La Cacería GT 2025

Inside Centro Comercial Punto Roosevelt, the steady clatter of turning plastic resonated across the floor as 48 competitors assembled for a packed day of twisting challenges. Tables lined with timers and mats set the stage for an intense single-day gathering in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Enthusiasts and seasoned puzzle handlers converged on September 6, 2025, to test their dexterity across five distinct puzzles spanning eight total rounds.

The focal point of any major cubing competition remains the traditional 3x3x3 Cube, where high turn rates and rapid lookahead define the leaderboard. Across three rigorous rounds, solvers pushed their limits to claim the weekend crown in the standard Rubik's Cube. The 3x3 results saw Brian Bernabé Bolaños Arreaga deliver an exceptional display of composure, capturing first place with an average of 8.50 seconds alongside a sharp single of 7.61 seconds.

Behind Bolaños Arreaga, the battle for the remaining spots on the podium was extraordinarily close. Jose Javier Melendez Maldonado took second place with an 8.82 average, highlighted by an astonishing single of 7.31 seconds during the tournament. Jose Pablo Morales Gomez secured the third step of the podium with a 9.14 average, edging out the rest of the 48-person field in an electric conclusion to the classic speedcubing event.

While the flagship event delivered high drama, Shalóm Melquisedec Batz Rodríguez assembled one of the most dominant multi-event showings of the entire year. Batz Rodríguez claimed three gold medals across varied puzzle geometries. In Pyraminx, Batz Rodríguez captured victory with a 3.86 average over two rounds, holding off Estheban Heredia who finished second at 4.37 and Jose Javier Melendez Maldonado in third with 5.52.

Batz Rodríguez extended that winning touch to both Megaminx and Skewb. In the twelve-sided Megaminx, Batz Rodríguez recorded a winning mark of 46.98 seconds, outperforming Juan Jose Ajcam at 50.09 and Melendez Maldonado at 57.67. Skewb brought another first-place finish with a 5.28 average, leading Marcelo Andre Detlefsen Zamora at 7.84 and Melendez Maldonado at 8.38. Melendez Maldonado later captured his own gold in Square-1 with a 20.72 average, finishing ahead of Roberto Icaza Kinloch and Batz Rodríguez.

Beyond the championship finals, the true spirit of this WCA competition was reflected in dramatic personal improvements across the roster. Héctor García achieved a massive breakthrough in Skewb, setting a personal best of 7.72 seconds that was 73.9 percent faster than his prior 29.56 mark, alongside a Pyraminx personal best of 8.55 and a 3x3 single of 11.10. José Luis Lemus Sipaque cut his Pyraminx personal best by 49.9 percent to 10.75 seconds and dropped his 3x3 mark by 32.5 percent down to 15.83 seconds. Juan Marcos López Pérez took on all five events, lowering his Pyraminx personal best by 41 percent to 3.84 seconds and his 3x3 to 9.81.

Several competitors marked significant milestones by tackling events for the very first time on the official stage. Luis Hadriel López Jocón made his debut attempts in both Skewb with an 11.33 single and Megaminx with a 1:45.31, while improving his 3x3 personal best to 16.92 seconds by a 33.1 percent margin. Cristian Javier López recorded his first official Megaminx solve at 2:58.28 and Pyraminx at 13.16. Elisa Fernanda Pérez Catalán debuted in Skewb with 30.95 and Square-1 with 6:27.93, while Dany Cutzal registered a first Megaminx result of 2:26.45 and an 8th-place finish in 3x3. José Estuardo Ortiz Castillo completed a memorable first official appearance with a 27.04 single in 3x3 and 15.76 in Pyraminx.

The single-day program at La Cacería GT 2025 concluded with 14 podium finishes for Guatemalan competitors alongside a podium placement for Nicaragua. From the furious hand speed seen during the 3x3 finals to the technical demands of Megaminx and Square-1, the gathering demonstrated the depth and focus of the region's speed cubing community as participants look ahead to the next chapter of official competition.