One may merely consider cheerleading as pretty girls getting a crowd going at a football game. To the girls of the Roosevelt High pep squad, however, cheerleading is truly a unique sport, and they take their commitment to the sport seriously.

Senior and squad captain, Kayla Abe, 16, had her misconceptions as to what it took to be a cheerleader.

"When I first came out to try out for the team as a freshman, I was shocked to hear we had to run as part of practice ... I was asking myself, 'What's the point?' until I realized that we needed to be in condition," said Abe.

Abe's freshman experience became a year-round fitness routine.

"Because of all of the conditioning we do, it keeps me in shape and fit," she said. "I love the feeling (of accomplishment) after a long workout ... and my stamina and endurance have grown over the years."

Abe attributes her fitness gains in cheerleading with helping her in her daily marching band practice, as she also plays in the drumline. She also is a member of Roosevelt's symphony orchestra.

"Right after cheerleading (practice) is done at 6 p.m., I'll go straight to marching band rehearsal until 8:30," Abe said.

Senior Catherine Markham-Pukini, 17, also was enlightened when she first tried out for the squad.

"It may not seem like a sport, but it truly requires conditioning and strength (training) to perform jumps, stunts and tumbling," she said.

Markham-Pukini came into cheerleading with 10 years of figure skating experience, as well as experience as a gymnast and diver.

Seeking something different from figure skating, Markham-Pukini ventured into cheerleading at the urging of Abe.

"Kayla said it was really fun and I should join, too," Markham-Pukini said. "And I have never done (it) before."

Markham-Pukini added that with her family's support, she found something that "makes (me) really happy."

Practicing Monday through Friday, it's easy to see that this is no ordinary prep crew. Of course, the Roosevelt cheerleaders also have a top coach in Natalie Yamada, 25.

Yamada, a high school English and journalism teacher at Saint Louis School, brings impressive credentials. After graduating from Kaiser High School, Yamada went to USC, where she became a member of one of the NCAA's foremost cheer squads — the USC Song Leaders.

"It was an awesome experience," Yamada said.

Yamada also is a certified personal trainer by the National Academy of Sports Medicine and the American Council in Exercise.

"When I first found out that she was a USC Song Leader, I was really intimidated," Abe said. "We soon discovered a good friend and mentor, who tells it like it is, makes us work hard, yet she is very fair."

The girls routinely run one mile as a warmup each day. Because they are preparing for competition, the mileage has increased.

"We practice between three to four hours every day ... and now that we're preparing for (the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association) competition, the girls run three miles to begin practice," Yamada said.

When the team returns to the Roosevelt campus from its run, the cheerleaders work on jumping drills, as well as flexibility and routine timing.

"Then we continue with more conditioning, (having) the girls run two sets of bleachers and then plyometrics," Yamada said.

On occasion, Yamada takes the team to the beach to run on the sand and in the water's edge.

"This helps strengthen their legs, and the water jogging helps strengthen their core muscles," she said.

Also as part of the team's practices, the squad congregates at the Hawai'i Academy gymnasium in Kalihi three times a week to work on their tumbling. Helping the team in this area is sophomore team member Mia Vercruyssen, 15, who has seven years of gymnastics experience and is the 2005 USA Gymnastics Trampoline and Tumbling Junior Olympic national champion.

Like figure skating or gymnastics, cheerleading is scored by a panel of judges, who award points based on a team's creativity, execution of routines, partnered stunts, tumbling, jumps, team spirit or showmanship (which includes well-voiced cheers), choreography and how well they connect with the audience.

A team may score a maximum of 300 points. For all of the long hours of practice, the Roosevelt cheer squad is looking to January 2006, to find out if the hard work will have paid off at the HHSAA competition.