SCU II: Double-Scoop of FMC 2025

American competitors established complete dominance across multiple disciplines as SCU II: Double-Scoop of FMC 2025 took over Santa Clara University on August 17, 2025. Leading the charge on home soil, United States competitors claimed ten out of the twelve available podium positions throughout the action-packed single-day schedule. From precise efficiency tests to rapid-fire shape-shifting puzzles, the tournament showcased an extraordinary display of depth across every tier of the roster.

The 3x3x3 Fewest Moves contest proved to be the ultimate showcase of national strength, with United States entrants capturing every step of the podium across two rounds of play. Jackson Warley secured top honors among 26 competitors with a winning average of 26.67 moves, supported by a best single solution of 21. Fellow countrymen Stanley Tran and Calvin Nielson followed close behind to complete the sweep, posting averages of 30.00 and 30.67 respectively. Fans searching for classic 3x3 results found an intellectual masterclass instead.

The podium-locking trend continued seamlessly into Square-1, where the American contingent once again locked out all three top spots. Calvin Nielson claimed his second podium of the meet, earning first place with a winning average of 8.16 seconds and the round best single of 5.35 seconds among 28 entrants. Ben Yu took second place with an average of 9.12 seconds, while Avery Cochran completed the all-American podium in third place with a 13.65-second average.

India standout Sheldon Rego delivered the primary counterweight to the host nation dominance by engineering a commanding sweep of the large cubes. In the 6x6x6 Cube final, Rego posted a winning average of 1:27.97 and a single of 1:25.39 to claim the gold. United States solvers Emily Nguyen and An Le took the remaining podium steps with averages of 1:38.83 and 1:45.33 respectively, representing the home nation well in a 31-competitor field.

Rego repeated his winning formula on the massive 7x7x7 Cube, capturing first place with a winning average of 2:28.73 alongside a best single of 2:23.03. The podium arrangement mirrored the 6x6x6 Cube exactly, as American solvers Emily Nguyen with a 2:33.37 average and An Le with a 2:46.30 average earned silver and bronze. While Rego secured two wins for India, the United States maintained its podium tally by claiming four of the six large cube awards.

Beyond the championship races, the floor of the tournament provided a stage for breakthrough milestones across the roster. Brandon Yee produced massive personal bests, cutting his 7x7x7 Cube mark by 41.2 percent down to 3:52.98 and dropping his 6x6x6 Cube time by 22.6 percent to 2:21.48, while also tackling his first ever attempt at 3x3x3 Fewest Moves with a count of 47. Amahl Weinstein Agrawal achieved a trio of major personal bests, trimming 34.7 percent on 6x6x6 Cube to 3:37.15, 33.1 percent on 7x7x7 Cube to 5:39.57, and 31.6 percent in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves to 26. Lawrence Zhao improved his Square-1 best by 26.2 percent to 21.98 seconds and made his first ever attempt at 6x6x6 Cube with a 4:08.61 mark.

Other competitors took on brand-new territory with equal ambition across the schedule. Atish Chatterjee entered his first WCA competition, taking on three events including first attempts in Square-1 at 1:34.60, 6x6x6 Cube at 2:27.27, and 7x7x7 Cube at 4:07.06. Po Chen Yang also marked a first WCA competition by posting a first attempt in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves of 33. Michael Jiazhuo Xu took on four events, logging first attempts in Square-1 at 44.82, 6x6x6 Cube at 3:57.88, and 7x7x7 Cube at 6:53.03. Ryan Modafe logged three new event debuts including a 3:20.18 in 6x6x6 Cube, while Kevin Deng tackled three first attempts highlighted by a 29.16 in Square-1.

With 35 competitors contesting four distinct events across five total rounds, SCU II: Double-Scoop of FMC 2025 delivered high drama in Santa Clara, California, USA. The meeting celebrated both the technical nuance of Rubik's Cube variants and the intense pacing that defines top-tier speedcubing. As the speed cubing calendar progresses through 2025, the depth demonstrated at this cubing competition establishes a formidable standard for the upcoming season.