DFW Favorites 2026

In speedcubing formats governed by a strict mean-of-three, there is no safety net and no discarding of a bad solve. One misstep or lockup ruins an entire podium bid. That unrelenting precision was on full display at the Roanoke Community Center as Ryan Pilat delivered a commanding 1:30.33 winning average in the 6x6x6 Cube, backed by a best single of 1:27.43, and followed it with a 2:19.43 victory in the 7x7x7 Cube. Across both punishing long-format events, Pilat kept every single turn clean and controlled, setting an unmatchable standard in Roanoke, Texas, USA on February 7, 2026.

The one-day WCA competition brought together 57 competitors across 13 events and 15 rounds of high-stakes speed cubing. Pilat ended the tournament with a remarkable haul of five gold medals, proving his consistency across both massive hardware and memory-intensive formats. Beyond the big cubes, Pilat also conquered 3x3x3 Blindfolded, where every solve demands flawless memorisation and tactile execution without visual feedback, topping the field with a 20.54 winning average and an 18.60 single. Fletcher Berry took second place in blindfolded with 27.84, while Thai Bui secured third at 31.83.

The premier Rubik's Cube category concluded after three intense rounds, featuring a competitive field of 47 solvers chasing top 3x3 results. Pilat claimed the title with a swift 6.08 winning average and the competition best single of 5.96. Torah Hoover mounted a strong challenge to earn second place with an 8.60 average, while Joseph Hirsch locked up third position with an 8.88 mark. Hirsch had his own stellar day, sweeping both Skewb with a 2.72 average and 3x3x3 One-Handed with an 18.54 average, edging John Wanger II who posted 18.81 and Hoover who recorded 19.51.

Mid-sized cubes and side puzzles rounded out a packed schedule of action across the venue. Maddox Smith achieved a double victory of his own, capturing first place in the 4x4x4 Cube with a 30.75 winning average ahead of Tristan Patrick at 36.44 and AJ Le at 38.88. Smith then conquered the Megaminx with a decisive 37.35 average and a 33.00 single. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Pilat returned to the top with a 46.66 average, as Smith took second in 1:04.75 and Le earned third in 1:04.87. Tristan Patrick added another podium finish by taking second in the 6x6x6 Cube with 2:03.32, just ahead of John Wanger II at 2:04.06.

The rest of the event roster highlighted specialists across multiple puzzle disciplines. John Wanger II secured the Pyraminx title with a quick 3.11 average, while Ayushmaan Arora claimed the 2x2x2 Cube crown averaging 2.36 with a rapid 1.12 single. Ignacio Montilla mastered the Clock event, taking top honors with a 5.13 winning average. In Square-1, Alejandro Kolster Passos finished atop the podium for Argentina with a 9.86 average, holding off Cole Dugger at 12.27 and Thai Bui at 17.30. Over the course of the tournament, podium spots went to solvers representing USA, Argentina, and India.

Away from the top steps of the podium, DFW Favorites 2026 provided a stage for breakthrough personal achievements and milestone debuts. Ellis Turley III tackled four events and produced massive progress, cutting his 2x2x2 Cube personal best down to 5.45, an improvement of 70.9 percent over his previous 18.75 mark, while improving his 3x3x3 Cube best to 38.41, 34.3 percent faster than before, and taking on his first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 12.91. Liam Garber entered three events and shaved 33.8 percent off his Pyraminx personal best to post a 7.69 solve, while cutting his 3x3x3 Cube best by 20.3 percent to 17.66 and securing 13th place in the 2x2x2 Cube with a 4.03 single.

Fresh debuts and heavy event loads defined the efforts of several other determined competitors. Dhruv Anjan Chakravarthy took on five events and placed fifth in the 7x7x7 Cube, recording first ever attempts in the 6x6x6 Cube at 3:47.22, 7x7x7 Cube at 5:23.96, and 5x5x5 Cube at 1:54.93. Phoenix Roling contested five events, earning 15th place in Skewb while logging first attempts in Skewb at 18.62, 4x4x4 Cube at 3:35.17, and 2x2x2 Cube at 9.57. Vaishant Pandey set a new 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 5.11, 30.1 percent faster than his prior best, and tackled his first Megaminx solve in 2:13.96. Reece Imbuido made his first attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 34.97 on his way to 12th place, while Wyatt Wilson cut his 5x5x5 Cube best by 12.3 percent to 1:44.50. Rowan Sapkota made his first WCA competition debut across four events, logging an initial 7.10 single in the 2x2x2 Cube for 16th place.

The relentless mean formats of the large cubes and blindfolded disciplines demand complete concentration, where a single slip erases hours of preparation. With multiple titles decided by razor-thin margins and dozens of competitors reaching personal milestones, the action in Roanoke demonstrated the immense focus required at every tier of play. Solvers now turn their attention to refining algorithms and endurance for the remainder of the 2026 cubing competition calendar.