Don't DNS Denton 2026

A total of 28 podium places out of 29 went to United States competitors at Don't DNS Denton 2026, marking an overwhelming run of success across two full days of high-level solving. Held across September 19 and September 20 at the University of North Texas Union in Denton, Texas, USA, the gathering brought together specialists across nine distinct disciplines. From large-cube endurance to blindfolded solving, the American contingent asserted authority on home soil, leaving only a single podium spot to international competition throughout the entire weekend program.

The 2026 meeting delivered an intense schedule of events where versatile competitors excelled across multiple disciplines. Beyond standard speedcubing and traditional Rubik's Cube setups, the roster featured niche challenges requiring exceptional discipline and technical precision. Speed cubing enthusiasts in the region watched a clinic in concentration as solvers tackled memorisation puzzles, large twisty puzzles, and efficiency-focused formats without missing a beat, ensuring the weekend stood out on the competitive calendar.

Ryan Pilat proved to be the central force of the competition, securing first-place finishes across five separate events while adding podium finishes in two others. Pilat captured the 3x3x3 Blindfolded title with a winning single time of 19.56 seconds, finishing ahead of Fletcher Berry with 28.12 seconds and Evan Deskins with 1:15.72. Pilat maintained that blindfolded mastery in the larger cubes, taking the 4x4x4 Blindfolded title with a 3:52.30 mark and securing top honours in 5x5x5 Blindfolded with a winning single of 9:30.23.

Pilat also claimed victories in standard sighted disciplines, winning the 7x7x7 Cube with a result of 2:17.82 ahead of Jadon Castillo in 2:28.99 and Ray Bai in 2:42.18. In Square-1, Pilat registered a top mark of 6.76 seconds to take gold, while Alejandro Kolster Passos of Argentina earned second place with 10.13 seconds to claim the sole international podium of the meet, followed by AJ Le in third with 12.48 seconds.

Ray Bai captured the Megaminx title with a time of 40.54 seconds, edging out Pilat who claimed second with 46.71 seconds, while Castillo secured third place with 46.73 seconds. In 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, Fletcher Berry delivered an exceptional performance by successfully solving 23 of 26 cubes in exactly 1:00:00 to finish ahead of Bai with 10 of 12 cubes in 59:59 and Abhinav Agarwal with a perfect 7 of 7 cubes in 36:25. Meanwhile, 3x3x3 Fewest Moves saw Octavio Cobos take the win with a 23.33 move count, narrowly finishing ahead of Pilat with 23.67 and Berry with 27.67.

Behind the top podium positions, several competitors marked significant career milestones at this WCA competition. Brendon Hatfield took on six events, achieving a 37.5 percent improvement in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a personal best of 2:15.28 compared to his previous best of 3:36.55, while also dropping his Square-1 best by 15.5 percent to 15.08 seconds, making a first attempt at 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with 2 of 4 in 39:35, and placing sixth in Square-1. Ishaank Bansal entered seven events, improving his 3x3x3 Fewest Moves mark by 16.3 percent down to 36 moves and cutting his Megaminx best by 14.8 percent to 1:55.29, alongside a first 7x7x7 Cube attempt of 9:49.66 and a seventh-place finish in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind. David Spitzer tackled five events, trimming 9.8 percent off his 7x7x7 Cube best down to 3:36.23, lowering his Megaminx best by 3.2 percent to 1:14.45, attempting 3x3x3 Fewest Moves for the first time with 49, and taking fifth place in 7x7x7 Cube. Jeremiah Martin entered four events, posting a 7.2 percent personal best reduction in 3x3x3 Blindfolded to 1:52.34, recording first attempts at 7x7x7 Cube in 6:01.16 and 6x6x6 Cube in 3:23.17, and finishing seventh in 3x3x3 Blindfolded.

Kori Baker contested four events, dropping their 6x6x6 Cube best by 5.8 percent to 5:08.58, logging first attempts at 7x7x7 Cube with 9:05.58 and 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with 65, and claiming sixth in Megaminx. Andrew Wilbur participated in two events, cutting his Square-1 personal best by 4.4 percent to 9.80 seconds on the way to a fifth-place finish. Cole Turner took on seven events and finished fifth in 3x3x3 Multi-Blind, while completing first career attempts in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with 4:02.65, 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with 44, and 3x3x3 Multi-Blind with 2 of 2 in 19:28. Ethan Wadzeck stepped up for their first WCA competition, competing in four events, finishing 12th in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, and making first career attempts at Megaminx in 2:47.77, 7x7x7 Cube in 8:21.54, and Square-1 in 30.10, while Adam Kluchki also made his official debut by taking on one event.

The depth of skill across every division made Don't DNS Denton 2026 a showcase of technical variety. Although standard 3x3 results often command the spotlight at modern meets, the weekend in Denton showed how specialty puzzles and endurance formats continue to thrive within competitive speedcubing circles. With podium dominance established and personal milestones achieved throughout the ranks, the cubing competition delivered memorable action for every participant involved.