Wrap It Up Barrie 2024

Ninety-one competitors gathered to close out the calendar year at the General John Hayter Southshore Community Centre in Barrie, Ontario, Canada on December 28, 2024. Across nine fast-paced rounds and four official disciplines, the single-day WCA competition showcased how steady execution outlasts sporadic bursts of speed. While raw singles delivered plenty of excitement to the venue, the top podium places went to the competitors who maintained discipline across entire sets of solves.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew a massive field of 90 entrants through three rounds of Rubik's Cube action. Morgan Yeh captured the title by demonstrating that steady averages triumph over isolated fast solves. Yeh registered a winning average of 6.76 seconds in the final, holding off Ryan Wu, who finished runner-up with an average of 6.92. Burno Li Chak Kwan of Hong Kong claimed third place with a solid 7.62 average, illustrating how consistency decided the 3x3 results at the top.

Yeh had already displayed remarkable balance across earlier rounds, turning in an average of 6.69 alongside a 6.00 single. Wu had laid down a 6.50 single and 7.43 average on his way to second place, while Matthew Lee produced a rapid 5.96 single and a 6.77 average. The depth of the Canadian field showed throughout the event, with Tin Huang, Roan Paone, Lucas Nieuwland, Prosper Huang, and Dayne Indraji all delivering notable performances under the match timer.

Single-handed precision proved decisive in the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, which featured 50 competitors across two rigorous rounds. Matthew Lee controlled the final by posting an impressive winning average of 10.45 seconds, paired with a sharp 9.59 single. Ryan Wu took his second silver of the day with an 11.83 average, while Alan Jia secured third step on the podium at 13.06. Lee controlled each turning phase with one hand to secure victory in the speed cubing contest.

Beyond the podium battles, the cubing competition provided plenty of remarkable individual milestones that raw score sheets often obscure. Stanley Wu produced one of the largest gains of the entire meet, chopping his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 61.5 percent down to 20.81 seconds. Carlos Meng dropped his Clock personal best by 47.9 percent to 18.11 seconds while also completing his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 1:16.88. Ares Glad surged with a 42.4 percent improvement in 3x3x3 One-Handed to notch 36.92 seconds, alongside a 7th place Clock finish at 6.85. Daniel Liu took on three separate events, knocking 38.3 percent off his One-Handed mark to reach 45.80 and shaving his Clock personal best down to 10.66.

First-time events and newcomers made an indelible mark on the tables in Barrie. Reuben Lawrence tackled three events, achieving an 8th place finish in Clock with a first ever attempt of 5.94, a first One-Handed solve of 47.19, and a 33.5 percent improvement in 3x3x3 Cube to 12.54. John Du secured 9th in Clock with a new best of 6.23, an improvement of 33.9 percent, while adding his first One-Handed attempt at 42.60. Nevaan Shah completed inaugural attempts in Clock at 38.80 and One-Handed at 1:02.47, trimming his standard Cube mark by 27.1 percent to 22.74. Ted Allen took part in their first WCA competition, logging three first-ever official marks across 3x3x3 Cube at 33.95, One-Handed at 1:01.60, and Clock at 50.05.

The mechanical gears of Clock delivered rapid turns across two rounds featuring 37 competitors. Jonathan Wang took first place with a composed 4.04 winning average, anchored by a 3.44 best single. Lucas Nieuwland applied steady pressure throughout the final, claiming second place with a 4.19 average, while Burno Li Chak Kwan picked up another podium finish with a 7.15 average for Hong Kong. Wang navigated the dial rotations smoothly to stay in command from start to finish.

In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded discipline, solving without sight demanded total recall and execution across two rounds. Michael Mao emerged on top among 16 competitors, setting the winning single mark at 18.61 seconds. Dayne Indraji completed a successful solve in 31.47 seconds to take second place, and Nikhil Soares earned third for India with a 53.00 single. The mental endurance required in blindfolded solving offered a fitting contrast to the speedcubing sprints.

Wrap It Up Barrie 2024 concluded a full schedule of action in Ontario, leaving Canada with nine podium finishes, Hong Kong with two, and India with one. From the tight race at the top of the main event to breakthrough achievements across the floor, the day showed that reliable form across every solve remains the true benchmark of competition.