Cube Against Cancer - Orange County 2026

A blistering 4.03 single and 5.10 final average from Max Park in the classic 3x3x3 Cube established the high-water mark at Cube Against Cancer - Orange County 2026. The clash at the top of the standings pitted elite speedcubing talent from the United States directly against international opposition on April 19, 2026. Held at Aliso Niguel High School in Aliso Viejo, California, USA, the single-day gathering brought 148 competitors together across 5 events and 11 rounds of intense Rubik's Cube action.

The duel between the American host contingent and Vietnam defined the most prominent finals of the entire cubing competition. In the headlining 3x3 results, Max Park took the gold medal for the USA with his 5.10 mark, while Khôi Minh Nguyễn secured second place for Vietnam with a 6.85 average, followed by American Emil Lazaryev in third at 7.64. Their rivalry resumed immediately in the 4x4x4 Cube, where Park again claimed the top step with a 21.70 average and a best single of 20.66, holding off Nguyễn, who clocked 27.41 for silver ahead of Kate Grahame's 27.95.

Khôi Minh Nguyễn reversed the dynamic in the 2x2x2 Cube final, earning a major victory for Vietnam against a stacked field of 124 entrants. Nguyễn registered a winning average of 1.47 alongside a tournament-best 1.28 single to capture first place over American challenger Dominic Shoji, who finished closely behind at 1.65. Ryan Roth completed the podium with a 2.04 average for the United States, giving the overall country tally a final split of 12 podium places for the home nation and 3 for Vietnam.

The side events at Cube Against Cancer - Orange County 2026 delivered similarly intense, closely fought finishes across both rounds. In the Pyraminx, Daxton Westlake edged out Shoji by eight hundredths of a second, posting a 2.50 winning average to Shoji's 2.58, while Elijah Gabriel Ret rounded out the top three with 3.19. The twelve-sided Megaminx contest saw Zhai Phifer take gold with a 45.63 average and a 40.55 single, leading Roth at 49.68 and Grahame at 57.89 in a 65-competitor field.

Beyond the top steps of the podium, several competitors generated dramatic leaps on the stopwatch. Vishnu Gundi dropped their personal best in the 2x2x2 Cube by 54.7 percent down to 4.17, while also logging a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:46.47 and a Pyraminx debut in 10.49. James Lee produced a massive 41.7 percent drop on the 4x4x4 Cube with a 57.45 personal best, improved their 3x3x3 Cube best to 15.00, and recorded a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube of 3.43 on the way to 18th place in Pyraminx. Luke Monasmith delivered a 38.7 percent improvement on the 4x4x4 Cube to 1:16.36 and a 29.6 percent drop on Megaminx to 1:43.85, alongside a Pyraminx debut of 7.78.

That same spirit of ambition propelled many other personal milestones throughout the weekend schedule. Jude Wechsler achieved a 33.7 percent improvement in Pyraminx with a 10.66 personal best, while adding a first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:41.45 and a 6.16 in 2x2x2 Cube. Eliseo Tuason trimmed 29.6 percent off their 3x3x3 Cube best with a 16.01, accompanied by a 4x4x4 Cube debut of 2:22.81 and a 2x2x2 Cube debut of 5.39. William Sherman dropped their 3x3x3 Cube mark by 21.6 percent to 15.83 while tackling a 4x4x4 Cube debut of 2:00.86. Emily Belyea made first attempts in Pyraminx with 7.62 and Megaminx in 2:58.15 while improving their 3x3x3 Cube best to 20.95, and Andrew Hornacek competed across 5 events, posting a Pyraminx debut of 5.65 on the way to 23rd place alongside first attempts in Megaminx and 2x2x2 Cube.

The 2x2x2 Cube preliminary stages at Cube Against Cancer - Orange County 2026 provided an expansive arena for speed cubing development. A broad selection of competitors logged official results in the event, including Asher View with a 7.81 single and 9.54 average, Axel Warcup with 13.33 and 39.81, Hayden Lim with 10.88 and 14.52, Kingston Cheng with 9.03 and 12.10, Adin Ozeruga with 10.86 and 12.82, Ben Rosenn with 7.09 and 10.97, Dominik Bratincevic with 8.41 and 9.84, William Hur with 4.24 and 5.51, and Jackson Hall with 6.50 and 8.92.

With 148 puzzle enthusiasts converging on Aliso Niguel High School, this WCA competition showcased the deep competitive energy of Southern California's solving scene alongside international contenders. From Park's twin victories to Nguyễn's sprint triumph and the dozens of breakthroughs recorded across the floor, Cube Against Cancer - Orange County 2026 capped a memorable day of racing on the 2026 circuit.