Fast in Fargo 2026

Inside the Fargo Parks Sports Center at the Sanford Sports Complex, solving stations ran continuously as 74 competitors gathered on May 30, 2026. Hand warmers rested beside timing mats, displays flashed green across rows of tables, and judges reset stopwatches for 11 packed rounds of play. The one-day gathering brought a massive variety of twists and turns to Fargo, North Dakota, USA, testing everyone from seasoned champions to eager local newcomers on the big stage.

Across the full six-event lineup, nobody exerted more influence on the leaderboards than Walker Welch. The United States standout captured two separate tournament titles and collected four podium finishes overall. Welch set the tone in the 2x2x2 Cube final, posting a rapid 2.09 winning average alongside a best single of 1.78 to lock down first place. That decisive form proved just as potent on the largest puzzle of the day, where Welch mastered the 7x7x7 Cube with a 2:34.43 winning average and a 2:26.63 single.

Welch remained in contention across diverse disciplines throughout the afternoon, picking up second place in the 4x4x4 Cube with a 36.44 average and taking second in Skewb with a 5.48 average. That versatility showed the depth needed to thrive across wildly differing puzzle sizes during a demanding speedcubing schedule. Whether managing the fast-paced turning of smaller puzzles or the endurance of the 7x7x7 Cube, Welch stayed near the front of every bracket entered.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube contest drew a full field of 74 entrants through three intense rounds of traditional Rubik's Cube solving. Kyle Tierney took top honors for the United States, recording a 9.43 winning average and the round best single of 8.25 in the final. William Edwards secured second place with a 10.51 average, while Canadian competitor Sean Thorsteinson earned third place at 10.62. The official 3x3 results served as a thrilling centerpiece for the entire WCA competition.

Stephen Griggs put together a strong performance to take the 4x4x4 Cube title, averaging 34.31 with a single of 31.87 to lead Welch and Tierney on the podium. In Clock, Volodymyr Kapustianskyi delivered a standout 4.58 average and an event-best 1.95 single to win ahead of Noah Glazewski and George Stephen Howard. Meanwhile, Luke Otto secured the Skewb championship with a 5.33 average, edging out Welch and Luke Lahr in a very tight final.

Away from the championship tables, Fast in Fargo 2026 saw massive individual breakthroughs that defined the spirit of the day. Ryan James Irle took on four events, completing his first ever attempt at Clock with a 19.66, cutting his 2x2x2 Cube personal best to 6.61, which was 83 percent faster, and reducing his 3x3x3 Cube best to 17.95, an improvement of 57.8 percent. Winston Yu entered three events, logging a first Clock try of 23.63, a first 2x2x2 Cube mark of 7.38, and a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 16.66 that shaved 57.1 percent off previous marks. Grant Lahr tackled five events to earn fifth place in Clock with a first attempt of 5.07, along with a first 4x4x4 Cube result of 58.83 and a 3.72 on 2x2x2 Cube, 36.9 percent faster than before. Elijah Lastra logged a first 2x2x2 Cube attempt of 5.42, a first Clock attempt of 13.88, and a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 20.93, which was 37.1 percent faster.

The progress continued through the ranks as Jeremiah Ziegler entered five disciplines, posting a first 4x4x4 Cube attempt of 1:00.79, a first Clock attempt of 11.74, an 11th-place finish in 2x2x2 Cube, and a 2.36 personal best that was 23.9 percent faster. Tayton Lewis logged a first Skewb attempt of 8.98, took 34th in 4x4x4 Cube, dropped his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 22.96 for a 42.4 percent drop, and improved his 2x2x2 Cube best to 6.16, which was 34.2 percent faster. Zachary Davidson took on six events, recording a first 7x7x7 Cube mark of 6:58.82, a first Clock try of 27.26, and a 53.13 4x4x4 Cube personal best that was 19.5 percent faster. Reid Schulz took part in their first WCA competition, entering four events and registering first attempts of 25.06 in 3x3x3 Cube, 7.24 in 2x2x2 Cube, and 2:58.03 in 4x4x4 Cube for a best finish of 39th.

The international contingent from Canada made its mark in multiple rounds, claiming three podium spots over the weekend. Sean Thorsteinson followed his 3x3x3 Cube bronze with a second-place finish in 2x2x2 Cube at 2.99, sharing the podium with fellow Canadian Wilmer Daniel Almazan Cabrera, who averaged 3.22 for third. United States competitors earned 15 total podium places, demonstrating remarkable consistency across all six disciplines.

As the final timers stopped and equipment was packed away, Fast in Fargo 2026 concluded an action-packed day of speed cubing excellence in North Dakota. With multiple titles for Welch, Tierney's sub-10 victory on the classic cube, and dozens of personal milestones reached by rising solvers, the cubing competition delivered memorable moments across every division. Solvers now turn their sights toward training and refining their solves for the next chapter of the season.