Katipunan One Big F2L 2024

Inside the ISO Complex at Ateneo de Manila University, the steady mechanical clatter of plastic layers shifting at high speed signaled the decisive moments of the tournament. Timers flashed down to thousandths of a second as competitors gathered around the center stations for the final rotations. The atmosphere across the hall was focused and brisk, with judges leaning over mats to log the concluding attempts of an intense day of competition.

The 3x3x3 Cube final came down to the very last turns of the final round, where Sean Patrick Villanueva delivered under pressure to capture the title. Across three rounds of top-tier speedcubing, Villanueva secured the victory with a 6.37 winning average alongside a best single solve of 5.67. Brenton Angelo Lo Wong pushed the champion to the edge, finishing in second place with an average of 6.77, while Toby Litiatco rounded out the podium in third with a 7.27 average.

Villanueva doubled his championship tally in 3x3x3 One-Handed, an event featuring 54 competitors across two rounds. Handling the Rubik's Cube with a single hand, Villanueva posted a winning average of 9.81 and a best single of 9.20. Maverick Sua followed in second place with an 11.20 average, and Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc earned third place with an 11.70 mark, cementing a high-caliber demonstration of one-handed control.

Palisoc took center stage across the big cubes, claiming gold medals in both 4x4x4 Cube and 5x5x5 Cube. In the 4x4x4 event, which drew 49 competitors in a direct final round, Palisoc recorded an average of 27.95 with a single of 26.56 to edge out Lo Wong at 28.85 and Richmond Mico Rigor at 29.71. Palisoc followed with another composed performance over two rounds of 5x5x5 Cube, winning with an average of 50.85 and a best single of 45.53 ahead of Christian Naguio at 52.36 and Rigor at 56.99.

Away from the top of the standings, the Katipunan One Big F2L 2024 provided a platform for impressive individual growth. Paige J. Carbonell logged a personal best single of 16.00 in 3x3x3 One-Handed, a 48.5 percent improvement over the previous mark, alongside a 38.9 percent drop to 42.21 in 4x4x4 Cube and a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube of 1:39.41. Joshua Diacamus advanced his one-handed mark by 41.8 percent to 10.37 on the way to a 9th-place finish, cut 11 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube personal best down to 7.50, and registered a first attempt in Skewb of 9.71. Athena Ysabel A. Lapuz cut 33.6 percent from her 3x3x3 Cube time to 11.81 while posting first-ever official attempts of 39.93 in 4x4x4 Cube and 27.45 in One-Handed.

The depth of progress extended through every tier of the lineup in Quezon City, Philippines. Sealtiel O. Dagcutan shaved 33.7 percent off a 3x3x3 Cube personal best to record 12.65 and registered a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 1:59.28. David Martinez improved by 23.6 percent in 4x4x4 Cube with a 1:02.10, cut 21.8 percent in One-Handed to 21.64, and completed a debut 5x5x5 Cube attempt of 3:46.04. Juan Miguel C. Manalo took on five events, finishing 11th in Skewb and completing first-ever attempts in 4x4x4 Cube at 1:01.60, One-Handed at 33.22, and 5x5x5 Cube at 2:08.13. Zion Wyatt Rentillo Catalan entered five events, logging debut marks in 4x4x4 Cube of 1:13.65, 5x5x5 Cube of 3:20.87, and Skewb of 17.57. Marcus Uy tackled four events, setting first attempts in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 57.48, 4x4x4 Cube at 1:40.99, and 5x5x5 Cube at 4:14.26.

Specialty disciplines demanded unique focus across the schedule. The Skewb event brought 25 competitors to the tables, where Ivan Keith Cariaga took the title over two rounds with an average of 4.66 and a single of 3.38, holding off Jhon Zedrick Fontanilla at 5.22 and Kenneth Carlos at 5.25. In the blindfolded categories, solving purely from memory after inspection, Hans Dominic Gamboa secured victory in 4x4x4 Blindfolded with a single of 12:49.00, while Jacob Miko Tan was credited with the top spot in 5x5x5 Blindfolded amidst a demanding round where all attempts ended in DNF results.

Held on April 7, 2024, the Katipunan One Big F2L 2024 brought together 75 competitors across 7 events and 12 rounds of action. With all 20 podium positions claimed by competitors representing the Philippines, the tournament demonstrated the high standard of speed cubing in the region. The official 3x3 results and big-cube performances set a benchmark for the next season of WCA competition in the capital.

May pitumpu't limang kalahok ang nagtipon sa ISO Complex sa Ateneo de Manila University para sa Katipunan One Big F2L 2024. Sa kabila ng katahimikan at masusing pagsusuri na karaniwang makikita sa mga tradisyonal na pamamaraan ng paglutas gamit ang papel at lapis gaya ng Fewest Moves, ang paligsahan sa Quezon City, Philippines noong Abril 7, 2024 ay umikot sa bilis at matinding pabilisan ng kamay. Labindalawang rounds sa pitong magkakaibang events ang pinaglabanan sa buong araw ng kumpetisyon, kung saan ipinamalas ng bawat speedcuber ang kanilang husay sa paghawak ng Rubik's Cube.

