ORONO – Dave Cusano and Fred Lazo built reputations at the University of Maine as hard-nosed football players.

Last winter, when they attended an Old Town High School basketball game to watch a friend’s sister play, they were quickly recognized by people in the crowd.

“The first thing we hear from the stands is, ‘hey, it’s Maine cheerleaders!’ Cusano said.

Cheerleaders?

“I played football here [UMaine], ran track and I’m getting noticed for my cheering,” said Cusano who, along with Lazo and former football teammate Calvin Hunter, spent the winter as fledgling members of the UMaine cheerleading squad.

The thought of football players cheering might seem incongruous, but the men and their female teammates have enjoyed the experience. UMaine will show off its skills Thursday when it competes in the Chick-fil-A National Cheerleaders Association Cheer and Dance Collegiate Championship at Daytona Beach, Fla.

Cheerleading is considered an extracurricular activity as it is not a sport governed by the NCAA.

Coach Melinda Kenny’s squad, which receives minimal funding from UMaine, raised more than $20,000 through a variety of activities in order to be able to make the trip. The Bears compete in the Small Coed Division, which allows a maximum of 20 team members, including four men.

“I think we’ve definitely got the potential and the talent to make it to finals,” said senior co-captain Andrea Fullerton of Rockland. “The experience is indescribable.”

Rather than performing choreographed dance routines, the NCA event focuses on executing stunts. That’s where UMaine hopes to utilize the skills of Lazo, Cusano, Hunter and cheering veteran Jason Poisson, the team’s other male.

The size, strength and agility of football players translate perfectly to cheering, where the men lift, support and throw people rather than balls.

Cusano was enticed to check out cheering by team member Erica Perry, whom he knew from a Bible study group. Cusano, Lazo and Hunter were among those who turned out for informal practice sessions.

“Before you know it, we were doing back flips and that type of stuff and they were saying, ‘you guys ought to try out for the team,'” said Cusano, who talked it over with Hunter and Lazo and agreed to give it a try.

Next thing they knew, they were on the team.

“They are incredible athletes,” Kenny said of the trio. “They use a lot of their raw strength because they don’t have a lot of the technique.”

Fullerton was at first surprised the men had shown interest in cheering, but appreciates with their willingness to practice and learn the intricacies of the sport.

“It was a lot of hard work,” she said. “I was amazed. They have improved so much.”

The men have developed a great appreciation for the athletic components of cheering. Football players wear lots of protective equipment. In cheering, there is none.

“It’s hard for me to admit, but I’ve got hurt a lot doing this cheerleading thing,” said Lazo, who has incurred injuries to fingers and numerous muscles. “It is dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

Cusano and some football buddies had been regulars at UMaine women’s basketball games in 2002-03. Cheerleading seemed a logical extension of wanting to support the team.

“I was going to go to the games anyway, so why not do something other than just sit in the stands?” Cusano offered. “I basically went from ‘nosebleed’ seats to courtside seats.”

Psychologically, the men didn’t worry about how people might perceive them. They learned to be comfortable performing stunts on the court.

“It takes a certain personality to be a male cheerleader,” Cusano said. “There’s a lot of stereotypes that come along with it.”

The experience has been a stark contrast to life on the football team. For example, the women make all the decisions. And when problems arise, they approach them differently.

“Being around women made me understand how they think about things,” Cusano said. “They’re much more diplomatic. They’ll sit there and they’ll discuss things.”

One gripe Cusano and Co. do have is the cheering uniforms, especially the uncomfortable polyester pants. Before their uniforms arrived, the men wore blue shorts and white T-shirts.

Coach Kenny is thrilled about having had football players on her team because of their talents and the way their participation impacts the students.

“They’ve really turned a lot of the other athletes’ heads in our direction and made them stop and see what we’re doing,” Kenny said. “I think it’s good for people to know that cheerleading is not what it used to be – shake the poms and smile. It really is an athletic event.”

Among the impressive stunts the men performed was the helicopter spin. It usually found Hunter standing as the pivot, balancing Cusano and Poisson as they hung off his shoulders while spinning them around and around repeatedly.

“When you’re out there doing a stunt, everything has to hit on the exact same time,” Lazo said. “If it doesn’t and somebody goes up early, somebody goes up late, somebody could fall.”

The hardest aspects for Lazo, Hunter and Cusano have been learning the proper body positions and incorporating some of the facial expressions, gestures and emotions that are part of the sport. Above all, the men have developed a respect for their teammates and the sport.

“You could take the best athletes in this school that play other sports and they couldn’t do what a lot of those girls do,” Cusano said. It’s a tribute to them of how good they really are in the sport of cheerleading.”

The UMaine cheering squad also includes Brandy Walsh, Liz Kenney, Cat Kenney, Tracy Romano, Emilykate Canney, Kim Hamel, Angie DeBeck, Sam Floyd, Melissa Dorr, Sara Patterson, Stephanie Smith, Cassie Madden, Kendra Look, Michelle Fernald, Alia Whitehead, injured member Tasha Roberts and volunteer coach Sarah Smith.

The Bears’ preliminary competition at the nationals,, in a field of 33 teams, is Thursday.

“It’s the best 2 1/2 minutes of your life and it seems like two hours,” Fullerton said.