Waterloo Favourites Fall 2023

A total of 104 competitors gathered on October 1, 2023, as the University of Waterloo set the stage for an intense single-day showcase of puzzle mastery. Staged in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, the event brought together enthusiasts across 12 events and 16 rounds of action. Speedcubing in the region reached a high mark as domestic contenders fought through crowded fields to claim top honors on campus.

Local standout Ryan Wu gave the domestic audience plenty to celebrate, capturing two major victories across the weekend. In the premier 3x3x3 Cube event, Wu produced the defining 3x3 results of the tournament, taking first place with an exceptional 6.79 winning average and a best single solve of 6.38 across two rounds featuring 99 competitors. Morgan Yeh secured second place with an average of 6.94, while Stanley Wang earned third with a 7.70 average.

Wu was not finished after claiming the classic Rubik's Cube crown. In the Square-1 final, he topped the 10-competitor field with a decisive 10.64 average, anchored by a best single of 7.84. His dual triumphs served as a centerpiece for Waterloo Favourites Fall 2023, proving that domestic solvers could control the podium across wildly different puzzle types and mechanical demands throughout the tournament.

The 2x2x2 Cube division delivered lightning-fast action among 69 entrants across two rounds. Andrew Mao captured the event win with a blistering 1.53 average, highlighted by a 0.92 single solve. Arhaan Sareen pushed Mao all the way to finish second with a 1.56 average, while Nicholas Patterson took third place with a mark of 2.04. The event generated multiple fast times, demonstrating the incredible precision required in short-format speed cubing.

Beyond the podium battles, Waterloo Favourites Fall 2023 provided a platform where personal milestones and breakthrough solves took center stage. Tyson Szabo tackled five events and posted massive gains, cutting his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 2.71, which was 60.7 percent faster than his prior standard, while slashing his 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best to 29.60, a 58.1 percent improvement, along with a first attempt at Skewb of 13.92. Alexander Toth entered five events, recording his first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 7.34, his first Skewb attempt in 11.40, and taking his 2x2x2 Cube best down to 6.22, 42 percent faster than before. Brady Stinebrickner tried Square-1 for the first time with a 23.91 to finish sixth, recorded a first 2x2x2 Cube mark of 4.23, and improved his 3x3x3 Cube best to 12.31, 42.9 percent faster.

The surge of new event debuts and personal bests continued across the field. Jordan Barradas placed sixth in Skewb with a personal best of 4.44, representing a 38.3 percent improvement, while making his first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube in 4.18 and 4x4x4 Cube in 1:45.47. Brendan Man lowered his Skewb personal best to 9.10, which was 44.8 percent faster, posted a 12.63 3x3x3 Cube personal best, and logged a first Pyraminx mark of 10.98. Saran Rapaka logged a first attempt at Clock in 28.36, placed ninth in Square-1, improved his 4x4x4 Cube best to 1:39.84 by 37.4 percent, and took his 3x3x3 Cube best to 12.74, 30.3 percent faster. Doyu Lee made a first attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 2:07.42 to finish 23rd, tried 3x3x3 One-Handed for the first time in 45.14, and improved his Pyraminx mark to 6.61, 25.5 percent faster. Ben Hewis took on five events, registering a first 3x3x3 One-Handed solve of 32.23, cutting his 2x2x2 Cube best to 4.32 by 25.8 percent, and bringing his 3x3x3 Cube best to 14.56, 13.9 percent faster.

The mid-size and big cube categories also delivered intense competition across the schedule. Morgan Yeh took victory in 4x4x4 Cube with a winning average of 27.63, holding off Wu who finished second with 28.58 and Wang in third at 32.69. In 5x5x5 Cube, Arhaan Sareen earned first place with a 49.47 average, followed by Max Xiong in second with 52.22 and Yeh in third with 53.00. Sareen added another gold in Megaminx, winning with a 44.29 average.

Max Xiong showed dominant form on the largest hardware, securing top spot in both 6x6x6 Cube and 7x7x7 Cube. Xiong won the 6x6x6 Cube event with an average of 1:31.76 ahead of Sareen at 1:40.24 and Roan Paone at 1:57.57. In 7x7x7 Cube, Xiong claimed victory in 2:13.65, leading Sareen with 2:33.08 and Wu with 2:54.10. Stanley Wang captured the 3x3x3 One-Handed title with a 12.23 average over Jeriel James Thomas at 13.00 and Paone at 13.85.

Specialty puzzles rounded out the full day of competition on campus. Lucas Nieuwland secured the Clock victory with a 5.58 average, besting Nathan Glajch at 6.61 and Paone at 8.57. Ezra Shere took first place in Pyraminx with an average of 1.87, while Nicholas Patterson conquered Skewb with a winning average of 3.24. Overall, Canadian competitors took 32 podium places, with China claiming three and the United States taking one.

With 16 rounds completed in a single packed day of action, this cubing competition highlighted the remarkable depth of talent throughout the province and across border lines. The energetic atmosphere at the University of Waterloo provided a fitting backdrop for seasoned contenders and newcomers alike. As another successful WCA competition enters the books, participants and supporters alike look forward to the next chapter of regional puzzle racing.