With just over five weeks to go until the inaugural Olympia Cheer Championships, another important piece of the weekend is officially in place: The judging panel.
Rachael McLeish, Darryl Lyons, Omar Minhas and Tyler Houchin will serve as judges for the first-ever Olympia Cheer Championships, taking place September 25–26, 2026, in Las Vegas as part of the legendary Joe Weider’s Olympia Weekend.
Bringing together decades of experience across All Star, school and collegiate cheer, the panel reflects the standard the Olympia Cheer Championships is working to establish from its very first year. Collectively, the judges bring extensive backgrounds in coaching, choreography, rules and safety, legality, program leadership, national and international competition.
For the athletes and teams stepping onto the floor this September, this is more than the start of another competition season. It is an opportunity to be part of the very first chapter of something new and to become one of the First Cheer Olympians.
Meet the judging panel for the 2026 Olympia Cheer Championships below.
Rachael McLeish brings more than 30 years of experience in cheerleading and dance as an athlete, coach, gym owner and certified legality official. She spent 20 years coaching athletes from youth through the collegiate level before owning and operating an All Star cheerleading and dance program. Today, Rachael specializes in rules and legality, serving as a certified legality judge for both cheer and dance at events across the United States and internationally. Her experience includes The Dance Worlds, The ONE Finals, Allstar Worlds and state and regional championships, bringing extensive technical knowledge and consistency to the judging panel.
Darryl Lyons is a veteran coach, instructor, consultant and judge with more than three decades of experience across collegiate, high school and All Star cheerleading. A former collegiate cheerleader, Darryl went on to lead programs at universities including Drury, Mississippi State, Clayton State and Georgia State, earning national championships and top collegiate finishes along the way. He has also served as a national instructor for both UCA and NCA and coached All Star programs across multiple states. Today, Darryl continues to consult with cheer programs, conduct camps and choreography and judge major events throughout the industry.
Omar Minhas has been part of the cheerleading industry since 1996 and has built his reputation as a specialist in rules, safety and technical interpretation. A former cheerleader at Vanderbilt University and experienced coach and industry professional, Omar has spent more than two decades judging competitions throughout the United States and internationally. His résumé includes multiple seasons as a rules and safety judge at The Cheerleading Worlds, along with major national championships and international events. In addition to judging, Omar provides rules consulting and training to school and All Star programs, bringing extensive technical expertise to every competition panel.
Tyler Houchin brings more than 30 years of experience in cheerleading as an athlete, coach, choreographer and judge. A former Ohio State University cheerleader, Tyler has gone on to build a career focused on elite performance, technical execution and innovative choreography. His experience includes coaching multiple Summit Championship teams, earning three Top 10 finishes at The Cheerleading Worlds and receiving multiple Most Innovative Choreography awards at NCA All-Star Nationals. Known for his attention to technique, precision and creativity, Tyler brings a well-rounded perspective shaped by decades of experience at both the competitive and championship levels.
