Benicia Open II 2026

A winning mark of 6.82 seconds set the standard in the premier event as the Gym at Martinez Junior High School hosted high-stakes solving on September 12, 2026. Staged in Martinez, California, USA, the gathering brought together five distinct events in a fast-paced one-day schedule. With a single round structure across every discipline on the schedule, every solve carried total finality. Competitors faced immediate pressure from their very first turn, as there were no second chances or advancement phases to recover from an early slip.

The single-stage format defined the flow of this speedcubing meeting. Across five official disciplines, contenders had to deliver under direct cutoff constraints and unforgiving round structures. Without preliminary heats to test turning speed or adjust to venue conditions, each entrant needed complete precision immediately. The resulting tension kept the running order compact, ensuring that the final standings across every puzzle were determined strictly by who managed their nerves best on their sole scheduled appearance at the solving stations.

In the classic 3x3x3 Cube, the 3x3 results rewarded flawless consistency. Zerui Cheng secured first place with a decisive 6.82 average, navigating the decisive solves cleanly. The podium battle behind Cheng remained razor-thin, as Micah Yeo captured second place with a 6.95 average, edging out Sebastian Stone who finished third at 6.96. The top three finishers all broke the seven-second barrier in an event where mere hundredths of a second separated podium spots on the standard Rubik's Cube.

Beyond the main event, the Clock division delivered an exceptionally tight finish. Sebastian Stone took the victory with a 2.90 average, just ahead of Alessandro Diomampo who posted a 2.92 for second place. Jaidon Poraminthara Lin rounded out the top three with a 3.72 average. On the 2x2x2 Cube, Adih Datta clinched the title with a swift 1.36 average, while Benjamin Schaham secured second at 1.41 and Isaac Modrow took third place with a mark of 1.98.

The 4x4x4 Cube contest required rapid execution through heavy layer alignments. Gurshan Singh captured first place with a 29.76 average, standing as the only solver to dip under the thirty-second mark. Brandon Yee followed in second place with a time of 30.61, while Taj Bressert earned third with a 32.08. In Pyraminx, Lucas Kim won the event with a 2.14 average, followed by Hrishikesh Kakati at 2.52 and Benjamin Schaham in third at 3.13. Kakati authored two Indian national records during the event, registering a 0.94 single and a 1.57 average.

Away from the top of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across their events. Alvin Thuan Do dropped his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 18.10, an improvement of 63 percent from his prior mark of 48.90, while also recording his first ever attempt at Pyraminx with an 11.33. Akitsugu Watanabe posted a 3.84 personal best in Pyraminx to improve by 58 percent, lowered his 2x2x2 Cube best to 3.11, improved his 3x3x3 Cube mark to 9.77, and finished 30th in 4x4x4 Cube across five events entered. Justin J. Kim cut his 3x3x3 Cube best by 56.3 percent down to 12.77, logged a 56th-place finish in 4x4x4 Cube, and recorded first attempts in 2x2x2 Cube at 4.73 and 4x4x4 Cube at 1:14.97.

The breakthrough marks continued as James Cheung completed five events, claiming 6th place in Clock with a first attempt of 5.13, logging a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 1:27.19, and improving his Pyraminx personal best by 47.5 percent to 6.25. Matthew Macwan lowered his 2x2x2 Cube best by 48.8 percent to 5.80, improved his Pyraminx best by 34.7 percent to 14.29, took 68th in 4x4x4 Cube, and made a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 1:44.65. Samuel S. Kim logged first career attempts in Clock at 27.25, 2x2x2 Cube at 5.76, and 4x4x4 Cube at 1:29.56 while placing 61st in 4x4x4 Cube. Samuel Farr registered a 36.2 percent improvement on 3x3x3 Cube at 12.63 alongside first attempts in 4x4x4 Cube at 3:05.44 and Pyraminx at 17.54. Madhav Raman rounded out the standout runs with a 26.2 percent cut to 14.59 on 3x3x3 Cube alongside initial attempts in Pyraminx at 8.17 and 2x2x2 Cube at 6.67.

Overall podium distribution highlighted broad regional strength, with United States competitors capturing twelve podium positions, joined by single podium results for India, Chinese Taipei, and the Netherlands. The single-stage setup rewarded those capable of producing clean executions without the cushion of preliminary qualifying phases, making every successful solve vital to the final scoresheet.

The day concluded as another memorable cubing competition on the regional calendar. Between historic continental marks, tight finishes in Clock and 3x3, and massive personal best drops across the order, Benicia Open II 2026 provided an intense snapshot of modern speed cubing skill. Solvers now carry their updated times and single-round experience forward into future WCA competition meetings.