With the 2024 State Spirit competition set for this Friday, the Evanston High School cheer team will be led into the competition by a pair of first-time All-State honorees.

Sophomore Dalynn Wisenbaker and junior Talia Case were recently selected to the 2023-24 All-State team by the Wyoming Spirit Coaches Association

“Dalynn Wisenbaker is a sophomore, and this is her second year with the EHS cheer team,” said EHS head cheer coach Sidney Lebert. “Her position on the team is a flyer. My second girl is Talia Case, and she’s a junior. This is her third year, and she’s a base. Talia is actually hoping to cheer in college, once she graduates from EHS.”

To try out for All-State cheer, athletes are asked to perform a stunt sequence, tumbling, a band dance and a sideline cheer, according to Lebert.

“Both of our girls are first-time All-Staters, and both have shown a lot of leadership and dedication throughout this year’s season,” she said. “We’re super-duper proud of them.”

Asked what Wisenbaker brings to the program as a flyer, Lebert said it’s the sophomore’s athleticism and attention to detail that makes her stand out.

“Dalynn is definitely an athlete that pays attention to detail,” Lebert said. “With her motions, she’s always super-sharp. The same in the air – she’s always tight, and doing what she needs to make sure that her bases are able to do what they need to once she’s in the air. Throughout the summer, she was showing so much leadership with helping the new kids out – showing them dances, helping with sideline cheers, things like that. She really has stepped up as a sophomore this year.”

As for Case, Lebert said the talented junior is a quiet leader who is always available to her teammates for help, on and off the field.

“Talia has incredible leadership skills,” Lebert said. “She’s more the ‘Lead by example’ type of athlete – she’s not boisterous, but she definitely shows the other athletes what they need to be doing. She’s done extra work in the offseason, as far as going to colleges and cheer camps, things like that, so she’s learning from them, as well.”

Now in her second year as head coach of the EHS cheer program, Lebert – along with assistant coach Holly Blair – said this season has been an exciting one. As the team prepares for its biggest competition of the year, the former University of Wyoming cheerleader said her years cheering at the collegiate level have made her a better coach. The 12 athletes that make up the State Spirit roster – Hayli Winter, Olivia Miller, Dalynn Wisenbaker, Catie (Catherine) Morrow, Tycee Moon, Josie Wilson, Mailey Geary, Jane (Melissa) Anderson, Danica Jorgenson, Heather Hayes, Ashlyn Kopp and Talia Case – are a hardworking crew, and eager to turn some heads Friday at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper.

“We’re going to be competing as an all-girls team this year – that’s a little new to us, but we’re really excited,” Lebert said. “The team is made up of eight first-year members and four returning members, so it’s a pretty brand new team going into state, but they’ve all been working really, really hard, and shown so much positive attitude, even through morning practices. They’ve been preparing for state since November, and we’re just super-duper proud of them, and how far they’ve come.”