Agoura Winter 2026

125 competitors gathered under the roof of Lindero Canyon Middle School on January 24, 2026, creating an atmosphere of shared purpose that reached far beyond the local region. Speedcubing enthusiasts arrived in Agoura Hills, California, USA from across the nation and across oceans, with international representatives from Vietnam, China, and Mexico joining the American contingent on the competition floor. The single-day WCA competition brought together an array of puzzle disciplines, challenging entrants across ten rounds of action in four distinct events that tested speed, dexterity, and problem-solving under pressure.

The journey paid immediate dividends on the podium for several traveling competitors, showing that geographic distance was no barrier to top-tier execution. Vietnam was represented on the podium twice during the weekend, while China claimed a spot among the medalists in an intense Clock final. In total, American solvers secured nine podium finishes, but the international presence added competitive depth to every stage of Agoura Winter 2026, particularly in the headline three-by-three and two-by-two events where margins of victory came down to mere hundredths of a second.

In the classic 3x3x3 Cube, the premier test of Rubik's Cube mastery, 122 competitors battled through three rounds before Dylan Miller secured the top prize. Miller delivered a winning average of 6.17 seconds, backed up by the weekend's best single solve of 4.83 seconds. Brendyn Dunagan claimed the runner-up spot with a solid 6.95 average, while Khôi Minh Nguyễn of Vietnam took third place with a 7.10 average. The deep field demonstrated that high-level 3x3 results require unrelenting consistency through multiple qualification stages.

Dunagan made multiple trips to the award table, capturing gold in both Square-1 and Clock. In the Square-1 event, Dunagan produced a winning average of 5.12 seconds and a best single solve of 4.39 seconds across two rounds, leading second-place Gavin Sillifant at 8.32 and third-place Alessandro Diomampo at 9.92. Over three rounds of Clock, Dunagan prevailed with a 3.53 average and an event-best single of 1.77 seconds, narrowly holding off Yunhao Lou of China who finished at 3.84 and Ethan Yeh who followed closely with 3.87.

The 2x2x2 Cube saw Nancy Liu capture first place in a razor-thin final, posting a winning average of 1.58 seconds and a best single of 1.04 seconds over two rounds. Khôi Minh Nguyễn took second place with a 1.60 average, while Jack Flynn Stewart earned third with a 1.84 mark. The 107-person field produced rapid-fire turnarounds, demanding flawless turning mechanics and quick visual recognition from start to finish at this speed cubing gathering.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones in Agoura Hills, taking on new puzzle disciplines and establishing major personal marks. Devon Landau-Brock entered four events and cut their Clock personal best by 60.2 percent down to 8.14 seconds, shaved 51.5 percent off their 2x2x2 Cube time to hit 3.47, and made a first ever attempt at Square-1 with a 45.49 solve. Alan Naime improved their 3x3x3 Cube best by 52.9 percent down to 12.23 seconds, while Daisy Stewart lowered their Clock personal record by 53 percent to 10.43 seconds and recorded a first ever attempt at the 3x3x3 Cube in 1:13.26.

Jake Bryant dropped their 2x2x2 Cube mark by 50.2 percent to 2.70 seconds and lowered their 3x3x3 Cube time by 17.3 percent to 20.43 seconds across two entered events. Israel Park improved their Clock personal record by 42.1 percent to 16.08 seconds, reduced their 2x2x2 Cube time by 24.7 percent to 3.65, and delivered a first ever attempt at Square-1 of 54.78 seconds. Ashton Regan registered a 41.9 percent reduction in their 2x2x2 Cube record to 6.29 seconds while completing a first ever attempt at Clock in 15.44 seconds and Square-1 in 57.83 seconds. Theodore Lai improved their 2x2x2 Cube best by 38.7 percent to 4.00 seconds alongside first attempts at Clock in 14.47 seconds and Square-1 in 1:00.78, and Gregory Makai Stewart made a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube in 3.48 seconds while besting their 3x3x3 Cube time by 27.2 percent down to 9.63 seconds.

The collective effort of the 125 participants across ten rounds brought the single-day schedule to a satisfying conclusion. Between the international podium journeys, Dunagan's multi-event victories, and the flurry of personal improvements throughout the preliminary heats, Agoura Winter 2026 proved to be an eventful day of competitive solving in Southern California. Solvers now carry their updated times, new event experiences, and fresh benchmarks forward into the next season of tournament play.