SacCubing XXI 2025

A single twelve-hundredths of a second decided the premier event of the weekend as 134 competitors vied for the main Rubik's Cube title. The razor-thin margin crowned Caleb Yao champion in the 3x3x3 Cube after three tense rounds of competition. Yao recorded a decisive 7.08-second average alongside a single solve of 6.15 seconds, narrowly denying runner-up Will Callan, who finished at an average of 7.20 seconds. Dan Pastushkov rounded out the podium in third place with a 7.61-second average.

Held on September 28, 2025, in Sacramento, California, USA, the gathering at La Sierra Community Center brought together 135 speedcubing enthusiasts across five events and ten total rounds. As an official WCA competition, the event offered high-stakes racing across puzzles of varying dimensions. Competitors and spectators followed the 3x3 results closely throughout the day, witnessing elite execution under pressure right down to the final solve of the afternoon.

Will Callan made amends for his narrow second-place finish in the classic cube by staging a dominant showing in the 2x2x2 Cube. Callan secured the gold with a stunning 1.66-second winning average, bolstered by a 1.45-second single solve in the final round. Stanley Chapel claimed second place with a 2.00-second average, while Benjamin Schaham took third on a 2.31 average. Callan stood out across the 111-competitor field by logging an unbeatable 1.15 single and a 1.44 average during the rounds.

In the 4x4x4 Cube, international visitor Yuki Nomura of Japan delivered an outstanding performance across two rounds. Nomura captured the victory with a 27.11 average, supported by a 26.54 best single. Paul Mahvi earned second place with an average of 28.48 seconds, while Stanley Chapel collected another podium finish in third place with a 29.78 average. Nomura also demonstrated speed on the smaller cube during the meet, registering marks of 2.87 for single and 3.41 for average on the 2x2x2.

The remaining puzzle categories produced equally brisk contests at SacCubing XXI 2025. Sid Shivnath conquered the Skewb event, recording a winning average of 3.09 seconds with a 1.78 single across two rounds to edge out Yuto Konno at 3.51 seconds and Stanley Chapel at 3.54 seconds. Meanwhile, the dodecahedral Megaminx saw Nolan Yiu capture the title with an average of 37.43 seconds and a best single of 33.55 seconds, besting Eli Valera at 49.75 seconds and Brandon Lugtu at 50.48 seconds.

Behind the top podium steps, several competitors demonstrated remarkable progress through massive personal improvements. Dylan Whigan made a breakthrough in the main event, setting a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 19.11 seconds to drop his prior mark by 53.6 percent, alongside a first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube of 6.77 seconds. Harrison Zuo lowered his 2x2x2 Cube personal record to 4.22 seconds, which was 61.7 percent faster than before, added a 16.30 personal best in 3x3x3, and logged his first Skewb attempt at 12.18 seconds. Haadi Syed advanced his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 52.3 percent to 3.89 seconds and tackled his first 4x4x4 Cube attempt in 2:05.11.

New puzzle milestones continued throughout the venue as other participants took on fresh challenges. Josiah Thaddeus Davids completed all five events, securing a 26th-place finish in Megaminx with a personal best of 1:30.89 that cut 35.7 percent off his previous time, while attempting Skewb with an 8.40 and 4x4x4 Cube with a 39.33 for the first time. Isaac C. Luskin took on four events, completing his first 4x4x4 Cube attempt in 1:52.48, his first Skewb attempt in 11.58 seconds, and trimming his 3x3x3 best to 18.80 seconds. Tobias Lin recorded a 13.13 personal best on the 3x3x3, alongside first attempts at Skewb in 11.79 and 4x4x4 in 1:09.45. Carl Matthew A. Nova posted a 13.47 in 3x3x3 and debuted in 4x4x4 with 1:20.98 and Skewb with 13.56, while Balis Peirce made first attempts in 4x4x4 at 1:04.09 and Skewb at 14.32.

The single-day cubing competition concluded with United States competitors capturing 14 of the 15 available podium positions, alongside one podium finish from Japan. The high standard of play across all age brackets and puzzle disciplines highlighted the vibrant speed cubing culture in northern California. With ten rounds wrapped up and dozens of personal milestones achieved, the community turns its focus toward the upcoming events on the regional calendar.