Bowling Green Spring 2026

Inside the Bowen-Thompson Student Union on March 28, 2026, the quiet focus of competition tables met the steady rhythm of puzzle pieces sliding into place. Stopwatches rested on mats while scorecards were carried across the hall from the scrambling stations to the main stage. Speedcubing in Bowling Green, Ohio, USA brought together a field of 80 entrants for a packed day of solving across six separate disciplines and 13 total rounds.

For those taking their seats at an official cubing competition for the very first time, the atmosphere offered an immediate introduction to the sport. Debutants learned the cadence of inspection time, the steadying breath before releasing the timer, and the satisfaction of securing their first official WCA competition marks. Stepping up to the table alongside experienced solvers provided a memorable starting point for every newcomer in the hall.

Leading the way among the newest faces, Kaiden Bicol took part in their first official event, recording an opening 3x3x3 Cube effort of 23.13 and establishing a 2x2x2 Cube mark of 4.57. Fellow debutant Liam Allen-Tuell marked his entry into speed cubing with a 41.95 in the classic event alongside a 7.15 on the smaller puzzle, while Henry Meyers logged a 40.71 on the 3x3x3 and an 8.83 on the 2x2x2. Liam Isaac Mallo tackled three events in his first outing, posting a 28.62 on the 3x3x3, 9.17 on the 2x2x2, and a 2:09.48 during his first 4x4x4 Cube attempt.

Beyond the newcomers, several returning competitors achieved massive personal milestones that outpaced past marks. Tristain Pelton dropped his 2x2x2 personal best down to 3.74, an improvement of 66 percent over his previous 11.01 best, alongside a 19.26 on the main puzzle that was 32.7 percent faster. Caleb Guzmán advanced across five events, securing an 11th-place finish in 4x4x4 Cube, setting a 2x2x2 best of 2.10 that was 65 percent faster, and making a first Clock attempt of 16.00. Patrick Scully earned 7th in the 4x4x4 Cube while slashing his personal best by 62.9 percent down to 35.89, and Weston Weaver completed his first One-Handed attempt in 40.80 while cutting his 3x3x3 mark by 57 percent down to 13.96.

At the top of the schedule, the main Rubik's Cube tournament engaged all 80 competitors through three full rounds of action. Jack Pfeifer captured the victory, concluding the final round with a winning average of 7.14 seconds and an event-best single of 7.03. Ansel de Jong took second place with an average of 9.48, while Caleb Lalik finished third on a 9.67 average to close out the headline 3x3 results.

Pfeifer maintained that momentum across several other disciplines during Bowling Green Spring 2026, amassing four total event victories. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Pfeifer finished atop the 50-person field with a winning average of 25.57 and a single of 22.43. Ansel de Jong followed in second place with an average of 32.69, and Braden Richards secured third on 33.67 over two rounds of play.

The 3x3x3 One-Handed contest saw Pfeifer claim another top spot among 50 competitors, posting a winning average of 12.05 and the fastest single solve at 10.47 seconds. Ansel de Jong collected another second-place podium finish with an average of 16.77, while Braden Richards placed third with an average of 17.08. Pfeifer went on to take his fourth win in Square-1, averaging 8.02 with a single of 6.08, outpacing Braden Richards at 12.54 and Caleb Lalik at 13.02.

The remaining events brought exciting finishes across two rounds each. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Sujan Feist took the title ahead of 71 other entrants with a 1.21 winning average and a 0.78 single, followed by Caleb Lalik in second at 2.04 and Pfeifer in third at 2.05. Lalik captured the Clock title with a 6.85 winning average and 6.09 single, ahead of Gideon Banfield at 8.97 and Dominic Burger at 9.94.

With United States competitors earning all 18 podium positions, Bowling Green Spring 2026 concluded as a well-rounded display of top-tier consistency and fresh milestones. Whether walking away with hardware or filing away their very first official completion times, competitors closed the day with valuable experience for the remainder of the 2026 season.