Turn 'N Solve Marikina 2024

Aragon Martin Gonzales delivered a dominant double victory on December 15, 2024, taking top honours in both the premier 3x3x3 Cube and 3x3x3 One-Handed events to ignite fierce local competition. Staged at the Riverbanks Mall Marikina, the regional battle brought together 58 competitors in the City of Marikina, Philippines, contesting 12 rounds of action across six puzzle categories. Turn 'N Solve Marikina 2024 served as an intense proving ground for talent across Luzon, where every round tested nerve and dexterity.

In the flagship 3x3x3 Cube, Gonzales asserted his command over a 55-person field across two rounds of speedcubing excellence. He secured victory with a sharp 7.52 winning average and laid down the weekend's best single solve of 5.92 seconds on the traditional Rubik's Cube. Stephen Mark V. Mariñas mounted a serious challenge to claim second place with an 8.18 average, while Kat Gonzalez rounded out the podium in third at 9.44, concluding a tense fight in the final 3x3 results.

Gonzales carried that blistering momentum straight into the 3x3x3 One-Handed contest, completing his double title sweep against 41 competitors. Finishing with an 11.11 average and a tournament-best single of 6.79 seconds, he outpaced Kat Gonzalez, who secured the runner-up spot with a 12.92 mark. Christian Naguio took third place on an average of 14.03, adding another chapter to the close regional rivalry that defined this fast-paced WCA competition.

The 5x5x5 Cube contest delivered the tightest duel of the entire weekend, where Christian Naguio edged out Jansen Alvarez by a mere twelve hundredths of a second. Naguio sealed the victory with a 53.19 average and a single of 49.52, while Alvarez finished agonizingly close behind at 53.31. Dale Palmares completed the podium in third with a 55.30 average, highlighting the depth of big-cube speed cubing talent assembled at Turn 'N Solve Marikina 2024.

Jansen Alvarez found his redemption in the Pyraminx final, besting 38 competitors across two rounds to capture first place with an impressive 2.24 average and a 1.89 single. Gonzales showed his versatile range by claiming the silver medal on a 3.29 average, ahead of Jayden Allen T. Dee in third at 4.83. The dynamic pacing continued across other disciplines, setting a standard of excellence that reverberated throughout the mall venue during the one-day gathering.

The Skewb tournament was an exhaustive three-round affair featuring 31 entrants, ultimately won by Ivan Keith Cariaga with a 3.70 average and a 3.24 single. Cariaga held off strong podium pushes from Yuji Yoshida, who logged 4.20, and Jansen Alvarez, who posted 4.43. In the Clock event, Zian Principe held his nerve across two rounds to secure the title with a 5.69 average and 4.03 single, outlasting Yoshida at 5.84 and Nicole Santos at 6.77.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several participants made substantial personal strides across the schedule. Jhazmine Lacsamana delivered the most dramatic leap of the day, carving 62.9 percent off her Skewb personal best with a rapid 2.14 solve alongside an eighth-place finish, before tackling her first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube with a time of 1:39.72 across four events. Matthew R. Reyes entered three events and saw massive gains, cutting 52.7 percent off his Clock best to hit 19.37, improving his Pyraminx best by 43.9 percent down to 3.84, and trimming his 3x3x3 Cube best by 6.4 percent to 10.58. Justin M. Lucasan tackled five events, slicing 32.7 percent off his Pyraminx mark down to 8.27 and registering his first ever attempt at Skewb at 9.18. Carla Juliana Segundo also enjoyed major drops across three events, cutting 30 percent from her Pyraminx personal best to post 8.14 and lowering her Clock record by 11.4 percent to 12.52.

Fresh milestones were logged throughout the roster as competitors expanded their repertoires into new disciplines at Turn 'N Solve Marikina 2024. Jan Leo Nodora contested three events, taking on his first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 11.06 and his first 3x3x3 One-Handed solve in 44.06 while dropping his 3x3x3 Cube best by 30.1 percent to 13.72. Michael Paul Romero took on six events, achieving a best finish of 13th in 5x5x5 Cube while recording debut marks in 5x5x5 Cube at 1:20.45, Pyraminx at 8.06, and Skewb at 6.15. Luis Gabriel Cueto Pahati entered five events, recording his first Skewb solve at 20.52, earning 27th in 5x5x5 Cube, and improving his one-handed mark by 10.3 percent to 1:47.29. Nile Pereira Apuntar rounded out the notable debuts across three events, logging a first Pyraminx result of 12.85 and a first Skewb mark of 18.76.

The 2024 season in the region closed on a high note as all 18 podium positions were swept by competitors representing the Philippines. From the double victories of Gonzales to the emergence of multi-event contenders testing new puzzles, this cubing competition showcased both veteran precision and rising grassroots potential. As the tables cleared at Turn 'N Solve Marikina 2024, the spirited rivalries established across these 12 rounds set an exciting benchmark for the community heading into the next competitive cycle.

May kabuuang 58 na kalahok ang naglakbay mula sa iba't ibang panig upang magtagpo sa Riverbanks Mall para sa Turn 'N Solve Marikina 2024. Ginanap noong December 15, 2024 sa City of Marikina, Philippines, ang buong araw ay napuno ng determinasyon habang binagtas ng mga manlalaro ang distansya upang maipakita ang kanilang husay. Sa kabuuan ng 12 rounds sa 6 na magkakaibang kaganapan, naging entablado ang paligsahan para sa matinding tapatan at mabilisang pag-ikot ng mga puzzle.

