Evanston Qualifier 2026

A single solve can rewrite history in an instant, and Brian Johnson did exactly that at the Technological Institute at Northwestern University. Lining up for the Square-1 event, Johnson delivered a mind-boggling single time of 2.85 seconds, shattering the World Record in spectacular fashion. The astonishing mark set the tone for an explosive day of speedcubing in Evanston, Illinois, USA, where 37 competitors gathered on May 17, 2026, to put their skills to the test across 15 rounds of competition.

The rapid rise of emerging talent and youth advancement was unmistakable from the opening rounds of the Evanston Qualifier 2026. Solvers showed a fearless approach across all 9 events on the schedule, trading personal bests and cutting massive margins off their previous marks. Beyond classic Rubik's Cube mastery, the field pushed boundaries in mechanical shape mods, side puzzles, and big cubes, proving that the next wave of talent is developing at an unprecedented pace.

Johnson translated his historic record form into complete event domination. In Square-1, he captured first place overall with a winning average of 7.76 seconds, finishing ahead of Lucas Lippman-Bruno, who logged an 11.26 average, and Reed W. Richardson with a 12.27. Johnson also brought his dynamic talent to 3x3x3 One-Handed, claiming victory with a 9.28 average and a best single of 7.29 to lead the 3x3 results on the one-handed table, while Nathaniel Gee took second at 13.82 and Max Walaszek took third at 15.22.

The multi-discipline mastery continued across the tables as Johnson secured his third gold of the competition in Pyraminx. Posting a winning average of 2.54 seconds and a blistering 1.50 single, Johnson took top honors over Adam Schwenn, who averaged 2.84, and Zhiyuan Li of China, who earned third with a 3.06 mark. Out of 27 podium places awarded throughout the day, competitors from the United States secured 26, reflecting the immense local depth across every bracket.

While Johnson dominated the specialized side puzzles, Max Walaszek emerged as an unstoppable force across the big cubes. Walaszek pulled off a commanding sweep of the three largest puzzles, capturing the 5x5x5 Cube with a 53.43 average ahead of Johnson's 55.68 and Lippman-Bruno's 56.44. Walaszek then conquered the 6x6x6 Cube with a 1:35.23 average, leading Lucy Grace Bryson at 1:43.55 and Sebastian Carrillo at 1:43.79, before closing out the 7x7x7 Cube title in 2:24.32, again ahead of Bryson at 2:35.92.

Away from the top steps of the podium, the heart of the speed cubing spirit was evident in the massive individual breakthroughs scattered throughout the scoresheets. Loki Lettofsky made a huge leap in Square-1, logging a personal best of 49.23 seconds that was 68.4 percent faster than their previous mark of 2:35.62, while also taking on their first ever attempts at Clock in 29.39 and 3x3x3 One-Handed in 1:01.67. Juliet Soley tackled 6 events and achieved a massive personal best in the 7x7x7 Cube with an 8:50.86, cutting 49 percent off her previous mark, alongside improvements in Megaminx and 5x5x5 Cube.

The progress across the floor was relentless as solvers expanded their competitive horizons. Niam Griffin improved by 34.6 percent in the 5x5x5 Cube to post a personal best of 2:07.76, while Luca Block took 7th place in 6x6x6 Cube with a personal best of 2:23.01 and slashed his Skewb best by 34.1 percent down to 4.24. Filip Gostkowski took on 6 events and cut 28.7 percent off his 6x6x6 Cube best down to 4:00.32, while Walker Lim improved his 5x5x5 Cube by 30 percent to 2:03.51. Zach Paulson recorded a 21.8 percent Pyraminx personal best of 8.74, and Arrustu Mirza placed 8th in Skewb while trying the 5x5x5 Cube for the first time in 2:29.17.

The day also featured intense showdowns in the remaining brackets. Sebastian Carrillo took the Skewb crown with a 3.49 average, holding off Johnson at 3.79 and Simon Poldi at 4.03. In Clock, Zachary Cribb edged out Richardson in a nail-biting finish, winning with a 3.50 average to Richardson's 3.53, with Schwenn securing third at 3.98. In Megaminx, Lucy Grace Bryson put together a smooth 36.77 average to win comfortably.

As the Evanston Qualifier 2026 came to a close, the energy at Northwestern University highlighted the vibrant future of competitive cubing. Every cubing competition provides a stage where personal milestones matter just as much as major trophies. With a historic World Record in the books and dozens of young solvers making dramatic strides, this memorable WCA competition demonstrated that speedcubing in 2026 continues to push the boundaries of human dexterity and problem-solving speed.