-round pursuit of the championship title. Daniel Josué Sandí Alvarado secured the national victory with a winning average of 8.12 seconds in the final round, anchored by a best single solve of 6.83 seconds. Andrés Irías Li earned second place on the podium with an 8.46 average, while Carlos Andres Gonzaga took third with 8.92. These decisive 3x3 results capped a weekend where precision under pressure determined who walked away with top honors.

Beyond the main event, the short-puzzle finals tested pure reaction time and dexterity. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Taj Bressert claimed top honors with a 2.89 average and an event-best single of 2.00 seconds, finishing ahead of Christian Rodríguez at 3.26 and Kyle McDonald Trejos at 3.31. Bressert added two more gold finishes over the weekend, winning the Skewb event with a 2.97 average and best single of 2.10, and taking the Clock final with a 4.80 average. Dagne Poveda finished second in Skewb at 4.66, followed by David Calderón Arce in third at 5.19.

Single-handed dexterity and irregular shapes provided another proving ground in the tournament. Christian Rodríguez delivered a commanding performance in 3x3x3 One-Handed, claiming first place with a 14.01 average and a 12.94 single, holding off David Calderón Arce at 14.72 and Carlos Andres Gonzaga at 15.62. Rodríguez also conquered the Square-1 event, averaging 14.96 for the win. In Pyraminx, Isaí Abarca Smith topped a 29-competitor field with a winning average of 3.27, outperforming Fabricio Guerrero Villalobos at 3.72 and Jason Conejo Aguilar at 4.09.

The heavy polyhedral and big-cube divisions demanded sustained endurance across extensive turn counts. Kyle McDonald Trejos dominated the 5x5x5 Cube with a 56.23 average and a sub-fifty single of 49.91, while Aarón Alfaro Navarro took second at 1:06.06 and Sebastián Herrera Pomares finished third at 1:06.07. McDonald Trejos also secured the 6x6x6 Cube title with a 1:46.09 average. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Sebastián Herrera Pomares earned the victory with a 32.42 average, and later closed out the 7x7x7 Cube with a first-place average of 3:23.43. David Calderón Arce also captured the Megaminx title averaging 37.70, while Jhonatan Reategui solved 3x3x3 Fewest Moves in 37 turns.

Away from the top of the podium, personal milestones and breakthroughs unfolded throughout every round of this WCA competition. Santiago Torres Chinchilla delivered massive breakthroughs, lowering his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 3.68 seconds, which was 67 percent faster than his previous mark, and cutting his 3x3x3 Cube best by 42 percent to 18.42. Rubén Jesús Elizondo Chinchilla took on six different events, taking his first ever attempt at Clock with a 12.67 single, finishing 5th overall, while improving his 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 44.1 percent down to 1:10.27. Mathias Coto Díaz sliced his Pyraminx personal best by 39.2 percent to 8.08 and took his first ever attempt at the 4x4x4 Cube with a 1:59.77.

The ambition across the floor was equally visible in competitors tackling diverse slates and making tournament debuts. Fabián Alonso Madriz Chaves took on all 13 events on the schedule, recording first-time attempts in Clock at 8.57, 7x7x7 Cube at 4:35.57, and 3x3x3 Fewest Moves at 56, while claiming 4th place in Clock. Fred David Solis Gutierrez tackled four events, making his first attempts at 4x4x4 Cube with 1:47.02 and Skewb with 17.33, alongside a 26.3 percent improvement in 2x2x2 Cube to 6.24. Leonardo Guevara Montero entered eight events, posting a 7.19 Pyraminx personal best and a first attempt at Fewest Moves of 63. First-time competitors Marypaz Barrientos Valverde and Igor Mazhukin debuted across four events each, with Barrientos Valverde logging a 7.47 single in 2x2x2 and Mazhukin completing initial attempts in 2x2x2, 3x3x3, and Skewb.

When the final awards were distributed, the host nation accounted for 34 podium places, alongside three for the Netherlands, and one each for Peru and Mexico. Over two full days from November 29 to November 30, the energy inside the venue showcased the depth and camaraderie of regional speed cubing. The Costa Rica Nationals 2025 concluded having tested solvers on every scale, setting a rigorous standard of excellence for the national community as they look forward to future seasons.