Mohawk Valley Winter 2026

The conference rooms at the Holiday Inn Johnstown-Gloversville were buzzing on February 21, 2026, as solve timers lit up across Johnstown, New York, USA. Competitors sat focused over their mats, studying puzzle orientations and methodically mapping out their opening turns. Across eight diverse disciplines and eleven total rounds of action, the single-day gathering tested precision and mental endurance. For the fifteen competitors assembled, the emphasis quickly shifted away from chasing solitary flash-in-the-pan solves and directly toward steady, repeatable execution.

That discipline was on full display throughout the classic 3x3x3 Cube rounds. While solitary fast turns generated excitement, the premier event rewarded solvers who maintained flawless form across an entire five-solve set. Evan Liu captured top honors in the main Rubik's Cube category, delivering a winning average of 8.03 seconds and logging the best single at 6.97. Louis Truong secured second place with a 9.19 mark, while Eli Rogers rounded out the podium at 9.59 in the official 3x3 results.

Liu established a dominant rhythm early and carried it across nearly the entire schedule of events. Beyond the traditional three-layered puzzle, he claimed victory on every larger mechanism. In the 4x4x4 Cube, Liu secured the title with a 33.34 average and a 30.27 single, holding off Chris Chi at 34.91 and Louis Truong at 35.13. He continued his winning streak on the 5x5x5 Cube, finishing first with an average of 55.41 ahead of Truong and Ethan Qiu.

The big-cube events demanded deep concentration, and Liu continued to separate himself through consistency over marathon solves. He won the 6x6x6 Cube with a 1:41.54 mean, topping Truong's 1:47.84 and Chi's 1:50.97. In the 7x7x7 Cube, Liu posted a 2:27.46 winning mean alongside a best single of 2:23.70, while Chi and Truong took silver and bronze with times of 2:57.87 and 3:05.59 respectively. Liu then proved his versatility on Clock, taking first place with a 4.65 average, edging Jake Oppedisano's 4.74 and Qiu's 5.49.

Behind the top of the podiums at Mohawk Valley Winter 2026, several participants delivered dramatic breakthroughs and expanded their competitive repertoires. Joshua Logue produced massive gains on the larger cubes, cutting his 5x5x5 Cube mark down to 3:24.63, which was 28.7 percent faster than his previous best, while slicing his 4x4x4 Cube personal best by 26.6 percent to 55.62 seconds. David Tennyson also made notable strides, lowering his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 19.1 percent to 4.23 and improving his 3x3x3 Cube single to 28.71, an improvement of 6.3 percent. Patrick Strawder took on all eight events, achieving a fourth-place result in the 6x6x6 Cube with a personal best of 2:02.95 and shaving 5.6 percent off his 4x4x4 Cube best to reach 35.62.

First-time experiences were plentiful throughout the cubing competition as well. Ali Aleyasin took part in their first WCA competition, entering four events and registering debut marks of 4.26 on the 2x2x2 Cube, 8.21 on Pyraminx, and 1:34.58 on the 4x4x4 Cube, highlighted by a seventh-place finish on the 2x2x2. Kepler Ciancetta also made their tournament debut, logging inaugural solves of 19.44 on the 2x2x2 Cube and 55.03 on the 3x3x3 Cube. Maximilian Wang stepped up to seven events, logging first-ever attempts in the 5x5x5 Cube at 2:16.95, Clock at 16.64, and the 6x6x6 Cube at 4:07.17, on his way to fifth place in Pyraminx. Adam Vetser entered seven events and completed his first official 7x7x7 Cube solve in 9:03.56, while Daniel Goldstein tackled six disciplines and placed sixth in Clock.

Side events offered thrilling finishes that tested pure turn speed and agility. Eli Rogers claimed gold on the 2x2x2 Cube, logging a blistering 1.85 winning average and a round-best 1.39 single to finish ahead of Liu's 2.67 and Chi's 3.95. In Pyraminx, Chris Chi emerged victorious with a sharp 4.89 average, having posted a top single of 4.31 to fend off Liu's 5.30 and Qiu's 6.23. The varied disciplines showcased the broad technical range required at a modern speed cubing tournament.

Across eleven hard-fought rounds, every podium spot was earned through composed, mistake-free solving under time pressure. The complete sweep of twenty-four podium positions by competitors representing the USA reflected the high standard of regional speedcubing in the state. As the equipment was packed away at Mohawk Valley Winter 2026, the day concluded as a testament to the power of measured, repeatable execution over sheer chance on the competition floor.