Emmaus High School’s varsity cheerleaders won their division and a ticket to the state championships after competing in the District 11 Cheerleading Competition on Jan. 4 at Easton Area Middle School.

“It has been our goal to get to states, but winning the division title was icing on the cake,” said Emmaus cheerleading head coach Lori Schaeffer.

The Hornets were up against Nazareth in the large division, where only one squad would make it to states. Nazareth had placed higher against Emmaus at the East Penn Conference Championship, so the competition was intense.

“Nazareth has a fantastic routine and had a couple drops, but we weren’t sure because Nazareth typically has more difficulty than we do,” Schaeffer said. “We were definitely very nervous and very surprised. We were ecstatic.”

Competing Emmaus team members in the district competition were seniors Taitum Mason and Alexandra Spear; juniors Juliann Cichocki, Ashlee Leonard, Siarra Mendela, Cecilia Quintela and Dhana Verrastro; sophomores Natalie Barton, Samantha Barton, Breanna Froshour, Kaylin Grabias, Natavia Holmes, Cameron Metka, Emily Miller, Erin O’Neil, Camryn Pavelko, Paige Peterson, Alandra Pilarski, Hanna Tigar and Skylar Vertrees; and freshmen Daphne Amato, Mackenzie Cichocki, Maria Duggan, Molly O’Connor and Emily Terrero.

Senior Mikayla Cannon is also a competition team member.

The Hornets are also coached by Cayleigh Butz.

“We took them outside [after they competed], went through what hit, and told them we were beyond proud of what they did,” said Schaeffer.

The Hornets had a good warm-up before competing despite little practice time because of winter break.

“Our new sequence wasn’t always hitting, but they fought for things,” Schaeffer said. “The routine wasn’t perfect but things that came down were safe.”

Emmaus will compete at the PIAA Cheerleading Competition on Jan. 10 and 11 in Hershey.

Also competing at states will be Parkland, which placed third in the small division at districts. Bethlehem Catholic won the small division and Stroudsburg placed second.

Easton won the medium division unopposed.

Pocono Mountain East won the coed division.