Saskatchewan Newcomers 2025

Inside the main hall at Rosewood Park Alliance Church, the rapid clacking of turning plastic resonated across every station as timers clicked and hands moved in relentless patterns. The one-day gathering brought a focused intensity to Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada on March 22, 2025. Across seven total rounds of action spanning four different disciplines, 44 competitors tested their practice on the official tables in a classic showcase of modern speedcubing. The atmosphere stayed charged from early morning practice solves through the concluding championship brackets.

The fastest turning of the weekend belonged to the shortest puzzles, where raw inspection efficiency and explosive execution decided the hardware. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Zach Ramer of Canada set the pace with an outstanding 3.25 winning average across two rounds of play, also delivering the round best single of 2.78. Jack Granger of Canada took second place on the podium with a 3.51 average, narrowly edging out fellow Canadian Wilmer Daniel Almazan Cabrera, who locked down third place with a mark of 3.55 among a field of 38 competitors.

The classic Rubik's Cube drew 42 competitors into a fierce two-round contest where single-digit marks defined the podium battle. Jonathan Petry of Canada took control of the final round, locking up first place with a 9.79 winning average and recording the best single of the event at 8.36. The 3x3 results showed Karl Sebastien Haw of the Philippines securing second place with a 10.21 average, while Granger returned to the podium steps to claim third place with a solid 10.97 average.

Petry continued his dominant run in the 4x4x4 Cube, managing the increased complexity across a single round of 25 competitors to capture gold with a 37.40 winning average and a best single of 34.54. Ramer followed in second place with a 38.59 average, while Haw secured third with a 46.69 average. The Pyraminx division saw Ramer claim his second title of the weekend, posting a 4.60 winning average and a 4.05 single, finishing ahead of Haw in second at 6.97 and DaYeong Kim of Korea in third at 7.75.

Away from the top of the podium, Saskatchewan Newcomers 2025 served as a proving ground where competitors delivered massive leaps forward from past personal marks. Jayden Nguyen chopped his 2x2x2 personal best down to 6.25, a 57.5 percent drop from 14.70, while also posting a 32.47 personal best on the 3x3. Elliott McLeod dropped his 2x2x2 best to 4.24, improving by 57.1 percent from 9.88, and also took on four events with a 4x4x4 personal best of 1:42.08. Lewis Unger cut his 3x3x3 mark down to 12.55, an improvement of 56.3 percent from 28.72, and logged an 8.16 in his first Pyraminx attempt. Nash Gallagher made big strides in two events, earning a 2x2x2 best of 4.85, which was 55.4 percent faster than 10.87, and a 21.33 best on the 3x3.

The day also brought milestone moments for those expanding their repertoires and attending their very first official cubing competition. Carson Johnson shaved 51.7 percent off his Pyraminx best with a 4.31, down from 8.92, while also posting a first attempt of 1:32.07 in the 4x4x4. Henry Pham took on two events and dropped his 2x2x2 best to 6.46, marking a 49.7 percent jump from 12.84. In her first ever WCA competition, Emma Anderson tackled four events, recording a 4.01 first attempt on 2x2x2, a 13.85 single on 3x3x3, and a ninth-place finish in 4x4x4 with 53.88. Porter Cockburn also made his competitive debut across four events, logging a 5.04 first try on 2x2x2 and a 25.62 first mark on 3x3x3.

The spread of hardware reflected an international presence across the podium positions, with Canada taking eight spots, the Philippines earning three, and Korea claiming one. The speed cubing community in the region showed remarkable depth throughout the bracket, managing complex hardware calibrations and tight turnaround times between rounds. Every solve demanded absolute precision from the competitors, whether handling the rapid face turns of the short puzzles or navigating the layered mechanics of the big cubes.

As Saskatchewan Newcomers 2025 concluded, the event highlighted the vibrant health of competitive solving in the province. The mix of seasoned performers setting sharp winning marks and debutants recording their first official times produced a memorable single-day showcase. With official times logged and extensive personal bests shattered, participants left Regina with fresh benchmarks to chase as the competitive calendar moves forward into the season.