Competitions · United States
Iowa Winter Cooldown 2026
Ames, Iowa · 28 February 2026 · 5 events · 65 competitors · 54 personal bests
Ethan Cho won three of the five events (3×3, 5×5, 7×7) and the closest final was the Skewb, won by Marcus Zook by 0.25 seconds. 65 competitors produced 54 personal bests, 39 of which still stand today, and 16 people held a competitor card for the first time.
The moment
The day's biggest improvement
Winston Johnson took a Skewb single of 13.14 down to 5.02, 62 percent better in one day.
Winners & podiums
| Event | Winner | Single | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3×3 | Ethan Cho | 7.02 | 8.42 |
| 5×5 | Ethan Cho | 47.16 | 48.98 |
| 7×7 | Ethan Cho | 1:53.56 | 2:00.13 |
| Skewb | Marcus Zook | 2.84 | 3.98 |
| Square-1 | Tyler Youlden | 8.18 | 10.91 |
The PB harvest
54 set · 39 still standing- Tyler Youlden — Skewb single 1.77: into the top 0.86% of the event's history.
- Zachary Johnson — 3×3 single 6.54: into the top 0.89% of the event's history.
- Ethan Cho — Skewb single 2.37: into the top 2.4% of the event's history.
- Zachary Johnson — 7×7 single 2:42.81: into the top 6.2% of the event's history.
- Marcus Zook — 5×5 single 1:01.86: into the top 6.5% of the event's history.
- Ben Fischer — Skewb single 3.89: into the top 10.1% of the event's history.
- Laura Paola Gamboa Guzman — 3×3 single 11.38: into the top 11.7% of the event's history.
- Peyton Lehman — 3×3 single 11.41: into the top 11.8% of the event's history.
First-timers
16 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
No national, continental or world records were set at this competition. That is true of most competitions.
The field
65 competitors · 279 results · 5 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. Ethan Cho won it with a 8.42 average. Hold your cube white centre up, green centre facing you, follow each sequence, and check against the pictures.
- 1
U' D2 R2 U2 B U2 B' F U2 B2 D2 U2 R' B' R' B L' B U B2 - 2
U B R L' B2 R' F' D' R2 L U' F' D2 R2 F' D2 F R2 - 3
D U2 F U2 B' R2 U2 B' L2 F' R2 D' R B' R B2 R' B2 F - 4
D L' D2 F2 D2 B L2 R2 B L2 D' R2 B' U' B2 D' U' B L' - 5
B' U F D2 U B2 F2 R2 D' B2 D' L2 B2 L' F L' F' L F R'
solve 1
solve 2
solve 3
solve 4
solve 5
Race this final
Everyone who competed
65 competitors- Andrew O'Shea
- Andrew Tyberg
- Ava Brown
- Ben Fischer
- Benjamin Hansen
- Bennett Luth
- Brew Scot Farver
- Caleb Schunk
- Caleb Stout
- Carson Lundy
- Chaeli Baker
- Charley Boor
- Daniel Tang
- Davis Gorman
- Enyu Wang
- Eric Brown
- Ethan Cho
- Finn Cumings-Peterson
- Fisher White
- Francisco García
- Garrick Hohm
- George Robert Brown
- Greyson Rehbein
- Henry Jordahl
- Hugh Courtney
- Isabella Hodge
- Jack Jurkowski
- Jameson Jay O'Byrnes
- Jonah Taylor
- Joseph Tang
- Joshua Carey
- Josian Turner
- Kaleb Hake
- Kieran Farley
- Kurt Sparks
- Landen Leerhoff
- Landon Phillips
- Laura Paola Gamboa Guzman
- Leo Reichling
- Liam Hage
- Marcus Zook
- Max Kelm
- Max McGill
- Maxim Duncan
- Micah Powers
- Miles Greco
- Owen Tennison
- Peyton Lehman
- Reid Lange
- Robert L. Tupker
- Ryan Anthony Duke
- Stefan Sundin
- Stephen Metcalf
- Tarun Avantsa
- Taylor Prusa
- Trenton Cuzick
- Tyler Schepanski
- Tyler Youlden
- Vinny Bruno
- Wilken Roy Kube
- Winston Johnson
- Winston Sparks
- Zach Metzler
- Zachary Johnson
- Zakaria Abozena
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.