Cube Against Cancer DFW 2025

The Student Union at The University of Texas at Dallas buzzed with focused energy as 92 competitors gathered at the solving stations on March 1, 2025. Timers flashed, inspection mats rustled, and stacks of puzzles waited under covers across 14 rounds of action. Held in Richardson, Texas, USA, the gathering brought together speedcubing talent from across the region to test their skills in an intense one-day contest.

From the early rounds through to the late afternoon finals, Ryan Pilat established absolute control over the tournament floor. The American competitor put together an extraordinary campaign across six disciplines, sweeping to victory in four separate events and reaching the podium in all six. Pilat set the tone for the entire cubing competition by matching raw turning speed with remarkable consistency under pressure.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube event drew 90 competitors through three rounds of rigorous solving. In the final, Pilat secured top honors with an outstanding 6.02 winning average, boosted by the competition-best single of 5.42 seconds. Ryan Ylagan took second place with an 8.41 average, while William Henry Ruppert V completed the top three with an average of 9.04. These headline 3x3 results capped a showcase of elite Rubik's Cube solving.

Pilat's mastery was equally visible in the shorter puzzles. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Pilat captured first place with an astonishing 1.29 winning average and a 1.15 single, besting Ruppert V, who took second with 1.62, and Ylagan, who earned third with 1.80. The 2x2x2 event proved intensely fast across the board, featuring numerous personal milestones throughout the three rounds of play.

Pilat also claimed two more titles before the day concluded. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, he topped the 49-competitor field with a 10.35 winning average, finishing ahead of Ray Bai at 11.57 and Ylagan at 14.93. In Pyraminx, Pilat collected another gold with a 2.36 average, leaving Ruppert V in second at 3.38 and Matthew Kleineberg in third at 3.51. The performance cemented one of the most dominant individual displays seen at Cube Against Cancer DFW 2025.

Beyond the multi-event sweep, the remaining finals delivered their own thrilling conclusions. Ray Bai took control of the 4x4x4 Cube, posting a winning average of 25.60 and a best single of 24.74 to claim first place ahead of Pilat's 27.37 and Ruppert V's 31.87. In Clock, Ryan Ylagan earned the victory with a 5.42 average, holding off Vyom Sharma, who secured second for India with 5.96, while Pilat added a third-place finish with 6.49.

Away from the top of the standings, the tournament was packed with breakthrough milestones across the roster. Aradhy Nargade delivered a massive personal best of 2.47 seconds in 2x2x2 Cube, an improvement of 74.4 percent over their prior benchmark, while also trimming their Pyraminx best to 8.00. Nidhish Bhandare dropped their 2x2x2 Cube mark by 74.3 percent down to 4.03, lowered their 3x3x3 Cube best by 41.5 percent to 23.01, and completed a first ever Pyraminx attempt in 7.56. Connor Johnson recorded a Pyraminx personal best of 4.50, which was 62.7 percent faster, reduced their 3x3x3 One-Handed best by 32.5 percent to 39.20, and logged a first 4x4x4 Cube effort of 1:46.85. Chase Allen improved their Pyraminx time by 58.8 percent to 4.89, brought down their 3x3x3 Cube best to 15.34, and tackled 3x3x3 One-Handed for the first time with a 41.83 result.

The progress continued across every corner of the venue as competitors pushed their limits. Evan Canoy registered a 53.4 percent improvement in Pyraminx with a 6.12 personal best, cut their 3x3x3 Cube time by 24.5 percent to 23.99, and made a first 2x2x2 Cube attempt of 4.57. Tanmay Katekar took on six events, slicing 45.9 percent off their Pyraminx time to hit 5.07, cutting 41.7 percent off their 4x4x4 Cube best to reach 54.80, and making an official Clock debut at 38.38. Luke Pallan also tackled six events, achieving an 8.20 Pyraminx personal best that was 44.2 percent faster while completing first official attempts in Clock at 12.33 and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 31.07. Ishaank Bansal achieved a 4.20 personal best in 2x2x2 Cube, an improvement of 42.9 percent, alongside debut attempts in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 36.81 and Pyraminx at 7.48.

The 2025 WCA competition concluded with the United States collecting 17 podium positions and India securing one. Across six distinct events, Cube Against Cancer DFW 2025 demonstrated the depth and dynamism of modern speed cubing, balancing historic individual dominance with dozens of individual milestones. As the venue cleared in Richardson, Texas, USA, participants left with fresh marks on the scoresheet to build upon in the seasons ahead.