Ardmore Autumn 2026

A single mark of 20.33 seconds captured the full focus of the room at the Ardmore Convention Center. Blindfolded solving is an unforgiving discipline where competitors must commit the scrambled state of the puzzle entirely to memory before pulling down an opaque blindfold and executing the solution purely by touch and spatial awareness. Any hesitation or single misremembered turn turns a promising run into an immediate failure. In Ardmore, Oklahoma, USA on September 12, 2026, the 3x3x3 Blindfolded contest provided one of the most compelling displays of precision on the schedule.

That winning mark of 20.33 belonged to Ryan Pilat of the United States, who set the pace at Ardmore Autumn 2026 with an exceptional display of mental discipline and speed. The rest of the American podium stood firm behind him, as Orion Leavitt-Lytle secured second place with a time of 1:16.83 and Casey Ngo followed in third place with a time of 2:25.05. The sheer focus required in sightless solving set a demanding standard for the remaining events across a packed day of speedcubing action in 2026.

The blindfolded victory was only the starting point for Pilat, who produced a remarkable sequence of results across multiple disciplines. In the 3x3x3 Cube, the premier test of classic Rubik's Cube solving, Pilat took first place with a winning time of 6.05 seconds. Derek Herrera of the Philippines claimed the runner-up position in 7.42 seconds, while American competitor Tyler Gee completed the podium in 7.83 seconds. Those 3x3 results demonstrated rapid turning across the top of the leaderboard, establishing a competitive tone that carried through the heavier puzzles.

Pilat continued his winning streak into the larger hardware, claiming gold in the 4x4x4 Cube with a swift mark of 27.77 seconds. Casey Ngo placed second in 30.10 seconds, edging out Derek Herrera who took third place in 30.14 seconds. The 6x6x6 Cube saw Pilat triumph once again with a 1:34.68 single, leading Kari Guthrie in second at 1:40.44 and Casey Ngo in third at 1:49.13. Across seven total events, American competitors earned 18 podium spots, while competitors representing the Philippines collected 3 podium places during the cubing competition.

Beyond the top podium steps, the weekend featured significant breakthroughs from solvers making huge progress in official competition. George Rapp took on seven events, recording a fourth-place finish in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, logging a first ever attempt at Megaminx in 1:30.63, a first ever attempt at 6x6x6 Cube in 5:07.26, and a massive 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best of 25.89 seconds, which was 60 percent faster than their previous mark. Jaydin Mcdonald entered five events, claiming fourth in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, posting a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:11.21, a first ever attempt at Skewb in 8.59, and a 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best of 35.43, trimming 31.7 percent off their previous best.

First-time official attempts and major time cuts highlighted the depth of the field in Oklahoma. Hayden Haivala tackled six events, registering a first ever attempt at 6x6x6 Cube in 4:41.61, a first ever Megaminx attempt in 3:20.46, and a 4x4x4 Cube personal best of 53.16 seconds. Julia Janzen recorded a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:12.94 alongside personal bests in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 28.37 and Megaminx at 1:35.30. Colin Edge took a huge leap with a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 15.16 seconds, outperforming their previous mark by 40.6 percent. First-time appearances were equally productive, as Jorell Que completed their first WCA competition with initial attempts in 3x3x3 Cube at 13.52, 3x3x3 One-Handed at 48.65, and 4x4x4 Cube at 1:17.96. Andrew Janzen debuted with a 12.55 in 3x3x3 Cube and 24.49 in 3x3x3 One-Handed, while Joshua Janzen marked their debut with 20.64 in 3x3x3 Cube and 43.21 in 3x3x3 One-Handed.

The remaining rotation of events at this WCA competition saw tightly contested battles across distinct puzzle formats. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed division, Tyler Gee claimed victory with an impressive single of 11.57 seconds, ahead of Pilat in second at 12.80 seconds and Herrera in third at 13.63 seconds. The Megaminx dodecahedron challenged competitors with its twelve multi-colored faces, where Jose Ortiz Jr. secured first place in 41.01 seconds. Tyler Gee took second place in 41.45 seconds, with Pilat adding another medal by finishing third in 45.48 seconds.

The Skewb bracket rounded out the schedule with rapid corner-turning solutions. Bryson Andrews captured first place with a winning effort of 4.53 seconds, holding off Jose Ortiz Jr. in second place at 4.62 seconds and Pilat in third at 4.74 seconds. Virgil Jon Jordan also stood out in the event with a fourth-place finish and a Skewb personal best of 2.45 seconds, improving by 29.4 percent. The variety of formats pushed speed cubing competitors to showcase versatile skills throughout the day.

As the final timers stopped at Ardmore Autumn 2026, the event concluded as a benchmark showcase of memory, mechanical dexterity, and puzzle-solving speed. From blindfolded concentration to large cube endurance, competitors left Ardmore with new personal milestones and strong marks to build upon as the regional circuit looks ahead to the next season.