A Grand Time in Grand Junction 2026

Raymos Castillo turned in a commanding all-around performance across multiple disciplines, locking up victories in Megaminx and Skewb while contending near the top of the standings in nearly every bracket he entered. Castillo set the pace on the dodecahedral puzzle with a winning mark of 54.87 seconds, outlasting Jack Roe who finished second in 58.09 seconds. The victory established Castillo as the defining force of the tournament, setting an impressive benchmark for competitive execution under pressure.

The multi-event display continued on the Skewb stage, where Castillo claimed his second gold medal of the gathering with a decisive 4.47-second result. Liam Finn McCool Kelly secured the runner-up spot with a time of 5.19 seconds, while Anne Peterson completed the podium in third place at 5.31 seconds. Across both events, Castillo proved adaptable and composed, demonstrating the precise finger dexterity and quick puzzle recognition required to control an entire tournament schedule.

Hosted at the Redlands Community Center, A Grand Time in Grand Junction 2026 brought intense speedcubing action to Grand Junction, Colorado, USA on October 17, 2026. Competitors took on a diverse six-event roster that featured classic twisty puzzles alongside complex side events. Across the day, every single podium step went to competitors representing the United States, showcasing deep regional talent throughout a demanding schedule of single-round showdowns.

The marquee 3x3x3 Cube event delivered the closest race of the day, with the leading trio separated by less than two tenths of a second. Truman Clack earned the top spot on the podium with a sharp 9.61-second solve to claim the traditional Rubik's Cube crown. Jack Roe finished hot on Clack's heels with a runner-up time of 9.74 seconds, while Castillo added to his impressive medal tally by finishing third in 9.77 seconds. These tight 3x3 results highlighted the fierce standard at the top of the order.

Jack Roe claimed an outright victory of his own in the 4x4x4 Cube, topping the standings with an electric 33.00-second mark. The battle for the title was decided by the slimmest of margins, as Castillo finished just one-tenth of a second behind in 33.10 seconds. Anthony J. Telford took third place with a solid time of 37.85 seconds, matching his other bronze-medal performances from the Megaminx and 2x2x2 Cube brackets to cap a remarkably consistent day of speed cubing.

Kian Cline matched Castillo's double-gold feat by sweeping the 2x2x2 Cube and Square-1 tournaments. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Cline topped the field with a rapid 2.35-second solve, edging out Alfonsus Rahardjo at 2.92 seconds and Anthony J. Telford at 2.98 seconds. Cline then displayed masterful precision on the shifting geometry of Square-1, recording a dominant 7.15-second finish. Rahardjo again took the silver spot in 16.88 seconds, with William Mitchell earning third place at 17.07 seconds.

Away from the championship hardware, several competitors authored breakthrough performances across their selected schedules. Ryan Meyer tackled six separate events and delivered massive personal bests, chopping 45.8 percent off his previous Skewb mark down to 7.24 seconds, lowering his Megaminx standard by 32.1 percent to 1:37.30, and taking 10th place overall in Megaminx. Dylan Box also took on six events and improved his Megaminx time by 43.2 percent to 2:12.15 while finishing 9th in 2x2x2 Cube. Benjamin Sherbenou posted a 31.8 percent improvement in Megaminx to 1:27.23 and finished 11th in Skewb, while Gideon Beckenhauer dropped his 3x3x3 Cube best by 34.9 percent down to 25.87 seconds.

First-time milestones provided plenty of excitement across the venue. Mario Treto made his official debut at this WCA competition, entering four events and logging a 1:14.44 in 4x4x4 Cube for a 14th-place finish. Noah Owens also attended his first career meet, entering three events and finishing 13th in 3x3x3 Cube with a 16.45-second solve. Wallace Kaptuch completed his tournament debut across three puzzles, highlighted by a 2:15.99 in 4x4x4 Cube, while Shore Miller completed a first-ever official attempt at Skewb in 9.31 seconds alongside a 5th-place finish in 4x4x4 Cube.

The day concluded with high energy and a clean sweep of eighteen podium places for the host nation, providing memorable moments across every division. A Grand Time in Grand Junction 2026 underscored the competitive balance and deep talent pool present in the American circuit. As competitors look ahead to the next season of play, the standard set by Castillo, Cline, Clack, and Roe ensures that the bar in Western Colorado remains exceptionally high.