Bumida sa pangunahing 3x3x3 Cube event si Sean Patrick Villanueva na nagtala ng winning average na 6.37 sa finals matapos ang tatlong rounds ng bakbakan laban sa 74 na katunggali. Naorasan din siya ng pinakamabilis na winning single na 5.67 sa naturang dibisyon. Pumangalawa sa podium si Brenton Angelo Lo Wong na nagtala ng average na 6.77, habang pumangatlo naman si Toby Litiatco sa bilis na 7.27. Ipinakita ng nangungunang tatlo ang mataas na antas ng husay sa bansa sa pinakatampok na bahagi ng speedcubing tournament.

Hindi nagpaawat si Sean Patrick Villanueva sa 3x3x3 One-Handed nang angkinin muli ang unang puwesto sa winning average na 9.81 at best single na 9.20 sa dalawang rounds ng labanan. Pumangalawa sa naturang kategorya si Maverick Sua na nagrehistro ng 11.20 average, kasunod si Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc na pumangatlo sa kanyang 11.70. Ang dominasyon ni Villanueva sa parehong two-handed at one-handed 3x3x3 ay nagpatunay ng kanyang bilis at galing sa paghawak ng cube gamit ang iisang kamay.

Sa mas malalaking puzzle, si Inigo Miguel B. Palisoc ang naging pangunahing bida sa Katipunan One Big F2L 2024 matapos magwagi sa dalawang magkahiwalay na kategorya. Sa 4x4x4 Cube, naungusan niya ang apatnapu't siyam na kalahok sa kanyang winning average na 27.95 at pinakamabilis na single na 26.56, kung saan pumangalawa si Brenton Angelo Lo Wong sa 28.85 at pumangatlo si Richmond Mico Rigor sa 29.71. Sinundan ito ni Palisoc ng panalo sa 5x5x5 Cube kung saan nagtala siya ng 50.85 winning average at 45.53 single, habang pumangalawa si Christian Naguio sa 52.36 at pumangatlo si Richmond Mico Rigor sa 56.99.

Sa Skewb event, nasungkit ni Ivan Keith Cariaga ang gintong puwesto matapos magtala ng winning average na 4.66 at single na 3.38 laban sa dalawampu't limang kalahok. Pumangalawa sa kanya si Jhon Zedrick Fontanilla na may 5.22, habang pumangatlo si Kenneth Carlos na nagtala naman ng 5.25. Sa kategoryang 4x4x4 Blindfolded, tanging si Hans Dominic Gamboa lamang ang nakapagtala ng matagumpay na oras sa pagtatapos ng kanyang 12:49.00 single solve matapos magtala ng DNF si Jacob Miko Tan sa naturang event. Sa 5x5x5 Blindfolded, walang nakapagtala ng matagumpay na solve sa tatlong kalahok na sina Jacob Miko Tan, Hans Dominic Gamboa, at Christian Naguio.

Sa likod ng mga nagwagi sa podium, kapansin-pansin ang mga personal na tagumpay ng mga kalahok na nagpakita ng malaking pag-unlad sa Katipunan One Big F2L 2024. Si Joakim Hendrich Victorino na sumabak sa apat na events ay nagtala ng bagong personal best sa 3x3x3 One-Handed na 24.14 mula sa dating 46.77 na 48.4 porsyentong mas mabilis, kasabay ng 8.56 sa 3x3x3 Cube. Si James Michael R. Salise ay nagrehistro ng personal best sa Skewb na 3.92 mula sa 7.25 na 45.9 porsyentong pagbuti para sa ika-siyam na puwesto, bukod sa kanyang 40.91 sa 4x4x4 Cube. Nagtala naman si Kean Owen Villaflor ng kanyang unang opisyal na subok sa 3x3x3 One-Handed sa oras na 1:01.16 at 13.85 personal best sa 3x3x3 Cube, habang si Adrian Ramos Bagui ay sumalang sa unang pagkakataon sa One-Handed sa 31.92 at nagtala ng 11.02 personal best sa 3x3x3 Cube.

Naging espesyal din ang paligsahan para sa mga sumabak sa kanilang pinakaunang WCA competition. Si Alec Isaiah Raviz Dayupay ay nagtala ng 9.29 sa kanyang unang pagsubok sa 3x3x3 Cube upang makuha ang ika-labingsiyam na puwesto, kasabay ng 18.88 sa 3x3x3 One-Handed at 47.63 sa 4x4x4 Cube. Si Charles Matthew Benalla ay nagsimula sa tatlong events kabilang ang 29.00 sa 3x3x3 Cube, 14.48 sa Skewb, at 3:19.24 sa 4x4x4 Cube. Nagtala rin si Jaime Vergara ng kanyang mga unang marka na 16.84 sa 3x3x3 Cube, 54.00 sa One-Handed, at 1:15.44 sa 4x4x4 Cube. Samantala, tinapos naman ni Matt Edrielle T. Barberan ang kanyang unang torneo sa pamamagitan ng 23.91 sa 3x3x3 Cube, 1:22.20 sa One-Handed, at 1:37.66 sa 4x4x4 Cube.

Ang buong araw na cubing competition ay nagtapos nang may kabuuang dalawampung podium finishes na napanatili lahat ng mga kinatawan ng Pilipinas. Mula sa mabilisang one-handed solves hanggang sa masalimuot na blindfolded rounds, napatunayan ng Katipunan One Big F2L 2024 ang patuloy na paglago ng komunidad sa bansa. Nagbigay ito ng panibagong karanasan para sa mga baguhan at dagdag na tagumpay para sa mga beteranong manlalaro sa pagtatapos ng kumpetisyon sa Quezon City.