TJHSST Winter 2026

The competition floor at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology was alive with energy long before the timers turned green. Across the venue, competitors leaned over shared warm-up mats, inspecting scrambled puzzles together, trading tips, and reconnecting with friends from across the region. The one-day gathering drew 102 competitors to Alexandria, Virginia, USA, filling the hall with the rhythmic clatter of plastic and the collective focus that defines speedcubing culture.

Held on March 15, 2026, the TJHSST Winter 2026 featured a balanced slate of six events spanning ten rounds of action. Side events like Clock and 3x3x3 One-Handed brought competitors together between rounds, fostering shared enthusiasm as solvers cheered each other through unfamiliar mechanics and intense elimination brackets. That blend of grassroots camaraderie and sharp competitive spirit set the tone across every table during the full day of speed cubing action.

When the spotlight shifted to the classic Rubik's Cube, the battle for the main event delivered exceptional precision across three rounds of play. In a contest that drew 101 competitors, the official 3x3 results came down to mere tenths of a second. Sam Popp secured victory in the 3x3x3 Cube final, logging an outstanding winning average of 7.60 alongside a tournament-best single of 6.07.

Fiona Bao pushed Popp to the limit in the final round, claiming second place with a 7.68 average, while Sanzhar Beisembayev rounded out the top tier in third at 7.79. Beyond the flagship puzzle, Bao constructed one of the most dominant all-around performances of the entire weekend, capturing first place across three separate disciplines with composure and consistency across different puzzle formats.

Bao claimed the title in the 4x4x4 Cube with a winning average of 28.54 and a single of 25.77, finishing ahead of Drew Duong at 29.39 and Beisembayev at 30.49. Bao then doubled up in the big cubes by taking the 5x5x5 Cube crown with an average of 51.56, while Beisembayev placed second at 56.74 and Duong took third at 57.42. Bao added a third gold medal in Clock, winning with a swift 3.33 average, followed by Duong at 4.15 and Zachary Shaw at 4.79.

Behind the top podiums, the cubing competition celebrated remarkable breakthroughs from participants tackling new challenges and setting personal milestones. Sriram Bhamidipati took on six events and dropped his Clock single to 9.25, improving by 69.4 percent, while Eric Cai improved his Clock personal best by 62.3 percent with a 12.66 single alongside a 1:04.63 in the 4x4x4 Cube. Landon Collier tackled six events, entering the 5x5x5 Cube for the first time with a 2:24.31, recording his first Clock attempt at 9.20, and shaving 45.8 percent off his 2x2x2 Cube mark with a 1.86 single. Eesa Darab entered five events and trimmed his 3x3x3 One-Handed personal best by 47.9 percent down to 22.65.

Expanding into fresh territory was a major theme across the field. Rayyan Hassen made debut appearances across three separate puzzles, logging his first 4x4x4 Cube attempt at 1:01.34, his first one-handed solve at 30.53, and a 4.36 in the 2x2x2 Cube. Sam Richard took on a full six-event schedule, recording first-ever official attempts in one-handed with 1:09.58, Clock with 32.95, and 5x5x5 Cube with 3:11.72. William Hardy registered his first one-handed solve at 21.93, his first 5x5x5 Cube solve at 1:14.20, and improved his 3x3x3 Cube mark by 27.1 percent to 7.98. Ved Panchal also took on six events, logging his first 5x5x5 Cube result at 2:12.03 and dropping his one-handed mark by 38.6 percent to 18.71.

Short-format puzzles provided high-speed drama in the afternoon. In the 2x2x2 Cube, Wesley Chase topped the podium with a winning average of 1.51 and a single of 1.38. Zayn Khanani claimed the second spot with a 1.61 average after posting a blistering 0.72 single in the preliminary round, while Hassan Khanani finished third at 1.78. Hassan Khanani rebounded by securing victory in 3x3x3 One-Handed, posting an 11.69 winning average to lead Ryland Wilson at 12.70 and Warren Morris at 12.83.

As tables cleared and scramblers packed away timers, the day concluded as a thorough showcase of local talent and mutual support. Every event produced standout efforts, from established contenders trading podium places to solvers achieving new personal bests at their latest WCA competition. The spirited atmosphere throughout TJHSST Winter 2026 affirmed the enduring sense of community that makes the sport flourish across the region.