Berkeley Spring 2026

A total of 167 competitors gathered at the Pauley Ballroom in Berkeley, California, USA on April 26, 2026, setting the stage for a high-paced weekend of competition. Across 11 rounds of action, local and international talent traded fast times across five official categories. United States competitors established clear control over the medal counts, securing 11 of the 15 available top-three placements. The single-day tournament highlighted the strength of regional depth in modern speedcubing, turning routine matchups into displays of technical precision.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew a massive field of 163 participants over four rounds. Ethan Jan took the victory for the United States, logging a decisive winning average of 6.16 seconds to secure the title alongside a weekend-best single of 5.64 seconds. The event concluded with an all-American podium sweep, as Zerui Cheng claimed the second spot with an average of 6.97 seconds and James Chea earned third place at 7.41 seconds. These elite 3x3 results headlined a packed day for the classic Rubik's Cube.

American competitors matched that dominance on the 2x2x2 Cube, sweeping all three podium spots out of 110 entrants over two rounds. Benjamin Schaham emerged on top with a 1.78-second average and a best single of 1.31 seconds. Stanley Tran took second place with an average of 1.91 seconds, while Zane Qureshi took third position with 2.14 seconds. Schaham also recorded an official single of 1.04 seconds and an average of 1.47 seconds during the round play at Berkeley Spring 2026.

In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, Henry Helmuth delivered an outstanding series of solves with a single hand to take top honours among 84 competitors. Helmuth claimed victory with a 9.80-second winning average and an 8.70-second best single. Calix Tang took the silver placement for the United States with an average of 10.33 seconds, while Anto Kam of Hong Kong took the third podium step with a 10.59-second mark over two rounds of play.

The 3x3x3 Blindfolded discipline tested memory and execution among 24 competitors across two rounds. Calix Tang captured first place for the United States by achieving a winning average of 19.47 seconds alongside a best single of 18.22 seconds. Anto Kam of Hong Kong secured second place with an 18.48-second result, while 3x3x3 champion Ethan Jan showed his versatility by collecting third place with an average of 45.57 seconds. In the 12-sided Megaminx, Nolan Yiu won the single-round contest of 53 competitors with an average of 36.62 seconds, finishing ahead of Jonathan Rutenberg of Israel and Matt Mao of China.

Beyond the championship battles, several athletes delivered remarkable individual milestones across the tables. Lucas Goh entered three events and dropped his 2x2x2 personal record down to 4.88 seconds, which was 75.6 percent faster than his previous mark of 19.96 seconds, while also making his first ever attempt at Megaminx with a time of 1:54.69. Will Chin tackled four separate events, recording his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 44.74 seconds and slicing his 3x3x3 mark by 45.2 percent down to 17.65 seconds. Kristy Yu completed three events, setting a 2x2x2 best of 7.68 seconds to improve by 56.5 percent after making a first ever attempt at one-handed solving in 1:42.26. Cooper Gibb took on three disciplines and logged a first ever attempt at 3x3x3 in 20.50 seconds alongside a 29th-place finish in Megaminx.

Progress continued throughout the lower brackets as competitors expanded their repertoires at this WCA competition. Gabe Samuel Plasus tackled two events, cutting his 3x3x3 best by 39.6 percent to 25.31 seconds and making a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 in 4.56 seconds. Nathan Huo took on five events, improving his 2x2x2 best by 33.8 percent to 3.17 seconds while completing his first ever attempt at Megaminx in 3:35.84. Kevin Deng advanced across four events, logging an improvement of 30.6 percent in one-handed solving with a mark of 24.84 seconds and finishing 26th in Megaminx. Vivan Thota secured personal bests across three events, lowering his 2x2x2 best by 54.8 percent to 4.66 seconds and reducing his Megaminx mark by 42.3 percent to 2:26.99.

With 167 total participants and hundreds of official solves logged, Berkeley Spring 2026 proved to be an exceptional gathering for the Northern California speed cubing community in 2026. The balance of sweeps at the top and breakthrough personal milestones lower in the brackets demonstrated the broad health of the sport. Every round contributed to an energetic atmosphere in Pauley Ballroom, leaving participants ready to build upon their successes in the next phase of the competitive season.

As the final timers stopped, the event demonstrated why this cubing competition remains a vital fixture on the calendar. Between the dominant podium sweeps by American solvers and the dozens of personal milestones achieved by developing competitors, Berkeley Spring 2026 offered a complete display of modern mechanical puzzle solving. With five distinct disciplines wrapped up cleanly in a single day, the tournament concluded as a memorable milestone for the West Coast scene.