Pocatello Potato Palooza 2026

Inside the Idaho State University Pond Student Union Building, timers were set up across long tables as forty-seven solvers gathered on March 28, 2026. Warm-up cubes turned steadily, judges prepared score sheets, and competitors took their seats in Pocatello, Idaho, USA. The single-day schedule carried ten rounds across six official disciplines, bringing together experienced finalists and brand-new entrants for a full slate of speedcubing action in eastern Idaho.

By the end of the day, United States competitors completed a total sweep of the podiums, capturing all eighteen available top-three positions at Pocatello Potato Palooza 2026. Across every single event on the program, American solvers secured the gold, silver, and bronze spots. The depth of the field was evident from the opening heats to the late-afternoon finals, turning the cubing competition into an absolute showcase of national talent across both big cubes and twisty side events.

Evan Beck paced the field with three separate event victories, leading the way in the main events. In the classic Rubik's Cube final, Beck earned the title with a winning average of 7.57 seconds, backed by a best single of 6.91 seconds across three rounds of play. David Dopp followed in second place with a 7.90 average, while Rustin Haderlie finished third with a mark of 9.57. These official 3x3 results capped a high-energy final round that featured forty-seven total competitors.

Beck continued his winning form on the larger puzzles, taking the 4x4x4 Cube crown with an average of 30.37 seconds and a best single solve of 29.15 seconds in a single-round contest of thirty-five solvers. Dopp picked up another runner-up finish with an average of 36.32 seconds, and Isaac Buck placed third in 39.76 seconds. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Beck collected his third victory by recording an average of 1:01.01 and a single of 54.45 seconds, finishing ahead of Buck at 1:09.78 and Cade Beck at 1:10.88.

Logan Smith matched the multi-title achievement by taking two gold medals of his own. In the 3x3x3 One-Handed event, Smith topped a field of thirty-two entrants over two rounds, winning with a 14.56 average and a 12.94 single. Grady Wright took second place averaging 17.47 seconds, and Buck earned third in 18.32 seconds. Smith also conquered the 3x3x3 Blindfolded division, where competitors must memorize the puzzle before donning a blindfold, capturing first place with a single solve of 1:17.88 ahead of Trent Corbin Rundquist at 1:27.38 and Mateo Ocampo at 1:52.09.

The Square-1 title went to Cade Beck, who posted a decisive winning average of 13.45 seconds and a sharp single solve of 10.15 seconds to outpace eighteen competitors. Buck finished as the runner-up with an average of 13.58 seconds, missing the top spot by just over a tenth of a second, while Wright locked up the third-place position with a 15.10 average. The tight contest highlighted the precision demanded by the shape-shifting puzzle on the tournament stage.

Beyond the championship trophies, solvers throughout the venue registered massive personal breakthroughs away from the podium spotlight. Ryker Harrison produced one of the weekend's biggest surges by dropping his Square-1 personal best to 30.43 seconds, an improvement of 61.5 percent over his prior mark of 1:19.12, while also tackling his first ever 5x5x5 Cube attempt in 3:05.94. Mark Richey improved his Square-1 best by 54 percent down to 40.93 seconds and set a 4x4x4 Cube personal best of 1:04.53. Dawson Morrow took on his first 4x4x4 Cube solve in 1:53.89 and lowered his Square-1 record by 37.9 percent to 30.49 seconds. Teagen Grover tackled six events, making his debut on Square-1 in 40.96 seconds and cutting 38.7 percent off his 4x4x4 Cube best with a time of 57.84 seconds.

Several other competitors marked notable milestones at the tournament table. Hunter Anderson cut 39.3 percent from his 3x3x3 personal best to reach 19.60 seconds while taking his first official turns at 4x4x4 Cube and One-Handed. Jacob Bertrand shaved 23.3 percent off his 3x3x3 best with a 14.57 mark and finished 12th in the 5x5x5 Cube. Elias Chiu stepped up for his first WCA competition, taking on four events and recording an opening 3x3x3 single of 28.92 seconds. Abraham Serrano also completed his first WCA competition, competing in two events and posting a single of 18.68 seconds on the 3x3x3 Cube.

The energetic day of speed cubing at Pocatello Potato Palooza 2026 concluded with eighteen trophies distributed across six events. Solvers packed up their cubes and timers after ten completed rounds of head-to-head racing in Idaho. With dominant performances by multi-event winners and dozens of personal milestones achieved across the board, the tournament offered a comprehensive showcase of regional puzzle talent as the 2026 season continues onward.