Alabama Championship 2026

A blistering 6.71 winning mark in the 3x3x3 Cube final by Nicolas Sanchez decided the premier title at the Bryant Conference Center, setting the tone for an intense weekend of head-to-head racing. The Alabama Championship 2026 brought solvers together in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA on September 12 and 13, 2026, delivering 13 events of relentless speedcubing action. Sanchez edged out Matias Marcantoni-Nunez, who finished second with a 7.40, while Jared Stinson took third with a 7.54 in a tightly contested fight for the weekend classic Rubik's Cube honors.

The 3x3 results formed only one chapter of a larger regional rivalry that ran across multiple puzzle formats throughout the cubing competition. Competitors from across the United States clashed repeatedly at the top of the standings, leaving little breathing room between first and second place on nearly every podium. Matias Marcantoni-Nunez mounted a fierce response to the 3x3 final by taking charge in the short formats, locking down two gold medals across the two days of competition.

In the 2x2x2 Cube, Marcantoni-Nunez secured victory with a rapid 1.11 result, besting Sanchez who took silver with 1.32, while Rowan Stough earned third with 1.93. Marcantoni-Nunez returned to the top of the podium in Skewb, putting down a 2.78 to outpace Stough's 2.98. Declan Mangan-Lamb of Ireland prevented an all-American sweep on that podium by snatching third place with a 3.06, contributing to Ireland's pair of top-three finishes alongside 37 podium spots claimed by United States competitors.

Big cube specialists waged their own back-and-forth battle across the weekend schedule. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Jared Stinson posted a winning 53.65 to edge Field Noble's 56.94 and Kevin Min's 57.49. Noble quickly answered in the 6x6x6 Cube, capturing first place with a 1:40.93 to reverse the order against Stinson, who clocked 1:47.56 for second ahead of Katie Hull in third at 1:51.35. The 7x7x7 Cube delivered the closest duel of the gathering, as Stinson took the victory in 2:41.84, just ahead of Noble's 2:42.15, with Min again taking third place in 2:50.18.

The specialized formats tested memory, dexterity, and peripheral handling across both days. Alec Cheng mastered the blindfolded discipline, taking the 3x3x3 Blindfolded title in 35.19 seconds over Shahir Latif, who recorded a 38.75, and Declan Mangan-Lamb, who claimed third in 1:06.45. In Clock, Shafin Latif demonstrated superb precision to win with a 4.10, holding off Marcantoni-Nunez at 5.32 and Katie Hull at 5.84 in another hard-fought American podium sweep at this WCA competition.

Beyond the championship races, the floor featured remarkable personal milestones from dedicated solvers building their resumes. Ellis Webzell took on 10 events, logging a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube of 2:05.61, a first Square-1 solve of 38.95, and a massive Skewb personal best of 10.02, which was 46.3 percent faster than their previous best. Eztli Lee registered a first Pyraminx solve of 12.72 and cut their Megaminx personal best to 2:11.53, an improvement of 45.9 percent. Nora X. Crawford tackled 12 events, clocking a first 7x7x7 Cube mark of 6:25.76 and a Square-1 personal best of 49.40, 44.6 percent faster than before. Zachary Kenney also surged forward, posting a Pyraminx personal best of 9.59, 32.9 percent faster than their prior record, alongside a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 2:12.64.

First-time entrants and expanding repertoires highlighted the incredible depth across the venue. Skyler Kerr made their debut in speed cubing competition by entering seven events, recording a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 1:18.00 and a 3x3x3 One-Handed mark of 30.86. Preston Logan entered five events in their first tournament, logging a 2x2x2 Cube mark of 6.75 and a 4x4x4 Cube solve of 2:50.94. Evan Johnson entered nine events, posting first-ever official marks of 50.35 in 3x3x3 One-Handed and 8.92 in Skewb, while Lee Crowe tackled 11 events, highlighted by a first 6x6x6 Cube attempt of 3:01.00 and a first 7x7x7 Cube mark of 4:29.08.

As the final timers stopped, the Alabama Championship 2026 concluded with memorable demonstrations of technique across every discipline. From the tight sprint battles in 2x2 and Skewb to the extended wars of attrition on the massive 7x7 cubes, the event showcased regional talent operating at peak speed in Tuscaloosa.