Solved Central Alberta 2024

Inside the Cenovus Common at Red Deer Polytechnic, rows of competition stations stayed occupied from morning to evening as 120 competitors gathered for a demanding single-day schedule. Tables clicked continuously with turning mechanisms, stopwatches started and stopped in rapid succession, and judges reset timers across eight rounds of play. The September 14 date brought together speedcubing talent from across the region to Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, producing a tense, focused atmosphere where reaching the final stages required navigating massive, tightly packed brackets.

The sheer size of the rosters turned every round of Solved Central Alberta 2024 into a rigorous test of consistency. With five events contested and fields running over one hundred entrants deep in the short-format puzzles, advancing beyond the opening round was an achievement in itself. Contenders had to deliver clean, mistake-free solves under pressure, knowing that a single hesitation could leave them outside the qualification cutoffs in this highly competitive 2024 WCA competition.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew a massive field of 117 entrants across two rounds of intense solving. Kyle Santucci set the standard in the division, securing first place with a winning average of 6.96 seconds, bolstered by the tournament best single solve of 5.33 seconds. Caleb dela Fuente chased closely behind to claim the runner-up spot with an average of 7.44 seconds, while Lucas Kuczaj rounded out the podium in third place at 7.68 seconds, concluding the classic Rubik's Cube contest with some of the sharpest 3x3 results seen all year.

Santucci also stamped his authority on the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, which featured 64 competitors across two rounds. Handling the puzzle with one hand requires immense dexterity and lookahead, and Santucci mastered the challenge by taking the victory with an average of 11.68 seconds alongside an event-best single of 10.54 seconds. Lucas Kuczaj claimed second place with a 14.26-second average, while Leif Anvik took the third podium spot with an average of 15.66 seconds.

The 2x2x2 Cube event presented the steepest elimination curve of the weekend, packing 105 entrants into a single high-stakes final round. Benjamin Buchner emerged victorious in the rapid-fire contest, logging a winning average of 2.35 seconds and a best single of 2.11 seconds. Dave Virk applied relentless pressure to take second place with an average of 2.42 seconds, while Kyle Santucci collected another medal in third place with an average of 2.51 seconds.

Away from the top of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across the tournament schedule. Mirko Petrovic entered five events and recorded a massive breakthrough in 3x3x3 One-Handed, setting a personal best of 45.15 seconds that was 84.1 percent faster than his prior mark, while also adding a 2x2x2 Cube best of 4.23 seconds. Jacob Taylor took on five disciplines and slashed his 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best down to 39.84 seconds, an improvement of 68.5 percent, alongside a Clock best of 9.64 seconds and a Skewb best of 7.93 seconds. Ryder Fernandes competed in five events, improving his Skewb personal best by 63.2 percent with an 8.92-second result, while Nathan Hoang dropped his Skewb mark by 53.8 percent to 13.11 seconds and improved his 3x3x3 Cube best to 14.79 seconds.

Fresh challenges and new events also highlighted the depth of the field throughout the day. Dileep Vedant Vishwa Tej registered his first ever attempt at Skewb with a 14.80-second solve and cut 45 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to finish at 38.07 seconds. Lincoln Lam recorded his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed with a 54.73-second time while lowering his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 42.5 percent to 4.81 seconds. Shaniru Imalsha Medagedara logged an initial 3x3x3 One-Handed solve of 39.07 seconds and improved his Skewb best to 6.31 seconds. Bodhii Owens tackled four events, recording a first Clock attempt of 52.46 seconds, a first Skewb attempt of 15.49 seconds, and a 39.3 percent improvement on 2x2x2 Cube with a time of 10.01 seconds.

In the Clock division, 61 solvers contested a single deciding round where Lucas Kuczaj came away with the win, logging a 6.58-second average and a best single of 5.94 seconds. Danny Buschert finished right on his heels in second place with an average of 6.66 seconds, while Nolan Thompson earned third place with an average of 7.47 seconds.

The Skewb bracket brought together 82 entrants over two rounds, culminating in a dominant performance by Danny Buschert. Buschert captured the title with a winning average of 3.45 seconds and an event-best single of 2.48 seconds. Tonnam Tantikamnerdkul of Thailand secured the second position with an average of 4.87 seconds, and Ethan Basanov captured the third podium spot with a 4.89-second average to conclude the speed cubing action.

With fourteen of the fifteen total podium spots claimed by Canadian solvers, Solved Central Alberta 2024 showcased the incredible standard of play across central Alberta. Every bracket demanded absolute precision from the opening solve to the final round, providing a memorable cubing competition that tested the endurance and skill of all 120 participants.