Bumida sa pangunahing 3x3x3 Cube si Aragon Martin Gonzales matapos magtala ng winning average na 7.52 laban sa 55 competitors sa 2 rounds. Nakamit din ni Gonzales ang pinakamabilis na single time sa kaganapan na may 5.92 segundo. Pumangalawa sa podium si Stephen Mark V. Mariñas na may average na 8.18, habang nakuha naman ni Kat Gonzalez ang ikatlong pwesto sa kanyang 9.44 na marka.

Hindi nagpaawat si Gonzales at muling naghari sa 3x3x3 One-Handed matapos magtala ng winning average na 11.11 at napakabilis na best single na 6.79 mula sa 41 kalahok. Sumunod sa kanya sa podium si Kat Gonzalez na may 12.92 average para sa ikalawang pwesto, habang pumasok sa ikatlong pwesto si Christian Naguio na nagrehistro ng 14.03 average.

Sa mas malaking puzzle na 5x5x5 Cube, ipinamalas ni Christian Naguio ang kanyang galing sa pamamagitan ng winning average na 53.19 at pinakamabilis na single na 49.52 sa nag-iisang round laban sa 27 competitors. Naging dikit ang laban sa pagitan ng mga pinalista kung saan pumangalawa si Jansen Alvarez na may 53.31 average, at pumangatlo si Dale Palmares na nagtala ng 55.30 average.

Nagpakitang-gilas din si Jansen Alvarez sa Pyraminx nang sungkitin ang unang pwesto gamit ang winning average na 2.24 at best single na 1.89 sa 38 kalahok sa 2 rounds. Pumangalawa si Aragon Martin Gonzales na may 3.29 average, at pumangatlo si Jayden Allen T. Dee na may 4.83. Samantala, pinangunahan ni Ivan Keith Cariaga ang Skewb matapos magtala ng 3.70 winning average sa 3 rounds, kasunod sina Yuji Yoshida na may 4.20 at Jansen Alvarez na may 4.43. Sa Clock, nagwagi si Zian Principe sa kanyang 5.69 winning average, kasunod sina Yuji Yoshida na may 5.84 at Nicole Santos na may 6.77.

Sa likod ng mga opisyal na podium ng cubing competition na ito, marami sa mga dumayong kalahok ang nagtala ng mga kahanga-hangang personal na rekord. Pinatunayan ni Bryce Zildjian M. Banal ang kanyang pag-unlad nang magtala ng 20.94 personal best sa 3x3x3 One-Handed mula sa dating 28.19 na 25.7 porsyentong mas mabilis. Ipinamalas din ni Jared Albert ang kanyang galing sa tatlong kaganapan kung saan nagtala siya ng 21.39 personal best sa One-Handed na 20.5 porsyentong mas mabilis, 8.95 sa 3x3x3 Cube na 7.5 porsyentong mas mabilis, at 8.79 sa Pyraminx na 7.1 porsyentong mas mabilis. Malaking hakbang din ang naitala ni John Robert Tayactac na lumahok sa 5 events, nagtapos bilang ika-12 sa Pyraminx, at nagtala ng 3.04 personal best sa Skewb na 25.3 porsyentong mas mabilis at 2:05.33 sa 5x5x5 Cube. Nagpakitang-gilas din si Latimer Angelo Camba sa tatlong kaganapan kung saan nagrehistro siya ng personal best na 16.43 sa Skewb na 16.6 porsyentong pagbilis at 18.70 sa 3x3x3 Cube.

Naging espesyal din ang paligsahan para sa mga manlalarong unang beses sumabak sa isang opisyal na WCA competition. Sumabak si Ethan Chase Sangco Peralta sa tatlong kaganapan kung saan nakamit niya ang ika-21 pwesto sa 5x5x5 Cube sa kanyang unang subok na 1:37.38, kasabay ng unang subok sa 3x3x3 Cube na 13.67 at One-Handed na 26.49. Gayundin si Jan Mike A. Amil na lumahok sa tatlong events at nagtapos sa ika-16 na pwesto sa 5x5x5 Cube sa kanyang unang subok na 1:27.81, 10.98 sa 3x3x3 Cube, at 23.22 sa One-Handed. Si John Sven Lingua ay sumabak sa tatlong kaganapan at nagtala ng unang subok na 20.04 sa One-Handed, 6.15 sa Pyraminx, at 12.86 sa 3x3x3 Cube. Samantala, matagumpay ding tinapos ni Aetria Hue T. Angeles ang dalawang events sa kanyang unang subok sa 3x3x3 Cube na 38.21 at Pyraminx na 11.56.

Ang buong araw ng speedcubing sa Turn 'N Solve Marikina 2024 ay nag-iwan ng magagandang alaala at patunay sa lumalalim na dedikasyon ng mga manlalaro ng Rubik's Cube. Mula sa mga bumyahe nang malayo hanggang sa mga baguhang sumubok sa unang pagkakataon, bawat solusyon sa lamesa ay nagpakita ng mataas na antas ng kasanayan. Sa pagtatapos ng taong 2024, nananatiling buhay na buhay ang sigasig ng komunidad para sa mga susunod pang yugto ng palakasan.