Viva SaNxNta Cruz 2026

Mateo Bernal Jimenez blazed through the 2x2x2 Cube final with a winning mark of 1.93 seconds, delivering the sharpest performance of the weekend at Universidad NUR. The result set the tone for an action-packed late-season fixture on September 26 and 27, where competitors gathered to contest 11 official events. As the South American speedcubing calendar moves through its decisive stretch in 2026, the two-day gathering offered an important proving ground for both seasoned contenders and emerging talents seeking to cap their competitive campaigns on high notes.

The 3x3x3 Cube contest delivered tense action and crucial 3x3 results as Mateo Bernal Jimenez secured his second title of the weekend by posting a winning mark of 10.50 seconds. Santiago Cuellar Ortiz pushed hard throughout the final to claim the runner-up spot in 11.17 seconds, while Facundo Mauricio Torrico Calustro rounded out the all-Bolivian podium with a solid 11.25 seconds. The premier event underlined the high level of speed cubing present in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, where local solvers captured the lion share of medals across the program.

In the mid-sized puzzles, Jhoel Ariel Espindola Perez produced a stellar double-gold showing. Espindola Perez locked down first place in the 5x5x5 Cube with a time of 1:00.79, holding off Maicol Deimar Machaca Apaza who took second in 1:11.07 and Fabricio Andrés Yañez Terrazas in third with 1:11.64. Moving to the 6x6x6 Cube, Espindola Perez captured another victory in 1:40.18, leading Peru solver Joseph Daniel Blas Sanchez who finished second in 2:07.92 and Yañez Terrazas who completed the podium in 2:11.83.

Big cube mastery also belonged to Fabricio Andrés Yañez Terrazas, who paced the 7x7x7 Cube with a commanding 3:02.32 triumph. Maicol Deimar Machaca Apaza earned second place in 3:40.86, followed by Peru competitor Joseph Daniel Blas Sanchez in 3:45.71. Yañez Terrazas collected another top prize on the twelve-sided Megaminx, completing the event in 49.40 seconds ahead of Sebastián Morón Mariscal who took second in 58.34 seconds and Blas Sanchez who placed third in 1:05.34 at Viva SaNxNta Cruz 2026.

The 4x4x4 Cube saw Maicol Deimar Machaca Apaza take top honors by stopping the timer at 38.92 seconds in a fiercely contested bracket. Joseph Daniel Blas Sanchez secured second place with 39.45 seconds, edging Jhoel Ariel Espindola Perez who registered 39.78 seconds for third. In the 3x3x3 Blindfolded division, which challenges solvers to memorize the puzzle state before donning a blindfold, Sebastián Morón Mariscal earned the victory in 1:08.97. Henrique Pietro Muraro de Oliveira of Brazil followed in 1:28.95, while Ezequiel Penman Sandoval secured third in 1:39.10.

Beyond the top podium steps, the cubing competition provided huge milestones for solvers improving their personal marks. Patricia Victoria Rojas Valverde cut her 3x3x3 Cube personal record down to 38.65 seconds, representing a 61.5 percent drop from her prior best of 1:40.31. Liam Álvaro Vargas Mendez delivered a massive leap in the classic Rubik's Cube with a mark of 34.48 seconds, 53.7 percent faster than before, while also setting a Pyraminx best of 10.20 seconds. Matías Gael Romero Pérez improved his 3x3x3 mark to 21.46 seconds, cutting his prior best by 51.2 percent, and Lucas Byron Ymopoco Melcon dropped his 2x2x2 personal best to 3.40 seconds, a 46.7 percent improvement.

First-time event attempts highlighted the depth of progress across the roster. Sebastián Chucusea Vedia tackled seven events, logging a first-ever official attempt in the 7x7x7 Cube of 6:53.59 and placing seventh overall. Alexander Velasco Maturana entered five events, recording his first 4x4x4 Cube mark at 1:47.47 alongside a fourth-place finish in 3x3x3 Blindfolded. Alejandro Jhoel Cruz Cruz achieved a Megaminx personal best of 1:52.53, improving by 34.8 percent while tackling the 5x5x5 Cube for the first time in 2:33.65. Giselle Victoria Beramendi Illanes competed across eight disciplines, earning eighth in the 6x6x6 Cube with an initial attempt of 5:35.48.

The international spread added great flavor to the weekend, with Bolivia taking 27 podium placements, Peru securing 4, and Brazil claiming 2. Brazil representative Henrique Pietro Muraro de Oliveira made his mark with second-place finishes in both 2x2x2 Cube and 3x3x3 Blindfolded, while Peru standout Joseph Daniel Blas Sanchez mounted four podium trips across 4x4x4, 5x5x5, 6x6x6, and Megaminx. Across every event, the regional gathering demonstrated the thriving growth of South American speedcubing.

As the final timers were packed away, Viva SaNxNta Cruz 2026 wrapped up a memorable chapter in the regional schedule. The balance of dominant multi-event victories from frontrunners like Mateo Bernal Jimenez, Jhoel Ariel Espindola Perez, and Fabricio Andrés Yañez Terrazas alongside sweeping individual improvements showed the health of the community. With the season heading toward its concluding phase, the standard set at this WCA competition provides positive momentum for the entire competitive circuit.