Prenacional NUR SC 2024

A blistering 2.66-second final average on the 2x2x2 Cube by Samuel Galarce Moscoso set the tone for a remarkably versatile weekend of puzzle solving in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Across two days of action on November 9 and 10, the speedcubing community gathered at Universidad Nur for Prenacional NUR SC 2024. The program featured 10 distinct events ranging from standard twisty puzzles to specialty formats, demanding totally different mechanical and mental disciplines from the 38 registered competitors.

The 3x3x3 Cube, universally recognized as the classic Rubik's Cube, drew the weekend's largest lineup with 37 competitors battling across three rounds. Galarce Moscoso earned his second major title by capturing first place with a 9.14 winning average and a best single time of 8.18 seconds. Regors Luis Ríos Estevez finished as the runner-up with an average of 9.84 seconds, while Ignacio Mita Cabezas locked up third place on the podium at 9.95 seconds. These competitive 3x3 results capped an impressive display of standard speed cubing fundamentals.

The competitive schedule broadened dramatically as solvers moved from classic cubes into large-format and alternative categories. In 4x4x4 Cube play, Jhoan Jhunior Alvarado Balderrama took top honors with an average of 34.94 seconds, finishing ahead of Fabricio Andrés Yañez Terrazas at 37.23 seconds and Mita Cabezas at 38.72 seconds. Alvarado Balderrama demonstrated exceptional control over the extra layers, establishing a commanding lead during a fast single-round final.

The big cubes provided an exhaustive test of stamina and pattern recognition across the middle tiers of the roster. Maicol Deimar Machaca Apaza claimed the 5x5x5 Cube title with an average of 1:07.52, edging out Yañez Terrazas who posted 1:09.50 and Joseph Daniel Blas Sanchez from Peru who registered 1:10.28. Machaca Apaza struck gold again in the massive 7x7x7 Cube contest, clocking a 3:26.18 average to hold off Yañez Terrazas at 3:30.29. Yañez Terrazas secured his own big-cube victory in 6x6x6 Cube with an average of 2:15.11, while Machaca Apaza placed second in 2:18.44.

Specialty disciplines rounded out the eclectic roster with non-traditional mechanisms and unconventional physical challenges. In the mechanical Clock event, Fabricio Andrés Yañez Terrazas earned another first-place finish with an 8.40 average. Ignacio Mita Cabezas took top honors in 3x3x3 One-Handed with an average of 16.35 seconds, leading Yañez Terrazas at 17.43 seconds and Alvarado Balderrama at 17.55 seconds. In Pyraminx, Antonio Adorno Suarez conquered the triangular puzzle with a swift 2.92 average, while Christian Daniel Avila Mendez won 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a single of 1:22.15.

Beyond the podiums, the cubing competition served as a breakthrough stage for several competitors making massive leaps on their personal scorecards. Jesús Álvaro Tejerina Sosa took on 6 separate events, lowering his Clock mark by 53.6 percent to a new best of 10.64 seconds and cutting his 3x3x3 One-Handed time by 27 percent down to 28.87 seconds. Jhon Abdiel Camacho Fernandez entered 5 events and posted an outstanding 43.8 percent improvement in Pyraminx with a 5.20 solve, alongside a 34 percent drop in 4x4x4 Cube to 50.05 seconds. Amira Chain Saba sliced 40 percent off her Pyraminx personal best to finish in 7.51 seconds.

Major strides continued throughout the field as solvers unlocked new milestones. Nicolas Jacinto Leygue chopped 29.2 percent off his 4x4x4 Cube best to reach 1:37.83, while Alejandro Abraham Carrillo Mita shaved 26.8 percent off his 4x4x4 mark to hit 1:17.21. Lucas Aguilar Sanjines delivered a sharp 4.50 Pyraminx best, improving by 21.9 percent. Debut appearances also highlighted the weekend, as Matias Beremiz Arce Valda logged his first WCA competition marks of 9.02 in 2x2x2 and 23.63 in 3x3x3, and Franco Gustavo Palma Plaza opened his official career with an 18.54 Pyraminx solve and a 30.46 in 3x3x3.

The 2x2x2 Cube tournament delivered intense speed alongside the main event, featuring Samuel Galarce Moscoso in the top spot at 2.66 seconds, ahead of Yañez Terrazas at 3.26 seconds and Alvarado Balderrama at 3.57 seconds. In all, Bolivian competitors collected 27 podium places while Peruvian competitors claimed 3 across 13 total rounds. The 2024 gathering at Prenacional NUR SC 2024 proved that mastery across multiple diverse disciplines remains the true hallmark of elite competitive cubing.