UCSB Favorites 2025

A blistering 5.81 single solve on the classic Rubik's Cube set the tone, but it was rock-solid consistency across five attempts that ultimately earned Brendyn Dunagan the top spot on the 3x3x3 Cube podium. That winning 6.67 average highlighted the opening narrative at UCSB Favorites 2025. Staged at the UCSB Corwin Pavilion in Santa Barbara, California, USA, the single-day gathering on November 1, 2025 drew 84 competitors to contest 18 rounds across 12 distinct events. Speedcubing in modern competition often rewards steady pacing, and the weekend proved that holding composure over a full average was the essential recipe for taking home gold.

Dunagan assembled an extraordinary multi-event performance by securing five separate victories, demonstrating exceptional command from the smallest puzzles to the larger cubes. Beyond the marquee 3x3 results, he topped the 2x2x2 Cube with a 2.00 average after throwing down a 0.86 single, and captured the Clock title with a 3.61 mark. Moving into the complex and heavier puzzles, Dunagan won the Square-1 final with an exact 5.00 average and closed out the 6x6x6 Cube in 1:24.59. His ability to execute cleanly five solves in a row proved impossible to match across a demanding schedule.

The 3x3x3 Cube final featured 72 competitors whittled down to a fiercely competitive podium race. While Dunagan secured first place, Spursh Deshpande took the second step of the podium with an 8.25 average. Aaron Do followed closely behind, logging an 8.34 average to capture third place. Do maintained an active presence near the top of the leaderboards all day, managing podium finishes in multiple categories and reinforcing how dependable execution across whole rounds distinguishes the sharpest contenders at this WCA competition.

The larger puzzles featured intense duels where narrow margins separated the frontrunners. In the 4x4x4 Cube final, Shane Grogan secured victory with a 30.25 average, barely edging out Emily Nguyen, who finished as runner-up with a 30.76 mark, while Aaron Do picked up another third-place finish with a 35.45 average. Grogan delivered a 29.84 single along the way, but his poise over five solves made the difference. Nguyen swiftly answered back on the bigger hardware, dominating the 5x5x5 Cube with a 51.13 average ahead of Grogan's 1:01.62 and Jack Flynn Stewart's 1:01.64. Nguyen also claimed the 7x7x7 Cube title in 2:25.60.

Specialist categories brought their own display of controlled turning and methodical solve construction. In 3x3x3 One-Handed, Nipun Das captured the championship with an 11.49 average and a 9.04 single, finishing ahead of Aileen Vo with 14.75 and Aaron Do with 17.20. Dominic Shoji took the Pyraminx crown with a 2.90 average to lead Abraham Ramírez with 3.08 and Jacob Wong with 3.34. In Skewb, August Barnard delivered a 4.82 winning average to best Vinícius Shaw with 5.47 and Sherry Tao with 6.35. Stewart rounded out the puzzle variety by earning the Megaminx title with a 49.00 average, proving that thorough preparation pays off on twelve-sided surfaces.

Beyond the championship battles, the true depth of the speed cubing field shone through remarkable personal progressions across the roster. Alexander Kang turned heads with a massive 69.4 percent drop on Pyraminx, cutting his personal best to 3.35, alongside a 2.91 personal best on the 2x2x2 Cube that was 61.5 percent faster than before and a 25.32 single in 3x3x3 One-Handed. Jasmine Dela Cruz Eublera enjoyed a huge breakthrough on the 3x3x3 Cube, lowering her personal best to 22.18, an improvement of 64.5 percent, while also logging a 9.40 solve in her first ever attempt at 2x2x2 Cube. Jared Ronald Dela Cruz Eublera trimmed his 4x4x4 Cube personal best to 57.66, which was 53.5 percent faster than his prior standard, while also hitting 12.12 on 3x3x3 Cube and 4.67 on 2x2x2 Cube. Jay Vuong chopped 35.2 percent off his 3x3x3 Cube best with a 19.14 single, took on Square-1 for the first time with a 1:24.34, and finished 12th in the event.

First-time event entries and new competitors added immense energy to the hall. Kevin Baugher tackled five events and recorded inaugural marks in Clock at 21.74, Skewb at 14.65, and Pyraminx at 12.79, achieving a weekend-best 13th place in Skewb. Emmett Milch stepped up for five events, logging first attempts in Pyraminx at 8.85, 4x4x4 Cube at 2:25.70, and Clock at 36.17. Tomas Kim made his debut cubing competition appearance, entering four events and putting up a 14.92 single on 3x3x3 Cube, a 36.91 on 3x3x3 One-Handed, and a 20.20 in Skewb for 14th place. Max Ominsky also contested his first tournament, logging four events that included a 13.76 on 3x3x3 Cube, 4.24 on 2x2x2 Cube, and 6.94 on Pyraminx.

With 30 podium finishes earned by United States solvers alongside three each for Brazil and Mexico, the single-day meet reflected strong regional and international depth. The relentless focus on smooth averages over isolated fast solves served as the defining theme throughout the eighteen total rounds of action. When the tables were cleared and timers packed away at UCSB Corwin Pavilion, UCSB Favorites 2025 concluded having demonstrated the enduring value of precision, nerve, and consistency at every level of modern play.