Biography
It is our unqualified pleasure to nominate Isaac Stiepleman for the 2026 Callahan Award. Isaac is the backbone of Columbia Uptown Local. Hailing from Seattle, Washington, Isaac began playing frisbee during his freshman year at Columbia, where he has grown into a dominant center handler and nightmare of defenses in the Metro East. Isaac’s play is defined by his calmness, decisiveness, and ability to threaten all areas of the field with his throws. Isaac is not only the rock of Columbia’s offense, but also a stalwart of the defense. Shutting down one-on-one matchups and regularly intercepting throws, Isaac consistently generates turns through his tenacity and awareness. Beyond UpLo, Isaac is a fixture of the New York and Seattle ultimate communities, where he has cut his teeth playing in high-level, local pickup games and with the club teams New York Swipes and Seattle Make it Rain. Off the field, UpLo has relied on Isaac’s capable leadership, Isaac holding the roles of vice president, president, and captain throughout his time on the team. During his tenure, Columbia has evolved into a more disciplined and competitive program, with Isaac at the center of this transformation. Whether it’s mentoring rookie handlers or consistently setting the tone at practices, Isaac has built the culture of accountability and leadership that defines UpLo.