Persevere in De Pere 2026

Sixteen rounds of competition tested stamina and consistency across seven disciplines at Persevere in De Pere 2026. Held on July 11, 2026, at St. Mark Ministries in De Pere, Wisconsin, USA, the single-day gathering welcomed a field of 55 competitors. With multi-round structures narrowing the brackets from broad opening heats down to decisive finals, every stage demanded sharp execution. The format rewarded solvers who could replicate their pace under the pressure of progressive eliminations, setting up tense battles for podium spots throughout the day.

The headline 3x3x3 Cube event featured three distinct rounds, narrowing an initial field of 52 competitors down to a tight concluding group. Zeke Mackay emerged at the top of the 3x3 results, capturing victory with a winning average of 6.78 seconds in the final alongside the single best solve of the discipline at 5.86 seconds. Brian Johnson pushed hard to take second place with an average of 7.03 seconds, while Carter Kucala secured third at 7.20 seconds. Navigating three rounds of the classic Rubik's Cube proved to be a true test of poise across the entire roster.

Mackay carried that same precision into the larger hardware, claiming a second gold in the 4x4x4 Cube. Across two rounds of play among 31 entrants, Mackay posted a winning average of 27.16 seconds and recorded the fastest single time of 25.93 seconds. Johnson followed closely once more to take second place with an average of 28.07 seconds, while Kucala locked up third place with a mark of 33.71 seconds. The progression through the opening round directly set the stage for Mackay to control the final from start to finish.

Brian Johnson answered Mackay's sweep by taking top honors across two other major disciplines. In the 2x2x2 Cube, which featured 49 starters over two rounds, Johnson produced a commanding 1.46-second average in the final round to win the title, highlighted by a rapid single solve of 1.03 seconds. Simon Kellum earned runner-up honors with a 2.01-second average, narrowly edging Eli Rogers who finished third at 2.02 seconds. Johnson later demonstrated his technical mastery in 3x3x3 One-Handed, claiming victory among 32 competitors across two rounds with an average of 10.58 seconds and a single of 8.92 seconds.

Simon Kellum put on a dominant showcase in the side events, capturing two first-place trophies through two-round brackets. In Pyraminx, Kellum bested a field of 44 entrants by recording a winning average of 2.18 seconds and a low single of 1.83 seconds, finishing ahead of Johnson at 2.63 seconds and Rogers at 2.96 seconds. Kellum doubled his gold haul in Skewb, topping the 36-player field with an average of 1.71 seconds and a best single of 1.29 seconds. Kucala placed second in Skewb at 2.53 seconds, with Jory Hullin earning third in 2.93 seconds.

Clock was the only other discipline granted a three-round format at Persevere in De Pere 2026, creating an extended runway for mechanical specialists. Eli Rogers seized the title among 30 entrants, navigating all three stages to record a winning final average of 4.60 seconds and a best single of 4.18 seconds. Adam Schwenn finished as the runner-up with a 4.90-second average, while Benjamin Franklin took third place with an average of 5.40 seconds. The three-round layout filtered the fastest turners to the final table, where Rogers maintained his composure.

Away from the top step of the podium, several competitors made huge strides through the brackets of this cubing competition. Eli Drexel delivered the most dramatic personal progression of the weekend, cutting their 2x2x2 Cube mark down to 4.98 seconds, which was 72.9 percent faster than their previous best of 18.38, while also taking on Skewb for the first time with a mark of 22.24 seconds. Ellie Drexel took a massive step forward on the main puzzle, dropping their 3x3x3 Cube best to 46.74 seconds, 45.1 percent faster than their earlier 1:25.10 mark, in addition to making a first official attempt at 2x2x2 Cube at 15.34 seconds. Arrow Dinwiddie shaved 41.8 percent off their previous Skewb record with a new best of 6.80 seconds and took on 3x3x3 One-Handed for the first time with a mark of 53.86 seconds.

The depth of the field was further illustrated by competitors expanding their event repertoires across the board. Calvin Hight entered four events, logging a first Skewb attempt of 10.96 seconds and improving their Pyraminx mark by 37.2 percent down to 5.27 seconds. Musaab Hassan Khan took on seven events, recording inaugural official attempts in 4x4x4 Cube at 2:22.66, Clock at 34.92, and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 53.71 seconds. Owen X. Czekala took on six disciplines, marking first attempts in 4x4x4 Cube at 2:18.16, Pyraminx at 14.52, and 3x3x3 One-Handed at 41.58 seconds. Aden Schultz posted a 49.03-second personal best in 4x4x4 Cube that was 20.3 percent faster than their past 1:01.52 mark and placed 13th in 3x3x3 Cube, while Aaron Mulloy completed their very first official WCA competition across four events, including first attempts in Skewb at 20.60 seconds and 3x3x3 Cube at 45.89 seconds.

United States competitors swept all 21 podium positions across the seven events, capping off a remarkable day of speed cubing at Persevere in De Pere 2026. The combination of multi-stage heats and decisive finals provided a true platform for both seasoned champions and emerging talent. As the speedcubing circuit continues across the region, the results established in De Pere set a high benchmark for the remainder of the season.