Reno Spring 2026

Inside the Davidson Mathematics & Science Center on Saturday and the Wells Fargo Auditorium on Sunday, the rhythmic clatter of turning plastic defined the atmosphere across two busy days of action. Timers flashed, judges stood attentively beside the stations, and runners transported solved puzzles back to the scramblers without pause. Running a weekend schedule spanning ten events and twenty-one rounds required continuous effort from the organizers, WCA delegates, and dedicated volunteers. Their behind-the-scenes management kept every station moving smoothly in Reno, Nevada, USA, setting the stage for a competitive gathering on May 9 and 10.

The 2026 edition of Reno Spring 2026 brought together 25 competitors to challenge the clock across a broad variety of formats. From standard three-layer puzzles to sprawling big cubes and specialty items, the staff ensured that every participant had an efficient platform to perform. Speedcubing tournaments depend entirely on this collective discipline, where experienced community members trade off between judging attempts, scrambling according to official sheets, and competing in their own scheduled heats.

When attention turned to the main stage, Michael Larsen produced an outstanding run across several categories. In the classic Rubik's Cube final, Larsen captured top honors with a winning average of 8.35 seconds, backed by a best single of 7.68. Naomi Solnick secured second place with an 8.87 average, while Jacob Marinas claimed third with 9.30. Larsen's mastery extended to mid-sized hardware as well, taking first place in 4x4x4 Cube with a 36.51 average and first in 5x5x5 Cube with a 1:08.13 mark, adding to a podium collection that featured the United States across all thirty awarded spots.

The 3x3 results formed only a portion of Larsen's busy campaign, as Jason Ostdiek and Jaden Thompson also battled at the top of several leaderboards. Ostdiek delivered a dominant showing in 3x3x3 One-Handed, winning the final with an average of 12.64 seconds ahead of Thompson's 14.56. Ostdiek also claimed victory in the 6x6x6 Cube with a 2:00.45 average, edging Larsen and Thompson in a tight podium race. Thompson found his own golden finish on the largest puzzle of the schedule, capturing the 7x7x7 Cube title with an average of 3:12.73.

Beyond the traditional puzzles, the weekend celebrated several standout specialized events. Jacob Vincent Vicente Mangosing topped the Clock standings with a swift 4.71 average, while Sid Shivnath executed rapid solutions to win both the 2x2x2 Cube with a 2.05 average and the Skewb final with a 2.11 average. In 3x3x3 Blindfolded, Naomi Solnick took first place honors with an impressive 23.52 single solve, leading a podium that included Jacob Marinas in second at 44.76 and Jason Ostdiek in third at 49.48. Meanwhile, Lebanon representative Rashad Kadado (رشاد قدادو) set new national records in Clock, recording a single of 10.85 and an average of 12.84.

Away from the top steps of the podium, the tournament provided immense personal breakthroughs for competitors pushing their limits. Kayden Norkunas took on nine separate events, shaving 34.9 percent off their previous best in 2x2x2 Cube to hit 4.52, cutting 29.8 percent in 5x5x5 Cube down to 1:35.68, and finishing sixth in 7x7x7 Cube with a first-time mark of 5:26.23. Thomas Đặng Hoàng Thịnh completed a massive ten-event program, notching a fifth-place finish in 7x7x7 Cube with an initial 5:13.12 while improving by 32.2 percent in 6x6x6 Cube to 3:34.63 and 30.4 percent in 5x5x5 Cube to 1:51.41. Nathan Scovis also tackled ten events, securing fifth in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 1:19.11 personal best that was 25.3 percent faster than before, alongside a 25.7 percent drop in 6x6x6 Cube to 4:34.87.

The depth of progress continued throughout the field across numerous disciplines. Rashad Kadado (رشاد قدادو) entered eight events, achieving a seventh-place finish in Clock with a 14 percent personal best of 10.85 while posting first-ever official attempts of 2:05.88 in 3x3x3 Blindfolded and 5:10.58 in 6x6x6 Cube. Jesse Steele lowered personal bests across three big cubes, taking sixth in 6x6x6 Cube with 3:26.07, hitting 1:33.62 in 5x5x5 Cube, and recording 55.51 in 4x4x4 Cube. For newcomers attending their first WCA competition, the stage offered immediate milestones. Nathan Gonzalez contested seven events, recording first marks of 1:15.13 in one-handed, 26.96 in Skewb, and 1:20.11 in 4x4x4 Cube. Alex Crocco debuted across four events with an opening 20.04 in 3x3x3 Cube, while Jaxon Solano set marks in four events including a 20.33 three-by-three single and a 37.64 one-handed attempt.

Every round completed and every personal milestone reached owed its success to the seamless flow maintained across both campus venues. As Reno Spring 2026 drew to a close on Sunday evening, the organizers and volunteers packed away the timers, scorecards, and display mats after two full days of speed cubing. The weekend stood as an organized triumph for the local scene, celebrating technical precision, steady administration, and personal achievement across every event on the calendar.