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Competitions → United States → CubingUSA Heartland Championship 2026

Competitions · United States

CubingUSA Heartland Championship 2026

West Des Moines, Iowa · 22 May 2026 · 17 events · 168 competitors · 347 personal bests

Nathan Phillips won four of the 17 events (4×4, 5×5, 6×6) and the closest final was the 3×3 one-handed, won by Brian Johnson by 0.06 seconds. 168 competitors produced 347 personal bests, 263 of which still stand today, and 17 people held a competitor card for the first time.

The moment

A national record

Abdel Issa (عبدالرحمن عيسى) set the 3×3 Fewest Moves average national record: 30.33.

Four wins
Nathan Phillips — 4×4, 5×5, 6×6, 7×7
0.06s
closest final — 3×3 one-handed, Brian Johnson over Ryan Pilat
347
personal bests set on the day

Winners & podiums

EventWinnerSingleAverage
3×3Ryan Pilat4.786.40
2×2Carter Kucala1.431.97
4×4Nathan Phillips25.7927.60
5×5Nathan Phillips45.2448.91
6×6Nathan Phillips1:18.281:22.10
7×7Nathan Phillips2:05.572:06.94
3×3 blindfoldedRyan Pilat18.58—
3×3 Fewest MovesBrian Johnson19 moves21.33
3×3 one-handedBrian Johnson9.0410.51
ClockMax McGill2.693.20
MegaminxTyler Robinson36.3538.52
PyraminxCarl Overbye1.612.46
SkewbBrian Johnson2.592.69
Square-1Brian Johnson5.586.06
4×4 blindfoldedRyan Pilat2:20.74—
5×5 blindfoldedCale Schoon5:49.07—
3×3 Multi-BlindCarter Kucala28 of 35 cubes · 1:00:00—

The PB harvest

347 set · 263 still standing
  • Brian Johnson — 3×3 single 4.20: into the top 0.026% of the event's history.
  • Marcus Zook — Pyraminx single 2.27: into the top 1.6% of the event's history.
  • Luke Selle — 2×2 single 1.70: into the top 3.1% of the event's history.
  • Joshua Carey — Clock single 5.08: into the top 4.6% of the event's history.
  • Gage Flowers — 2×2 single 2.00: into the top 4.7% of the event's history.
  • Milo Osbourne — Clock single 5.71: into the top 6.3% of the event's history.
  • Joshua Antoine — Pyraminx single 3.98: into the top 7.5% of the event's history.
  • Andrew Donald — Pyraminx single 4.06: into the top 8.0% of the event's history.

First-timers

17 people competed for the first time at this competition, joining the 18,546 people who made their debut in 2026. Start here explains what a first competition is like.

Records watch

1 regional record was set at this competition.

The field

168 competitors · 2278 results · 17 events.

Solve this final yourself

how this works →

The 3×3 final here ran on one scramble group, so these five sequences are exactly what the finalists faced. Ryan Pilat won it with a 6.40 average. Hold your cube white centre up, green centre facing you, follow each sequence, and check against the pictures.

  1. 1F2 D L U' B D' F R2 F2 D2 F2 D L2 D' R' U' F2 L2
  2. 2L' U' R U B2 R D' B L B2 L' F2 D2 B2 U' L2 F
  3. 3R2 B2 D R' L2 U2 B L2 D2 F2 L2 R2 D' L2 F' D2 F U' R2
  4. 4B2 R' F' U2 B' L2 D2 L2 B' R2 U' B U B2 L D2 U' F' R'
  5. 5U2 L2 F2 D2 R2 B' R2 B' F' R' B' R2 D' L' F2 D' B' U' R2

solve 1

solve 2

solve 3

solve 4

solve 5

Race this final

Everyone who competed

168 competitors

Reading this page: a single is one solve's time · an average is the middle three of five solves, best and worst discarded · a PB is a personal best · a final is a competition's last round; its order decides the podium · a DNF (did not finish) is an attempt with no valid result: a popped piece, an unsolved face, an over-limit memorisation · every solve starts from a computer-generated scramble, the same for every competitor in a round.