After placing third in the small division at the District 11 Competitive Spirit Cheerleading Competition, Bethlehem Catholic moved on to the PIAA State Cheerleading Championships last weekend.

On Friday, the Hawks placed fifth out of 46 teams in the preliminary round.

"That was our best routine so far. We were all really nervous going in, but we pulled together and did what we had to do to get to finals," said Becahi captain, Mary Cotturo.

Between the district competition and states, the Hawks added more difficulty to their routine.

"We were just trying to make the routine better and more competitive as we went along. We listened to the judges' critiques from our last competition," Cotturo said.

Some of those added maneuvers included giddy ups and full-up single bases.

Becahi moved on to the final round on Saturday, finishing in eighth place.

"That routine wasn't as strong, but we still put on a good routine. We were one of the last to compete, but I kind of like it because you get to see the competition," said Cotturo.

The Hawks' routine began with pike tucks and ended with a pyramid that included five cheerleaders in the air.

Bethlehem Catholic, coached by Brenda Michalska, will be heading to Florida in two weeks for nationals.

Cotturo said, "We're definitely going to work harder once nationals come around."