Derwood Cubing Derby Spring 2026

Sam Popp stood at the solving station with the title hanging in the balance, delivering a decisive final effort to post a 6.87 winning average and seize first place in the 3x3x3 Cube final. The result topped a crowded field of 107 entrants who took part across three rounds of Rubik's Cube action. Sanzhar Beisembayev secured second place with an average of 7.62, while Brayden Adams took third at 7.68, concluding a tight battle on the tournament stage.

The one-day WCA competition brought 108 competitors to Magruder High School in Derwood, Maryland, USA on May 9, 2026. Organizers staged nine rounds across five distinct events throughout the single-day speedcubing gathering. From the standard twisty puzzle to specialized hardware, the tournament displayed elite speed cubing across every bracket as participants from multiple countries vied for top honors in the Montgomery County venue.

Beyond the main 3x3 results, Hassan Khanani emerged as a double event winner with dominant showings in both one-handed solving and Square-1. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed final, Hassan Khanani claimed first place with a 12.08 average and a best single of 9.51, finishing ahead of Sam Popp at 12.48 and Liam Manwaring at 13.22. Hassan Khanani then earned another gold in Square-1, winning the 40-competitor field with a 4.86 average, besting Chile's Joaquín Villablanca at 10.23 and Brayden Adams at 10.35.

The 2x2x2 Cube event showcased blistering speed across three rounds of play. Zayn Khanani took top honors in the final with a 1.31 winning average and a single of 0.69, leading a podium sweep for the host nation. Hassan Khanani secured the runner-up position with an average of 1.55, and Panashe Sharma claimed the third spot on the podium at 1.82 out of 95 competitors who took to the tables.

Clock solving provided further excitement as Fiona Bao captured the victory with a 3.44 average, propelled by a best single of 2.34. Wesley Chase finished in second place with a 3.92 mark, while Makai Guay took third with an average of 5.03 in the 50-person field. International records also highlighted the day, as Albania's Andis Andoni registered a national record single of 1.67 in the 2x2x2 Cube along with a national record average of 15.27 in 3x3x3 One-Handed.

Away from the podium battles, significant milestones unfolded across the tables. Jaivik Reddy Penubolu dropped their 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 6.02, an improvement of 79.1 percent from 28.78, while also cutting their 3x3x3 Cube mark by 45.8 percent to 45.24. Colton Verlaque logged a 70.6 percent improvement on 2x2x2 Cube with a 4.91 personal best, reduced their 3x3x3 Cube mark by 36.2 percent to 26.90, and posted a first ever attempt in Square-1 at 44.52. Tim Waterhouse improved their 2x2x2 Cube mark by 69.9 percent down to 2.62, lowered their Clock time by 45.9 percent to 14.26, and entered a first ever attempt in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 1:01.10. Anthony Reilly cut 42 percent from their 2x2x2 Cube best to hit 2.90 and logged a first ever attempt in Square-1 at 41.91.

Other competitors took on fresh formats and set strong new benchmarks across multiple disciplines. Leon Kim trimmed 39.9 percent from their Square-1 best down to 31.25 and recorded a first ever attempt in Clock of 13.85 while taking on five events. Nathan Fischer lowered their 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best by 27.5 percent to 22.77 and delivered a first ever attempt in Clock of 12.22. Malcolm Quinn made a first ever attempt in 2x2x2 Cube of 7.29 while dropping their 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 28.4 percent to 9.74. Preston Neches tackled five events during the meet, registering a first ever attempt in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 51.96, a first Clock attempt at 17.44, and a first Square-1 attempt at 37.22.

With 14 podium places going to the United States and one to Chile, Derwood Cubing Derby Spring 2026 concluded with memorable achievements across all five events. The high-energy gathering at Magruder High School delivered fast averages, national milestones, and personal progress for new and returning solvers alike.