Cubing USMA 2023

A blistering 2.73 single on the 2x2x2 Cube set the tone for a commanding sprint showcase at Cubing USMA 2023. Taking place on April 15, 2023, in David, Chiriquí, Panama, the one-day gathering assembled 15 competitors for a fast-paced schedule featuring seven disciplines and ten rounds of play. Staged at Universidad Santa María La Antigua, the competition delivered elite head-to-head battles alongside standout breakthroughs across the board, celebrating the breadth of modern speedcubing.

The fastest puzzles on the schedule anchored the program, and Davis Joel Fonseca Rios proved entirely unstoppable in the short-format showdowns. In the 2x2x2 Cube final, Fonseca Rios locked down the victory with a 3.14 winning average, holding off Costa Rica standout Andres Sanchez Ponce, who claimed second place with a mark of 4.25. Panama contender Egdar Castillo rounded out the podium in third place with a 4.98 average, concluding an electric round that drew 11 competitors.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube contest brought another showcase of world-class turning, drawing all 15 entrants through two competitive rounds. Fonseca Rios once again paced the field, locking in first place with a championship average of 11.36 and a round-best single of 9.68. Sanchez Ponce secured the runner-up spot with an 11.66 average, while Castillo earned third place with a 12.43 average, giving fans high-level 3x3 results in the heart of Chiriqui.

Fonseca Rios extended his golden run into the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, mastering the single-handed style to log a 19.63 winning average alongside a round-best 19.03 single. Sanchez Ponce collected his third silver medal of the meeting with a 22.47 average, followed by Castillo in third place with 24.92 across nine entrants in the single-round contest. The sweep across the traditional three-layered puzzle formats cemented a flawless speed run for the Panamanian champion.

Beyond the top steps of the podium, Cubing USMA 2023 served as a platform for remarkable milestones. Jonathan David González Araúz delivered a massive leap in the 3x3x3 Cube, cutting his personal best to 29.25, which was 22.6 percent faster than his former 37.77 mark, while also recording his first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube with a 5.99 single. Gian Franco Loo Rodriguez entered six events, securing fourth place in Pyraminx while logging personal firsts in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 39.98 and Clock at 26.24, alongside a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 14.73 that was 11.2 percent faster than his previous best.

The spirit of this cubing competition was equally reflected in a wave of fresh debuts. Allen Ameth Arias Castillo tackled five events, earning sixth place in 3x3x3 One-Handed while logging his first ever attempts at Pyraminx with 14.45, 3x3x3 One-Handed with 37.89, and Clock with 49.99. Joel Venegas made his first WCA competition appearance, taking on four events and securing fifth in 3x3x3 One-Handed alongside debut efforts in the 2x2x2 Cube at 11.95, Pyraminx at 12.97, and 3x3x3 Cube at 15.75. Derek Adrian González stepped onto the official floor for the first time across three disciplines, posting debut marks of 8.31 in the 2x2x2 Cube, 14.26 in Pyraminx, and 21.34 in the 3x3x3 Cube. Omar Arrocha contested three events, finishing eighth in the 3x3x3 Cube while registering first-ever marks of 7.73 on the 2x2x2, 20.10 on the 3x3, and 53.30 in one-handed solving. Fabrizio De Pontes Pluchino recorded a 1:05.92 in his first Rubik's Cube attempt, and Thelma Rios completed her first classic solve in 1:32.19.

The technical and mechanical tests on the schedule brought equally intense drama. In the Clock division, Castillo captured top honours with an 8.67 winning average and a 7.78 best single across eight competitors. Egdar Antonio Castillo Gonzalez secured second place with a 10.54 average, while Sanchez Ponce collected third with 15.60. Egdar Rolando Castillo also showed strong form across two disciplines, earning a best finish of sixth place in Clock.

The 4x4x4 Cube contest saw Castillo claim another victory, posting a 40.99 winning average and a 39.91 single to edge Sanchez Ponce, who finished second in 41.18, and Fonseca Rios, who took third in 43.65. In the Megaminx event, Sanchez Ponce broke through for gold with a 1:07.09 average and a 54.33 single, closely pursued by Castillo in 1:07.89 and Fonseca Rios in 1:15.76. In Pyraminx, Karla Victoria Suárez Rosario dominated with a winning average of 3.45 and a 3.26 single, leading Sanchez Ponce with 5.57 and Egdar Antonio Castillo Gonzalez with 5.64.

By the end of the action at Cubing USMA 2023, Panama competitors had collected 14 podium finishes, with Costa Rica securing seven. The energy and precision on display across all ten rounds highlighted the enduring appeal of speed cubing in the region, bringing a packed day of sharp turning, new benchmarks, and memorable rivalries to a triumphant conclusion.