Lopes Up AZ Fall 2026

A time of 55.61 seconds set the standard at Antelope Gym as big cube specialists took the stage in Phoenix, Arizona, USA on September 20, 2026. Long-format puzzles demand exceptional stamina, piece tracking, and physical endurance across hundreds of individual turns. The single-day WCA competition brought together solvers eager to test their hardware and mental focus across seven distinct disciplines. Lopes Up AZ Fall 2026 delivered intense action on the large layers, demonstrating the physical commitment required to excel at the highest tier of speedcubing.

In the 5x5x5 Cube, Dan Tran secured victory with that winning mark of 55.61 seconds, edging past runner-up Matthew Tan who registered 56.59 seconds. Aayush Shah of India rounded out the podium with a solid 1:09.02. Tran carried his momentum directly into the grueling 6x6x6 Cube, where puzzle stability and turn efficiency become paramount over minutes of continuous solving. Tran paced the entire field with a winning 1:36.75, finishing ahead of Ryan Morrison at 2:17.06 and Samuel Phillips at 2:22.61 to sweep the heavy hardware of the weekend.

The broader cubing competition expanded Tran's dominance beyond the multi-layer giants. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Tran captured top honors again with a rapid 27.75 seconds. Matthew Tan claimed his second silver medal of the event with a time of 35.55 seconds, while Ryan Morrison locked down third place in 38.00 seconds. Across every large puzzle bracket, the podium demonstrated remarkable control and turning precision, cementing the standard for competitive speed cubing in the region throughout the 2026 season.

Tran also excelled in the classic Rubik's Cube category, leading the 3x3 results with an impressive 7.50-second finish. Oliver Breecher earned the silver position with 8.84 seconds, followed closely by Matthew Arca in third at 9.69 seconds. Arca found his own championship moment in 3x3x3 One-Handed, claiming victory in 11.70 seconds over Tran's 13.83 seconds and Aayush Shah's 16.55 seconds. Tran added yet another gold in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a 33-move solution, besting Morrison at 37 moves and Shah at 43 moves.

Memory and spatial orientation defined the 3x3x3 Blindfolded division, an event requiring athletes to memorize the puzzle completely before solving without sight. Matthew Low took the title with an outstanding 58.91 seconds, the only competitor to break the one-minute barrier. Ryan Morrison earned the second spot on the podium with a time of 1:51.06, while Matthew Arca captured third place with 1:50.78. Across all podium placements at the tournament, United States competitors earned 18 spots, while India captured 3 podium positions.

Beyond the medal count, individual growth defined the weekend on the competition floor. Olivia Higgins cut her 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 49.9 percent to 34.48 seconds while taking on her first ever attempt at 3x3x3 One-Handed in 2:13.17. Bryce Anderson Jeffress lowered his 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 28.89 seconds, an improvement of 46.1 percent over his previous 53.62 mark. Ethan Riddle tackled six events at the meet, improving his 3x3x3 Cube record by 44.1 percent to 23.78 seconds and posting first attempts in 3x3x3 One-Handed at 1:13.86 and 4x4x4 Cube at 2:00.77.

Other competitors embraced major challenges across multiple complex puzzles during Lopes Up AZ Fall 2026. Kobe Lee entered all seven events, delivering a first ever attempt in 3x3x3 Blindfolded of 4:52.79 for a sixth-place finish alongside a 30.2 percent drop in 5x5x5 Cube to 2:32.56. Justin A. Lee dropped his 5x5x5 Cube mark by 25.7 percent to 1:43.48 and logged a first 6x6x6 Cube attempt at 3:42.70. Joshua Stevenson made first attempts in 6x6x6 Cube at 4:19.28 and 5x5x5 Cube at 1:53.47, while Brendon Gacusan made his first WCA competition appearance by tackling six events. Nicholas Rice also debuted here, recording a 59.91 first attempt in 4x4x4 Cube.

The single-day gathering concluded with exceptional marks across both short sprints and the deepest endurance brackets. From lightning-fast single-handed turns to calculated big-cube maneuvers, the Phoenix tournament highlighted technical mastery across every layer count. Competitors walked away from the tables with breakthrough personal records, valuable multi-event experience, and memorable milestones that will carry forward into the next chapter of competitive solving.

The collective effort shown across all disciplines reflected the rich depth of talent present in the Southwest. As the season progresses, the performances registered on these tables demonstrate that stamina and tactical consistency remain the ultimate deciding factors on the tournament stage.