NOLA Cube Fest 2026

A blistering 7.53 winning average in the 3x3x3 Cube by Teri McAcy highlighted a dramatic day of action as the spring 2026 speedcubing calendar reached Louisiana. Taking place on April 18, 2026, at the International School of Louisiana in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, the gathering brought together 31 competitors across 5 events and 10 rounds of high-stakes play. With regional contenders looking to set the pace for the competitive year, the one-day WCA competition delivered world-class speed across puzzles of all dimensions.

The 3x3 results at NOLA Cube Fest 2026 showcased exceptional consistency across three full rounds of classic Rubik's Cube solving. Teri McAcy clinched the top spot on the podium with a 7.53 final average and a tournament-best single solve of 6.75 seconds. Nayan Sai Janumpally secured second place with an average of 8.79 seconds, while Khorram Ghaedi rounded out the podium in third with an average of 9.94 seconds, capping a hard-fought battle among the 30 competitors in the event.

McAcy was not done with a single title, returning to dominate the 4x4x4 Cube tournament across two rounds of play. Averaging 29.33 seconds in the final and posting the event standard with a 27.08 single, McAcy finished well clear of the field. Ordway Persyn claimed second place with a final average of 37.93 seconds, and Gunner Engelsman earned the third-place spot on the podium with a 41.09 average among the 14 competitors who took on the four-layered puzzle.

The multi-event mastery continued through Gunner Engelsman, who captured two titles of his own during a busy afternoon in New Orleans. In the Clock event, Engelsman recorded a winning average of 3.60 seconds alongside the day low single solve of 2.67 seconds across two rounds, outpacing Seth Talbot in second with 9.04 seconds and Ordway Persyn in third with 10.29 seconds. Engelsman then took command of the single-round Megaminx contest, winning the 10-competitor event with a 54.62 average and a best single of 51.41 seconds.

George Rivero secured second place in Megaminx with an average of 1:05.01, while McAcy took third with 1:07.99 to add another podium finish to an already stellar haul. In the fast-moving 2x2x2 Cube, Nayan Sai Janumpally emerged triumphant from a field of 25 entrants, capturing the title with an average of 2.75 seconds and a best single of 1.92. Engelsman placed second with an average of 3.28 seconds, and Alexander Laiche locked up third place with an average of 3.77.

Away from the top steps of the podium, the tournament produced immense individual strides from rising competitors across the region. Daniel Marc Walker generated the most dramatic improvement of the entire cubing competition, slicing an astounding 81.5 percent off his previous benchmark with a 2x2x2 Cube personal best single of 1.43 seconds, while also lopping 43.1 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube best with a 10.26 solve. Carter Hawkins made an equally eye-catching leap, carving out a 1.30 single on 2x2x2 Cube that was 66.1 percent faster than his prior record, while entering three events and setting personal bests in Clock and the 3x3x3 Cube.

The drive for progress was visible right across the venue as competitors embraced brand-new puzzles and broke through old barriers. Carter Nettles took on four events, making a first ever attempt at Megaminx in 1:50.78 while crushing his 2x2x2 Cube personal best by 56.9 percent with a 1.90 single. Ezra Remijio tackled four events, recording a first Megaminx attempt of 1:59.04 and lowering his 3x3x3 Cube best by 44.6 percent down to 13.85 seconds. Noah Benjamin Bullins achieved a tenth-place finish in 4x4x4 Cube with a 56.85 personal best, Ethan Walker logged a 5.93 in his first 2x2x2 Cube attempt alongside a 36.7 percent improvement on 3x3x3 Cube, Cullen Dillistone made his WCA debut across three events with a seventh-place finish in Clock, and Nisan Reedy made an unforgettable debut with a 1.16 single on 2x2x2 Cube.

Every podium place across all five disciplines was captured by competitors representing the United States, underscoring the depth of talent converging in New Orleans. The efficient one-day schedule challenged solvers to shift mental gears instantly, transitioning from the mechanical precision of Clock to the spatial endurance of Megaminx and the sheer reflex speed cubing demands across shorter rounds. That balance of puzzle variety allowed both seasoned champions and developing solvers to test their preparation against tournament pressure.

As the spring campaign unfolds and solvers look ahead to larger regional meetings later in the competitive cycle, NOLA Cube Fest 2026 provided an ideal proving ground. Between double-gold performances from Teri McAcy and Gunner Engelsman, a clutch victory by Nayan Sai Janumpally, and dozens of personal milestones reached across the 10 completed rounds, the tournament set a formidable standard for the rest of the 2026 season.