COMO Cube-Off 2026

Inside Christian Chapel Academy on April 18, 2026, the venue was alive with the rapid clicking of plastic, the soft thud of timers resetting, and stacks of puzzles waiting across the competition floor. Solvers of all ages gathered under the bright hall lights, inspecting scrambles and warming up their fingers before the first calls. The atmosphere captured the unique energy of a modern cubing competition, bringing together 93 competitors in Columbia, Missouri, USA for a packed day spanning six official events and 13 rounds of tournament play.

The rapid growth and swift progression of developing solvers set the tone throughout the schedule. While speedcubing demands rigorous pattern recognition and muscle memory, the speed cubing circuit in 2026 continues to see newer competitors cut massive margins off their times in remarkably short spans. Across the opening rounds, solvers demonstrated that dedicated practice leads to dramatic leaps on the stopwatch, making every stage of the meeting feel fresh and fiercely contested.

At the front of the pack, Alexander Gager delivered a standout performance, capturing top honours in three separate disciplines. In the marquee 3x3x3 Cube event, which brought 92 competitors to the tables across three rounds, Gager secured victory with a winning average of 8.55 seconds and a best single of 7.42. Samuel Egan claimed the runner-up position with an average of 8.65 seconds, while Alex Agranov rounded out the podium in third place with a 9.44 average, marking a tightly contested battle for the podium.

Gager extended his dominant run across two other formats. In the 2x2x2 Cube, he posted a winning average of 2.68 seconds alongside a single of 2.36 across two rounds featuring 74 competitors, finishing ahead of Jeremiah Storm at 2.87 and Cooper Martin at 3.15. Gager then completed his sweep in 3x3x3 One-Handed, recording a 14.77-second average and a single of 14.02 to claim first place over Alex Agranov, who finished second with 15.55, and Gabriel Coleman in third with 16.39.

Behind the top steps of the podium, numerous competitors delivered massive personal milestones that told the deeper story of the day. Nathan Starr registered a 42.4 percent drop on the Rubik's Cube with a personal best single of 20.21 seconds compared to an earlier 35.06, while also taking on his first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube with a 6.72. Sebastian Laxton improved his 3x3x3 personal best by 36.8 percent down to 16.36 seconds and made his first official attempt at 2x2x2 with a 4.66. Elliot Harter sliced 33.6 percent off his 2x2x2 best with a 5.58 and took 30.4 percent off his 3x3x3 single to reach 29.88, while Jordan Kilmer dropped his one-handed mark by 28.8 percent to 37.30 and logged a first clock solve of 24.24.

Other solvers expanded their repertoires across unfamiliar categories. William Villanueva improved his 2x2x2 personal best by 28.5 percent to 5.33 seconds and tried one-handed solving for the first time with a 51.23. Talia Smith took on five events, achieving a personal best 3x3x3 single of 8.83 seconds—a 21.3 percent improvement—while making her first official attempt at the large 6x6x6 Cube in 4:21.38. Cameron Hendren cut his 2x2x2 best by 24.2 percent to 7.63 seconds and logged debut attempts in both clock at 23.33 and one-handed at 57.72. Meanwhile, Hunter Hellinger tackled five events, trimming his one-handed best by 11.3 percent to 32.47 seconds while debuting in clock at 12.43 and the 6x6x6 Cube in 5:00.34.

Specialist categories added further variety to the proceedings. Silas Williamson claimed the title in Clock with an average of 5.10 seconds and a single of 4.64, holding off Trenton Cuzick at 6.68 and Owen Groh at 6.71. In the demanding big cube format, Chaeli Baker won the 6x6x6 Cube with a winning average of 1:50.23 and a single of 1:45.16, besting Alexander Gager at 1:52.98 and Alex Agranov at 2:10.88 across two rounds of play.

The 3x3x3 Blindfolded contest challenged competitors to memorise and execute without sight, where Alexander Wheeler took the win with a single of 57.25 seconds, leading Henry Rusten at 59.53 and Alex Agranov at 1:21.49. Every podium place across the competition went to competitors representing the USA, reflecting strong depth across all six disciplines. The complete 3x3 results and bracket progressions reinforced how rapidly technical standards are rising.

When the final timers were cleared at Christian Chapel Academy, COMO Cube-Off 2026 proved to be an unforgettable showcase of veteran precision and rising talent. From triple-event champions to newcomers posting huge personal breakthroughs in their second or third WCA competition, the gathering illustrated the vitality of regional tournaments as competitors look ahead to the next stops of the cubing season.