SCU III: FMC Triple-Scoop 2026

Thirty-seven competitors gathered at Santa Clara University for SCU III: FMC Triple-Scoop 2026, setting the stage for an intense clash across five specialized disciplines. Held over March 14–15 in Santa Clara, California, USA, the two-day gathering pitted elite local speedcubing talent against premier international challengers. The schedule spanned ten total rounds, challenging participants in stamina, efficiency, and deep analytical solving. From complex big cubes to blindfolded feats, the cubing competition delivered tight battles between North American standouts and visiting competitors representing China and Hong Kong.

The headline efficiency contest in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves delivered high drama across three rigorous rounds. Dewei Tan representing Hong Kong captured first place with an impressive winning average of 23.00, highlighted by a best single of 22 in the final round. Along the way, Tan established a new Hong Kong national record single of 19 moves and a national record average of 21.33 moves. Canada's Jack Lee pushed the winner to the absolute wire, securing second place with a 23.33 average, while Yunhao Lou of China claimed third with a 24.67 average. The international duel set a high benchmark for classical Rubik's Cube technique.

Big cubes belonged squarely to the United States contingent, led by a commanding double victory from An Le. In the 6x6x6 Cube final, Le secured the top spot on the podium with a winning average of 1:39.40 and a best single of 1:35.08, keeping Shane Grogan of the USA in second place at 1:52.75. Yunhao Lou broke up the American dominance to earn third place for China with a mark of 1:57.10. The 24 competitors in the event tackled dense mechanical challenges where consistency under time pressure proved critical across the two competitive rounds.

Le extended his supremacy into the 7x7x7 Cube division, producing another gold medal performance for the host nation. With a winning average of 2:32.03 and a tournament-best single of 2:22.56, Le led a clean podium sweep for the United States. Graham Siggins captured the silver medal with an average of 3:02.80, closely pursued by Shane Grogan who took third in 3:04.16. Across 23 competitors, the largest puzzles demanded immense physical endurance and spatial tracking, showcasing Le's technical precision against seasoned domestic rivals.

The specialized disciplines also highlighted contrasting solving strengths across varied formats. In Megaminx, Nolan Yiu kept the title on American soil by winning with an average of 35.13 and a sharp single of 28.90 across two rounds of play. Matt Mao from China claimed the runner-up position with an average of 44.65, while Eli Valera finished third in 46.16. Meanwhile, 3x3x3 Multi-Blind saw Graham Siggins master 48 out of 66 cubes in 1:00:02 to take the win, ahead of Naomi Solnick's 23 of 25 in 50:49 and Jack Lee's perfect 10 of 10 in 59:39.

Beyond the podium battles, several competitors achieved meaningful breakthroughs across the weekend program. Darion Misner tackled four events, making his first ever attempt at Megaminx with 4:16.28, his first attempt at 7x7x7 Cube with 9:35.53, and shaving 43.1 percent off his 6x6x6 Cube personal best to finish in 5:06.63. Nathan Scovis contested four events, earning an eighth-place finish in 3x3x3 Fewest Moves, a 6:09.99 mark in his first 6x6x6 Cube attempt, a 25.6 percent personal best improvement in Fewest Moves to 32, and a 1:11.50 Megaminx best. Jin Wu entered three events, logging a first Fewest Moves attempt of 49 and an 8.5 percent 7x7x7 Cube improvement to 10:53.00. Thomas Rond delivered a personal best of 31 in Fewest Moves, an 11.4 percent drop, alongside a 7:38.50 mark on the 7x7x7 Cube.

The progress continued down the order as competitors expanded their event repertoires. Daniel Tsai improved his Megaminx personal best by 11.5 percent to 1:20.45 in his sole event of the weekend. Brandon Yee entered five events, claiming seventh place in 6x6x6 Cube with a 2:20.63 personal best, alongside a 9.5 percent improvement to 50.78 in Megaminx and a 4.7 percent improvement to 3:41.94 in 7x7x7 Cube. Charmaine Escudero advanced her 7x7x7 Cube standard by 6.2 percent to 3:58.62, while Kevin Li finished seventh in 7x7x7 Cube with a 15.3 percent personal best cut to 3:28.15. Cooper Gibb made his official debut at this WCA competition, recording a time of 1:54.25 in his first Megaminx event.

The weekend concluded with the host United States capturing nine total podium places, flanked by China with three, Canada with two, and Hong Kong with one. The wide variety of formats tested different aspects of speed cubing, extending well beyond standard 3x3 results to evaluate endurance and algorithmic mastery. With memorable records and breakthroughs from veterans and newer solvers alike, SCU III: FMC Triple-Scoop 2026 delivered an exceptional showcase of regional and international talent in Santa Clara.