Madison Manor PBQ 2026

Twenty competitors assembled in Madison, Wisconsin, USA on March 1, 2026, for a high-focus day of specialized solving. The venue at Highland Manor Park set the stage for Madison Manor PBQ 2026, where twenty solvers took on some of the most demanding disciplines in the World Cube Association schedule. With five events and six rounds on the program, the single-day gathering tested precision, memory, and spatial efficiency across blindfolded and move-count formats.

The 3x3x3 Blindfolded competition offered the most rapid turning speeds of the meet, featuring seventeen entrants across two separate rounds. Brayden Thompson captured the championship with a decisive 18.34 single in the final round. Thompson had already flashed top-tier pace earlier in the schedule with a 15.42 single and a 19.06 average. Carter Kucala secured second place on the podium with a 21.55 effort, while Thomas Reinke rounded out the medal positions with a 30.84 mark. The 3x3 results in the blindfolded category delivered the fastest action of the event.

Standard Rubik's Cube solving also had an efficiency focus at Madison Manor PBQ 2026 through the 3x3x3 Fewest Moves discipline. Simon Kellum stood atop the field of seventeen competitors by posting a 20.67 average, which was anchored by a single attempt of 19 moves. Brian Johnson took second place on the podium with a 21.33 mean across three solves, while Walker Welch claimed third place with a 23.67 average in an intensely analytical round.

Beyond the standard 3x3 cube, large-cube blindfolded solving brought a grueling test of patience and execution to the tables. In 4x4x4 Blindfolded, Thomas Reinke outperformed twelve rivals to take victory with a 3:49.39 average and a best single of 3:20.35. Aaron Soley followed in second place with a 7:55.88 single, and Walker Welch grabbed his second podium finish of the meet by locking in third place with an 8:12.96 resolve.

The marathon 5x5x5 Blindfolded event proved to be an unforgiving battle for all seven entrants. Carter Kucala emerged as the sole competitor to log a successful solve, taking the title with an 8:54.69 single. Meanwhile, the 3x3x3 Multi-Blind event brought the single non-domestic podium top spot of the day, as Brazil's Joel Brown Brisola successfully decoded 31 out of 46 cubes in an exact 1:00:00. Thomas Reinke earned second place with 24 out of 34 cubes in 1:00:00, and Brayden Thompson took third with 16 of 21 solved.

Beneath the title chases, individual breakthroughs populated the scoreboards across the roster. Ryan Jesse Mitchell made his career debut at a WCA competition, entering four events and finishing fifth in 4x4x4 Blindfolded while registering first-time marks of 2:34.11 in 3x3x3 Blindfolded, 4 out of 6 in Multi-Blind in 46:20, and 53 in Fewest Moves. Ben Becker cut his 3x3x3 Blindfolded personal best down to 59.26 from 1:20.95, a 26.8 percent improvement, while finishing fourth in 4x4x4 Blindfolded across four entered events. Zachary Cribb improved his Fewest Moves personal best to 25 from 34, a 26.5 percent drop, while taking sixth in 4x4x4 Blindfolded.

Other competitors delivered notable efforts across multiple categories. Alex Chen took on four events, earning a 33 personal best in Fewest Moves for a 13.2 percent improvement over an earlier 38, while completing a first career Multi-Blind attempt with 2 out of 3 cubes in 23:33. Varun Gudibanda took ninth in 3x3x3 Blindfolded across two entered events, and Jameson R. Sramek locked down sixth in 4x4x4 Blindfolded out of four events. Charles Bois took fifth place in Fewest Moves, and Sebastian Carrillo contested three events, finishing eighth in Fewest Moves.

The overall country count reflected eighteen podium finishes for the United States alongside a single gold-tier finish for Brazil. The gathering at Madison Manor PBQ 2026 underscored the enduring appeal of specialized speedcubing formats, where blindfolded solving and move optimization replace purely physical turning speed. Solvers throughout the regional speed cubing scene left Highland Manor Park with hard-earned personal achievements as the 2026 season rolled forward.