Temple Qualifier 2026

Thirty-four competitors took to the tables in the classic 3x3x3 Cube at the Frank W. Mayborn Civic & Convention Center, setting a relentless pace across three rounds of intense action. The Temple Qualifier 2026 brought high-octane speedcubing to Temple, Texas, USA over the weekend of May 9 to May 10, 2026. Across a busy schedule spanning 11 events and 33 total rounds, the fast-turning sprint events headlined the gathering, delivering razor-thin margins and breathtaking final averages as contenders vied for regional dominance.

The premier 3x3x3 Cube tournament delivered top-tier 3x3 results, culminating in a composed victory by Azhar Virani. Navigating three tough rounds against a 34-person field, Virani posted a winning average of 7.83 seconds alongside the weekend's best single solve of 7.05 seconds. Ray Bai secured the runner-up spot on the podium with an average of 8.25 seconds, while Kyumin Shim of the Republic of Korea claimed third place with an 8.85 average. The tight cluster at the top showcased the precision required on the standard Rubik's Cube.

The pace quickened even further in the 2x2x2 Cube, where Ayushmaan Arora mastered the explosive, short-form event across three full rounds. Arora logged a decisive winning average of 2.31 seconds, propelled by a blistering best single solve of 1.50 seconds. The battle for the remaining podium steps saw Jaxon Sensabaugh take second place with an average of 2.49 seconds, narrowly edging out Trishan Reddy Katamreddy, who earned third with a mark of 2.55 seconds among the 33 competitors.

Ray Bai assembled one of the most commanding multi-discipline performances of the competition. Bai earned three titles over the two days, starting with a dominant showing in the 4x4x4 Cube, where he captured first place with an average of 24.89 seconds ahead of Casey Ngo at 28.87 and Azhar Virani at 30.18. Bai followed that with a victory in 3x3x3 One-Handed, recording a 10.73 average and an 8.67 single, before taking the 5x5x5 Cube title in 49.24 seconds over William Henry Ruppert V.

Ruppert countered with his own impressive display across the larger mechanisms and specialty disciplines. In the 6x6x6 Cube, Ruppert claimed the title with a 1:32.45 average, holding off Bai's 1:33.59 and Ngo's 1:51.69. Ruppert repeated that top-step finish in the 7x7x7 Cube with an average of 2:34.59, again finishing just ahead of Bai at 2:36.12 and Ngo at 3:05.89. Adding to his hardware haul, Ruppert captured the Clock event with a sharp 3.77 winning average.

Beyond the championship battles, the WCA competition revealed major personal milestones throughout the order of play. Ethan T. Branscum made substantial leaps across his five entered events, lopping 51.7 percent off his Pyraminx mark to record a personal best of 7.42 seconds, trimming his 2x2x2 Cube best by 14.1 percent to 4.77 seconds, and making his first ever attempt at Clock with a 17.01. Fox Johnson took on a massive slate of 10 events, logging first-time official marks in Clock at 51.68, 5x5x5 Cube at 3:40.33, and Square-1 at 1:46.17. Owen Sampson dropped his 3x3x3 Cube personal best by 31.8 percent to 18.79 seconds and his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 17.8 percent to 6.23 seconds.

Other competitors similarly seized the weekend to rewrite their personal records on the competition stage. Siwoo Kim cut 12.6 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube standard down to 16.59 seconds while registering a first-time 2x2x2 Cube mark of 7.48 seconds. Zeeshan Ahmed lowered his 2x2x2 Cube best by 23.9 percent to 4.10 seconds across his four events. Nicholas Russo earned a 4th-place finish in Clock with a personal best of 5.24 seconds, an improvement of 33.1 percent. Owen Zarovy logged his first official 5x5x5 Cube result at 1:49.72, and Arjun Sengupta marked his first speed cubing event by registering an official 3x3x3 Cube single of 38.86 seconds.

The remaining rotation of specialty events delivered equally sharp competition across the tables. Tucker Chamberlain took top honours in Square-1 with an average of 6.69 seconds, aided by a best single of 5.48. In Megaminx, Maddox Smith conquered the 12-sided puzzle with an average of 37.48 seconds, while Jeffrey Woolston took the Pyraminx title in 2.74 seconds, holding off Don Daniels at 2.84 and Chamberlain at 3.01.

With 35 total entrants and 33 completed rounds, Temple Qualifier 2026 proved to be an efficient and competitive display of talent in central Texas. From the lightning-fast turns of the short-format puzzles to the endurance required on the big cubes, the gathering demonstrated the depth of modern cubing competition. Competitors will look to carry their momentum, personal bests, and podium finishes into the next phase of the 2026 speedcubing calendar.