Lakota East sophomore Isadore McCune represented the United States at the 2026 World Junior Ultimate Championships in Logroño, Spain, in July.
McCune, a Liberty Township resident, was one of 24 players named to the U.S. U20 Women's National Ultimate Team. USA Ultimate announced the roster in December 2025 after selecting athletes from a pool of more than 200 invitees who attended tryouts.
The Thunderhawk helped the U.S. women's squad to a fifth-place finish among 14 nations at the tournament, held July 11-18, Lakota East's student newspaper Spark reported in an Oct. 5 profile.
McCune's path to the international stage started at home. Her parents met playing frisbee, and she joined summer leagues as a young child. She now plays for the open team at William Mason High School alongside her younger sister, Lakota East freshman Romy McCune.
Romy McCune told Spark that frisbee has transformed her sister's confidence. "Every time you see her play, she is proving her worth," she said.
Before traveling to Spain, the 24-player roster trained at multiple summer camps across the country. The U.S. women entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed but dropped a 12-10 pool-play game to Canada on July 15, according to Ultiworld's tournament coverage. That loss set up a quarterfinal against top-seeded Italy on July 16, where the Americans fell 11-10 on a universe point.
Teammate Alice Rieger, from Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, praised McCune's presence on the squad. Rieger told Spark that McCune brings "a sense of calmness to the team" and "sets the bar high for the rest of us."
McCune's father, Michael McCune, told Spark he is proud his daughter plays a game she enjoys at such a high level. He added that she has made friends from across the country through the sport.
McCune told Spark the experience broadened her world. "I've never played with people that don't speak the same language," she said.
The U.S. women's program has won six gold medals at the World Junior Ultimate Championships since the division began in 2000, according to USA Ultimate. France was the defending women's champion entering the 2026 tournament.
