Utepsa Welcome SCZ 2026

Inside the bustling halls of Universidad Tecnologica de Santa Cruz, the unmistakable clatter of plastic pieces echoed across the tournament floor. Solving mats sat ready under bright indoor lighting while competitors gathered their gear, tested tensions, and settled into their inspection routines. The venue provided a focused and energetic backdrop for a packed day of speedcubing in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. On July 4, 2026, the single-day gathering brought together 33 competitors across 9 distinct events, filling 11 rounds of competitive action with steady activity from early morning heats through to the final showdowns.

The 3x3x3 Cube served as the centerpiece of the meet, drawing all 33 entrants through three full rounds of head-to-head timing. Regors Luis Ríos Estevez claimed the victory in the main event, posting a decisive winning average of 10.60 to top the final standings. Ríos Estevez also delivered the fastest single time of the classic Rubik's Cube event, registering an impressive mark of 7.96 during the competition. That top-tier performance set the standard for the entire tournament and highlighted the high level of play at the top of the 3x3 results.

Ríos Estevez continued his winning form at the smaller puzzle table, securing another gold in the 2x2x2 Cube. Outlasting a field of 27 competitors, he recorded a winning average of 3.23 and a sharp best single of 2.11 across the round. Santiago Cuellar Ortiz took the runner-up position on the podium with an average of 3.51, while Fabricio Andrés Yañez Terrazas finished third with a 4.16 average. The fast-paced turns of the two-layered puzzle gave the venue some of its most rapid sequences of the day.

Fabricio Andrés Yañez Terrazas put together a remarkable multi-event campaign of his own, collecting three separate victories on the schedule. In the Pyraminx, Yañez Terrazas took first place with a 5.20 average, narrowly edging Santiago Cuellar Ortiz who took second at 5.24, and Facundo Mauricio Torrico Calustro who earned third at 5.42. Yañez Terrazas also topped the 5x5x5 Cube with an average of 1:04.44 and a best single of 59.92, finishing ahead of Joseph Daniel Blas Sanchez of Peru and Jhoel Ariel Espindola Perez. He added a third title in Megaminx with a 48.90 average, again leading Blas Sanchez and Sebastián Morón Mariscal.

The remaining twisty puzzle events delivered intense competition across all formats. Jhoel Ariel Espindola Perez claimed the 4x4x4 Cube victory with a 39.04 average and a 34.30 single, edging Yañez Terrazas by just four hundredths of a second at 39.08, while Blas Sanchez took third with 39.84. In Skewb, Santiago Cuellar Ortiz won the title with a 6.72 average over Blas Sanchez at 6.84 and Yañez Terrazas at 7.04. The blindfolded solving roster saw Sebastián Morón Mariscal win the 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a 59.00 single, while Ezequiel Penman Sandoval secured the 4x4x4 Blindfolded title with a time of 17:28.00.

Beyond the podium battles, the floor at this cubing competition saw tremendous personal milestones from dedicated competitors across the board. Cristhian Nuñez Guzmán cut massive margins from earlier marks, setting a 2x2x2 Cube personal best of 2.68 that was 43 percent faster than his prior 4.70 mark, alongside a 3x3x3 Cube personal best of 9.99 that improved by 16.8 percent. Alexander Fuentes Ricaldez took on 5 events, cutting his 2x2x2 Cube mark by 39.5 percent down to 5.83 and his 4x4x4 Cube mark by 36.8 percent down to 1:47.52, while also completing his first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube in 3:49.03. Giselle Victoria Beramendi Illanes entered 6 events, taking 7th in Skewb, completing her first ever attempt at 4x4x4 Cube in 1:19.51, and setting personal bests in 5x5x5 Cube at 3:37.99 and 2x2x2 Cube at 2.88. Nicolás Mendoza Peña improved his 4x4x4 Cube time by 34.6 percent with a personal best of 1:11.28 and set a Skewb personal best of 11.46.

The tournament floor also welcomed competitors branching into completely new disciplines and newcomers stepping up for their very first WCA competition. Sebastián Chucusea Vedia took on 5 events and logged his first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 7.94, 2x2x2 Cube in 6.09, and 4x4x4 Cube in 1:43.60, earning an 8th-place best finish in Skewb. Agustin Franco Romero posted a 24.9 percent improvement in 2x2x2 Cube with an 8.16, cut his 3x3x3 Cube time by 21.8 percent to 43.36, and made his first ever attempt at Pyraminx in 11.67. Making their official debuts, Junior Quispe Zurita recorded a first attempt of 9.12 in Pyraminx to place 7th along with a 21.32 in 3x3x3 Cube, while Alexander Velasco Maturana completed his first attempts with 6.66 in 2x2x2 Cube and 22.24 in the main event.

The overall country standings reflected a strong home showing, with competitors from Bolivia securing 21 podium places while Peru collected 5 top-three finishes across the program. With efficient round progression and strong numbers across big cubes, side events, and memory-intensive blindfolded disciplines, the event demonstrated the growing depth of the speed cubing community in the region. Utepsa Welcome SCZ 2026 concluded as an exemplary showcase of collegiate hosting, competitive balance, and personal progress on the South American stage.